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

[conservative in nyc]

No significant change in the Calcasieu River at Cameron, LA gage 1:35AM reading - still under 7 feet.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yeah, it's only going to get even worse where Rick Leventhal is, since he's on the eastern side of the eye wall.

[John Jamieson]

I second the emotion.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Thanks for the maps. Inner eyewall heading for Lake Charles.

[glock rocks]

Yep. You can go for trophy with wide screen salt, and some scattered DVD chum.

[dixiechick2000]

WOW! Your are very brave!

I be hushed, now....;o)

[Spktyr]

Would scattering packs of batteries in your target area be considered "hunting over a baited field"?

[nerdgirl]

My boyfriend calls that a "100% off sale"

:)

[John Jamieson]

Good, then we agree!

[Republic of Texas]

Maybe they are catching a break, I think right now the winds are from the east and not from the south going right up the mouth of the river. Just speculating.

[cgk]

Rick Leventhal NOW reporting seeing the barge floating towards the 210, from your scanner report...

[conservative in nyc]

Rick Leventhal now reporting on the barge running loose near the I-210 bridge. KPLC speculating tornado may have loosened barge from moorings.

[sheikdetailfeather]

A large barge with shipping containers is floating towards pilings on overpass near Leventhal. Conditions in Lake Charles getting worse.

[Heatseeker]

I hope so. They're doing real TV journalism while the 'big names' are just standing around in the rain, saying dumb things.

For example: they just announced a barge had come loose and was heading towards the 210 Bridge.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Before you write yourself off as a nutjob -- I'm trying to remember the book I read years ago by Billie Grahams wife that told how a spirit came to her one night and woke her from a sound sleep. It's been years since I read it and can't remember the whole story now, but it's not unusual for apparitions to come to us when we're in a relaxed state and they don't have to speak to portray a message to us. We have to be open. I used to be much more open before I got so intense over politics.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I think the 210 is going to get knocked out before this is all said and done.

[Republic of Texas]

Apparently all rules are suspended during emergencies. Time to break out the spotlights and dynamite.

[TheMom]

That is why I called the inland people selfish. Had they waited one day the traffic mess would not have been as bad as it was.

[glock rocks]

Those charts are fascinating. Wind's up to 70+ and the temperature is interesting.

Wonder what's up with the salinity.

[steveegg]

So are they still thinking a right before-dawn landfall hit, as in the center of the eye hitting? I'm getting the impression from the news it's coming "any minute" so I'm a little lost. FNC also had a headline on-screen a hundred posts ago that said "150 mph winds." Gusts only?

Center of the eye should be crossing the coast in 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The eye is large enough so that the northern edge is right about the coast (the Lake Charles radar suggests that it may be occuring just east of the Texas/Louisiana border as I type). As for the winds, the midnight advisory had sustained winds down to 120 mph, which is good only for those not in Louisiana or in Texas very near the border; the surge is massive.