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

[Revel]

I don't think Houston has to worry about levee failure. So I would think it all depends on the damage already done. And reports seem to indicate it is not too extensive. Probably a lot of power problems though in some areas.

[glock rocks]

Thanks for your posts. Sure beats being spoon fed hour old ticker by the msm.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I would guess that the only thing they would need the tower for is through the air broadcasting on VHF or UHF.

Yep. Chances are, they may still be able to transmit on a lower powered UHF frequency temporarily, but their coverage area wouldn't be as substantial as their VHF channel 2 coverage area, for those confined to "rabbit ears".

[steveegg]

I'm not too far behind. I will be up for the 4 am slew of NHC updates, then I'm toast as well.

[truthandlife]

In NW Harris county and wind is pretty fierce. Coming in spurts. I asked my wife if we could have taken this storm if it would have been a direct hit on Houston.

I don't know if we could now. Pretty scary.

[bd476]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
152 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado warning for...
Calcasieu Parish in southwest Louisiana
Jefferson Davis Parish in southwest Louisiana
Cameron Parish in southwest Louisiana
Jefferson County in southeast Texas
Orange County in southeast Texas

* until 400 am CDT

* at 155 am CDT...National Weather Service Doppler radar
indicated the leading edge of the hurricane eyewall moving over
the warning area.

* Destructive sustained winds of 100 to 120 mph will spread across
Cameron...Calcasieu...Jefferson Davis Parishes and Jefferson...and
Orange Counties producing tornado-like damage through midnight.

Take cover now! Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado
was approaching. Move immediately to the safe room in your
shelter and take action to protect your life.

These destructive winds will produce wind damage similar to a
tornado. Seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an
interior hallway or room such as a closet. Stay away from windows
and remain in your safe shelter until the eyewall passes.

Call 337-477-5285 to report severe weather to the Weather Service.

Lat...Lon 3024 9285 3035 9338 3024 9365 3018 9404
2976 9411 2970 9402 2979 9358 2980 9309
2963 9261

$$

06

[Revel]

Good night.

[ChefKeith]

They just "know" that there are doves and ducks getting away while they are inside;)

[steveegg]

Good night, and thank you nwctwx

[Heatseeker]

I think KPLC's feed is gone, at least for now.

[glock rocks]

These lazy, but beautiful, black labs hardly bark at anything, but give 'em some wind and they go nuts.

My lab Bo only barks at Kasey Khane.

[glock rocks]

or Kahne.

[GOPyouth]

Geraldo is back on FNC on the phone. Well, he was. Didn't hear if he was inside or outside.

[steveegg]

Or Khan even :-)

Sounds like you're about as tired as I feel.

[ChefKeith]

Houston and Galveston are above sea level, unlike the scumpit that is NO.

[Heatseeker]

Dumb question - is there a video stream for Fox News?

[conservative in nyc]

From the Lake Charles American Press:

Saturday, September 24, 2005
Civic Center, downtown, airport damaged
According to eyewitness accounts from law enforcement officials, Cable News Network and Fox News Channel, sections of the Lake Charles Civic Center's exterior are being torn off by winds, part of the roof of Lake Charles Regional Airport has peeled away and windows have been blown off from downtown buildings, with glass flying in the wind -- with one building left with much of its interior exposed.
Brett Downer
Editor

posted by American Press at 3:09 AM 0 comments

[jeffers]

Mornin chief....you holding up ok?

[glock rocks]

I will be up for the 4 am slew of NHC updates, then I'm toast as well.

I was starting to wonder if you're an android. Of course, had to wonder if Wheels was a masterful plot to rid FFL of the riff-raff.

[GOPyouth]

Leventhal: hwy overpass has collapsed onto i10. Private hangars at lake charles airport are gone. Isle of Capris Casino has split in half.