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

[freema]

LOL

[groanup]

I am sorry for post #149 but if you are going to be so sterile that we have no opinions that annoy people then we need to talk. I was responding to a lot of people and I, frankly, don't even know what #149 said. Would you please freemail me and tell me? Thank-you

[Petronski]

Red Hat's gone. LOL

Whoa d00d!

[Jrabbit]

CNN showing pics....huge!!

[fishntex]

At least the cnn guy is standing behind something like any normal person would do.

That is one big fire on CNN. The firemen must feel helpless with the wind blowing the way it is and fueling the fire.

[Txsleuth]

I haven't seen coverage of the fire on Galveston on Fox yet...have you seen it they have covered it??

[Eaker]

I keep getting my posts deleted so I am going to be nice and hush.

[humblegunner]

Wow, you are quite the bloody ass aren't you?

[topher]

Okay... Now there is a tornado warning for Allen Parish (also from KLFY TV - Lafayette, La:

Tornado Warning is in effect for Allen Parish in southwest Louisiana until 10:45pm.

At 10:06pm, National Weather Service Doppler Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 6 miles south of Oakdale, moving west at 35 mph.

The tornado is expected to be near Mittie by 10:25pm, Grant by 10:35pm.

This tornado is wrapped in rain.

I am not sure where this is.... But it may be North of Lake Charles (20 or 30 miles North).

[sinkspur]

I'm still on. All my in-laws have suddenly gone silent, as they realize that their hometown, Lake Charles, is going to get pounded. Lots of tall pine trees around their houses, that will get snapped off and dropped through roofs.

There'll be storm surge, with water in all their houses.

[oceanview]

are you serious? that story should get alot of coverage - someone email Tancredo.

[MarMema]

I think you will be ok! Prayers don't hurt though....

[abner]

LOL!

[ClearBlueSky]

No, Nagin stayed in town. Really, except for the levee breach in an already ruined parish, this is a non-event here. We have some gusty wind and rain, but it's about done now, thank God.

I really don't get all the worry about places that have been 10 ft under water for 2 weeks getting wet again now. There is literally nothing left to lose where this levee gave way. Especially in St. Bernard, where everything is covered in a layer of crude oil. A line burst in the flood. Except for a few trinkets there is nothing left there to recover. Water isn't going to hurt it any worse now.

[momf]

I have a question re the tornados. Do they spawn on the East side of a hurricane, anywhere near, or is there a pattern?

[Eastbound]

Oughta qualify him for a tour through one of the sandstorms in the med-east somewhere, if he hasn't already been there.

'This is Shep reporting to you live on top of this here camel . . . . '

[BurbankKarl]

Galveston Mayor

three houses burned down....19th and Winnie...Victorian Houses from 1900s

[Howlin]

Look at those embers flying!

[Palladin]

Greta has a long wait...something like five hours before it gets to Houston. She is really out of the loop tonight, giving wrong info by the bushel.

[Eaker]

I bet he won't come to Texas and play.