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

[blam]

"I find it very ironic that NO people are bitching about not getting news coverage and thinking they are forgotten when people in MS and AL were facing that in the wake of all the coverage of NO."

The horrible (unbelieveable) hurricane damage was done in Mississippi, not New Orleans. The post hurricane flood got NO and most of the news.

[ekwd]

You Betcha!

[Cvengr]

I don't think looters will pose much of a problem. They tend to silhouette themselves, offering a simple one round per target resolution.

[AFPhys]

I saw some bead lightning (also a brief instance of ball lightning) about 20 yrs ago during a tornado strike about a mile away. It so surprised me that I can still see "the videotape in my head" whenever ball or bead lightning is mentioned. The general noise level was too great for me to hear the crackle, though.

You're right: it is kewl.

[Lessismore]

The initial boom came in Japanese imports and US manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon.

My recollection is that the sequence is that:

-- gubmint passes clean air regulations in late '60s,

-- auto manufacturers reduce percentage of pollutant in exhaust by increasing displacement, leaning mixture, screwing up the timing.

-- gas mileage goes below 10 mpg, various '70s gas crises due to politics exacerbated by pitiful mileage,

-- gubmint passes regulations to increase mileage,

-- US manufacturers can't compete in high-mileage cars, Chrysler brings out the minivan, which doesn't fall under auto mileage regulations, since it is a "truck"

-- foreign manufacturers eat their lunch in minivans,

-- US manufacturers shift to SUVs and upscale/extended cab pickups

-- foreign manufactures eat their lunch in smaller/luxury SUV models and small pickups

[pamlet]

Laugh... funny how we are prefer different things huh?

Grew up in Chicago... Never noticed hard vs soft.

Went to college in South Carolina and then 12 years in North Carolina... water WAY to soft... eeeeyuck... always felt slimey...

Now in the Hill Country... LOVE the hard water... (tho' I KNOW I'm in the minority... LAUGH)

[Cboldt]

If it loops, crossing over it's previous path, the path is a clockwise track. At the top of the loop it would be tracking east.

[cajungirl]

You think I am not aware of those points.

Louisiana has had corrupt government as far back as I know.

I am not "letting that go",,I was the first person here screaming about Gov Blanco.

What I am objecting to is that there is a dismissive wave of many freepers hands suggesting everyone here is a looting, Luis Vuitton wearing scam artist, cry baby, corrupt politician, stupid sinner.

And a large body of citizens is too damned busy taking care of each other to want to march on the State Capitol.

I don't think the picture down here is clear for many people stuck in their own private ruts.

ANd I think people forget that this has never happened on this scale in NO, never. NO has been around two hundred years plus. This is a huge geological or meteorlogical event, very similar to the dust bowl or the great Miss floods but it is telescoped into days. THe politics, the deaths even, the looting is all going to be a footnote to the drama taking place of an entire population being disseminated all over. All I can think of that is similar is the movements of Indian tribes, the vale of tears or whatever it was called.

I don't think people are going back, if that city is rebuilt it will take many more years and many more dollars than can be afforded. I think NO is in ICU on machines and people don't know it yet.

I think NO, St Bernard, most of Plaquemine are gone for good.

[laz]

That, I'm afraid, is as much a slander and a calumny as the charges made against the President. Perhaps you're just too upset to think before you react.

I suggest you read further what I have posted on this thread, before making unwarranted judgments of your own. Your knee-jerk reaction will end up eroding any sympathy you may be trying to elicit.

[HiJinx]

Mornin', GBU! I just got on and have skimmed about a hunnert posts....

Has anyone mentioned Tyler or Texarkana yet this morning?

My sis-in-law just called from DeKalb (outside Texarkana) and said all they expect is some rain. The storm track looks like it's going to go right over that area with sustained winds in excess of 40MPH.

[wardaddy]

poor wittle birds...lol

sod poodles everywhere pray for Dove season to be extended in the panhandle

;>)

[blam]

"This is Texas. They'll find someplace. We'll *make* room."

As a Houston resident for 20+ years, I am familiar with the spirit...and, when you leave Texas, you take it with you.

[bwteim]

Quite a story. Glad you all are safe.

Hurricane Director Max Mayfield prayed as well.
http://www.baptistmessage.com/articledetail.php?articleID=2368
See last paragraph, too.

[RummyChick]

One of the officials mentioned that the bus drivers were too scared to drive the buses. I can see why they wouldn't want to drive into the 9th ward to get people or why they would be scared to drive people.

It seems to me Blanko could have called in the national guard and stationed some on the buses.

The "bad guys" have assimilated into other regions. They will probably hook up with "bad guys" in those regions.

Col. Hunt said "bad guys" were shooting amongs themselves in wars during the height of the looting. His investigation makes me wonder if the guys in the Fur coats with guns in the boat that tried to loot a hospital were really from another city.

I have no doubt that people were waiting to take advantage of the situation in the same way this time.

[Cboldt]

I don't really understand Judge Eckels role in this but perhaps NO needs to get a similar position!

They do. His name is Ebbert. "Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations ..."

[dixie sass]

Charleston practices for the same reasons that Texas does. We've been there, done that and worn the t-shirt. Plus we have the threat of earthquakes.

[Jeff Head]

I believe if you try and name them, you will find it is a realtively small number. In addition, one I saw was being accused of being such when they were actually quoting scripture that said the opposite...but the poster was labeled simply because they quoted scripture.

God does make judgements IMHO, but they are His to make and are usually far beyond our comprehension. We are left to deal with what we experience in the best, loving, Christian method we can...while taking care of our own and those around us and defending ourselves against predators...both the local and institutional kind..

Anyhow...I still believe the list is relatively short, particularly compared to the whole.

[No Blue States]

Amazing, no reports of loss of life so far. :) Landfall 2:40 am Sabine Pass. Galveston doesnt look that bad at all on the live feed. One person burned in the Galveston fire last night. No return allowed to Galveston today. Gust measured at 117 mph Polk co.

[sheikdetailfeather]

So glad you guys made it through ok last night! Now for my first cup of coffee!

[Zacs Mom]

The standing joke is you only have to buy one bar of in a lifetime - each time you get back in the shower you can relather from whats still on ya!

Rinsing creme rinse out of your hair there is next to impossible!