Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VII

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Rita landfall is anticipated within the next few hours. Strong winds and heavy rains are battering southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas.

MSM news crews are shouting over the howling winds as they foolishly describe blowing rain, swaying trees, and crashing waves through rain splattered camera lenses. It's a hurricane. We know these things already.

An 18 wheeler rig reportedly overturned on an I-10 bridge. The fate of the truck driver is unknown at this time. Reports of widespread power outages in Lake Charles. KPLC-TV Lake Charles local news has remarkably improvised their reporting from a remote location. They are taking calls from residents, NWS, and public utility representatives, and alerting residents to local conditions.

On the flip side, CNN announced to the world that law enforcement officers had evacuated from Port Arthur TX with the rest of the population. Engraved looter invitations would have been more elegant.

Godspeed to all those in the path of this storm.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 5A, 8A, 11A, 2P, etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 6A, 11A, 6P, 11P
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track

Rita Forecast Track Archive
Forecast Models
Buoy Data Western Gulf of Mexico
Houston/Galveston/Beaumont/Lake Charles Wx Watches/Warnings
Jefferson Co TX NWS Weather
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana
Hi Res Houston Flood Zone Map Slow load, great detail

Images:

Lake Charles Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Houston/Galveston Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Lake Charles Experimental Radar Outages and Delays May Occur

Storm Floater IR Loop
GOM WV Loop
GOM IR Still Image
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston
KPRC-TV/DT Houston
KTRK-TV/DT Houston
KTRH-AM Houston
KPLC-TV/DT Lake Charles/Lafayette
KSLA-TV/DT Shreveport

Additional Resources:

FReeper Sign In Thread Check in to let us know whether you are staying, going, and when you get there
FReepers Offering Lodging To Rita Evacuees People and/or Pet Friendly FReepers Offering Shelter
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
KPLC Lake Charles Evac Routes, news
KFDM Beaumont/Port Arthur News, evac info
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston
Galveston Webcams
Golden Triangle Weather Page Provides Galveston Weather, Warnings, Radar, etc.

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

Previous Threads:
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VI
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part V
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part IV
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[Arizona Carolyn]

I'll check it out --

[Fester Chugabrew]

The anchors don't look comfortable at all.

Some off the wall dialogue, too. "What do you want to talk about?" "Can hear water gurgling in the sinks." "Toilet flushing on its own."

[Brad’s Gramma]

Thanks....prayers for those people!

[A CA Guy]

Look for the NAACP to say Bush sent the storm back after them in Louisiana.

[Aggie Mama]

I'm on the NW side of town, and actually just woke up from a quick nap. We have had nothing but a winds a 23-30 mph and a light sprinkle.

[LibertyRocks]

TORNADO WARNING - RADAR DEPICTED
Avoilles and Repeeds Parishes (leesville, fort polks, pitkin, fullerton, etc...)

[Sandy]

A co-worker that lives in Tomball was determined to leave Wednesday evening, even though Rita was not predicted to be here until late Friday/ early Saturday. Had the selfish people like her waited, it would not have taken people (like my brother) 20 hours just to get to Tomball.

Oh please. That's an idiotic comment. There's nothing selfish about getting out early. Suggest your brother try it next time.

[conservative in nyc]

12:50 AM - Tornado warnings issued for Avoyelles and Rapides Parishes, based on a radar-depicted cell capable of producing a quick spin up. Eyewall tornado warnings were also issued earlier for Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, as well as Jefferson and Orange Counties.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/temp/ritablog.htm

[Mo1]

Jamie something

Well I'm off to bed .. see y'all later

Prayers for all that are stuck in the middle of this storm

[nerdgirl]

Yeah Coop sounded totally BUMMED that the eye was gonna miss him!

[Brad’s Gramma]

What's sad is I have be participating in the game.

Well. Yes. It is. I'll go get some chocolate and offset what you're drinking, how's that?

[Shortstop7]

Thanks......hadn't heard that number. Simply amazing.

[justa-hairyape]

My guess is that the highest winds will be over the next couple hours with the inner eyewall coming ashore.

According to a report here, the first land areas are already getting 100 mph sustained. So that will peak in 1 to 2 hours. Backside wind speeds should only be about 75 % or 50 % of front side ?

[hole_n_one]

Shuster just got finished saying how "strong" the trees he was next to were..........

[Arizona Carolyn]

They announced two days ago he was going to Colorado Springs to the National Hurricane Center to follow the storm.

[NormsRevenge]

reuters on yahooie

Large fire hits Galveston ahead of hurricane

By Erwin Seba - Reuters

GALVESTON, Texas (Reuters) - Firefighters contained a large fire that broke out in downtown Galveston on Friday night, engulfing three buildings and sending flames shooting into the sky as the first winds from Hurricane Rita began whipping the coastal island.

Fire crews fought the blaze on the eastern side of the city, which had been mostly evacuated in anticipation of the storm. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Winds of 60 to 70 mph (96-113 kph) had pushed the flames across roofs of nearby buildings and sent sparks swirling down on firefighters, forcing them to stay well back.

One of the buildings appeared to have burned nearly to the ground but the fire was prevented from reaching the historic buildings and several Victorian houses nearby.

One emergency medical worker was injured and rushed to a nearby hospital with burns, a city spokeswoman said.

Firefighters doused the buildings with water as they struggled against the wind and rain, and conditions were expected to get far worse.

"We're expecting winds of 100 miles an hour in 20 to 25 minutes. I recommend you get to shelter," one Galveston police officer told a Reuters reporter as the fire raged.

Electricity was knocked out across most of the island, which was nearly erased in a 1900 hurricane that killed 8,000 people.

Hurricane Rita's center was expected to make landfall in the eastern Texas Gulf coast near Port Arthur in early hours of Saturday.

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT

[nwctwx]

Thanks for the new numbers.

[Mo1]

No Comment

[Eaker]

Don't hammer me up more than needed.

You have my chainsaw.

I can hammer you as much as I want.

It's Glock's fault anyway!