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

[Zacs Mom]

Maybe I should adopt a more aggressive handle......something along the lines of Howlin'"!!!???

;^)

[GodBlessUSA]

Fantastic!

I love how you all ended becoming like a big family dining room talking to each other :)

[luckystarmom]

He must be one of those old-time democrats.

I'm glad he's okay.

Wasn't there some democratic woman mayor that was horrible also?

I don't keep up with all of that like I used to.

[Spktyr]

I see the NOPD is putting in an appearance.

In Houston, the report would read "Texas citizens firing fully automatic weapons into crowd of looters".

[milagro]

How cool. We tend to assume that everyone in LA has the same mentatlity as the MSM and politicos like JJ.

Early in the Katrina coverage, Fox (I think) interviewed a lady either at the SD or the CC who had a sign around her neck that said," Mayor Nagin, where are you?"

That woman knew who was responsible for the fiasco in NO--and she was not afraid to "broadcast" it.

[RoseofTexas]

I just awoke and to my horror RITA is still messing with the coastal area!!

TO RITA: GET AWAY FROM THERE YOU *ITCH!!!

[johniegrad]

The electric company and I are fighting right now. My electric bill jumped thirty dollars over last years bill. There is a problem on their part as their is nothing wrong with the AC or the hot water heater. They say it's my fault and not theirs and I say just the opposite. If you don't like their prices, don't buy their product.

I am sick of so called right wingers whining for a socialist deal on any product they want to buy

Damn right, dixie!! Start your own power company dammit!!

[GodBlessUSA]

LOL!

[Aggie Mama]

You know what hacks me off about this? The suggestion that everyone responded this way b/c of Katrina. These evac and disaster plans have been in place for years. The authorities have planned for this all the time.

I agree with you completely. This really shows how badly LA bungled things.

[laz]

To me, that says VOLUMES about Louisiana.

It says so much that we can expect a veritable cacophony of lies from the MSM to distract from it.

[jeffers]

Thx for the laugh....tearing my hair out here...the GIS databases are way screwed up...out of four cities I am missing at least one file for each....grrrrr....

[bwteim]

Cat 5 was a tie, since you can't go higher than a 6...

[RummyChick]

Neil cavuto calling Judge Eckels that Rudy G of this disaster.

[Jeff Head]

Well...I made a "reational" decision and own a 4X4 Eddie Bauer Expedition. I intend to trade that vehcile in within the next two weeks for a 2003-2004 model F-150 or F-250 4-door, 4X4 pickup.

The rational is simple. I live in Idaho and hunt and haul things, like trailers. Also haul scouts and church groups into the mountains...and not to your drive there on a paved road places. Places that require the low end of the $X$ that are forty and fifyty miles in on very rough roads.

I also use the vehicle to get back and forth to work, so youy may see me (or people like me) driving down the highway to wrok, alone in our vehicles. So, do not judge too quickly..

I do this because the vehicle is safer, I need the power and the space, and because I can afford to do so...even at $3+ a gallon.

[dixie sass]

It took forever for people to get anywhere but most were safe in shelters before the storm hit. The roads around Charleston were clear by the time the storm hit that night. The islands were evacuated - mandatory - the day before the storm and others were told to leave. A lot of people hunkered down and rode out the storm at shelters. There were a lot of heros during the storm including one young girl who drove her dad to the hospital while he was having a heart attack.

The Governor (Carroll Campbell) and the Mayors of the tri-county area were and are not fools and they have long realized that we need to be prepared above and beyond whatever the storm brings. The Disaster Preparedness group here in Charleston were the best.

Now about FEMA - Hollings called the bureaucratic jackasses. One of the few times that he was correct.

We had the National Guard in the streets the morning after and a curfew set immediately. It was quite an experience to walk outside turn the corner and walk smack into a guy carrying an M16(I think that was what it was).

[SW6906]

Great story - thanks for sharing!

[No Blue States]

Lufkin:

Do not return yet. Looks like remnant of eyewall will pass over Lufkin and east. (as of 9:11 am)

Galveston fire took 3 buildings last night.

Friendswood: People can return, no major damage.
Power available 50%.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

One of the great weather myths is that Seattle has really unusually large quantities of rain

I think that's because lots of that yearly precip comes in a fine almost heavy mist like rain, that occurs nearly every day during the winter months. There are occasionally some 'moderate' rains but rarely anything like a heavy rain I used to see in the midwest.

[TomGuy]

Parts of Jefferson Parish are under 6 feet of water.

I guess Jeff Parish Pres will be crying on Timmy Russert's program tomorrow.

[Howlin]

Absolutely.

I'm visualizing that ad for stero speakers with the guy sitting in the big chair and his hair being blown straight right.