Posted on 09/24/2005 9:58:36 AM PDT by Howlin
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:
Hurricane Rita Freeper CHECK IN THREAD
FReeper Sign In Thread (LOCKED) 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 VII
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
Yes, exactly. For at least the next couple of years, I'm not going to be very tolerant of Walmart bashers.
You're right: For the benefit of some who have to ward off the libidiots, I'm going to repost what I said last thread's
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1490378/posts?page=2951#2951
On the same web site, but not easily found with the previous link, is this document detailing "Hurricanes striking U.S. by decade":
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdec.shtml
One quick way to look at this table: Since records were kept beginning 1850 (or so) the average number of hurricane strikes on the US has been 17.7/decade.
We have had FEWER than that average number of strikes since 1950. This decade, we are finally on a pace that would exceed that average for the first time since the 24 in since the 1940's.
Side note:
I wonder if the political opposition was blaming the US intervention in Europe and Asia, or our burning oil and coal, for all those 1940's hurricanes?
"Split screen on Fox showed I-10 Columbus (?) Texas heavily crowded with traffic heading for Houston area."
fools.
Corpus is full of Houstonians at the moment. Should be cleared out by then.
Keep us posted on the New Orleans levee breaks..and sand boils.
It'll get a little worse for us in a bit, we should be getting rain shortly.
All: Another pic from KHOU, not mine: http://forms.belointeractive.com/sharedcontent/datafiles/1127573429785_ORIGINAL_DSCF2144.jpg
"LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT". No equivocacy there...
Carjacking suspect being shown on KHOU.
Locals directed the cop to the thug.
mayor to hold presser at 1:30
What's it like in Bosier? I have a friend in Henderson, I called her cell, but she hasn't called me back. Not sure if they have service, or what.
susie
Stuck on stupid just fits so well, doesn't it? Sometime later last night I forget which fox guy was interviewing some local LEO asking how they were doing at their location. The LEO responded our building is rated for ?110 mph winds - we feel secure here. His next question was (as if he hadn't even listened to her reply was) - so how high of winds is your building built to sustain.
lol
End this thing!
That's why she has to go last. Otherwise she would not know what to say.
Lufkin is 125 miles from the coast. Nacodoches is 140 miles inland. If they are reporting extensive structural damage, then Rita has a scope similar to Katrina, in size and in degree.
Prien Louisiana is 16 feet above sea level and well inland.
Once again, the media has pulled the plug too soon.
I hope FEMA isn't getting their cue from the folks who brought us memogate this time.
Sorry....you may not want to HEAR it but it is the LAW and it will take LEGISLATION by the Congress to change it!!
We are a NATION of LAWS and not of MEN!!
oops - that isn't my photo it's one that was sent to me ~ I'm in Dallas, this photo was taken in Sugarland which is down by Houston. Sorry for the confusion. I should have made that clear in my original post.
Are you getting LARGE wind gusts? We are, but no rain yet. I want to have my hubby stand out in the driveway and do a Shep impression...he has several hats...we just need the rain!
No. I don't think Bonnet Carre' Spillway is open at all. THere was some talk of a lock or door between the river and Lake Pontcahrtrain being open, and a few of us are trying to pin that generic report down to a specific.
Hello
I have family in Breaux Bridge and I cannot get through to them. But, that is not unusual, as lines have been jammed since Katrina. Let me know if you get some word of damage in that area?
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