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
Most of them will set up their own police patrols, dig their own latrines, have brought their own water, and wait for the electricity to be turned back on.
I don't mind people making up companies and Bowles has every right to use himself and his fortune to open a company. What gets me is the government and their flunkies using the law and obscure regs to favor a company.
Sort of like the myth of "global free trade" isn't it? /grin
Interesting.
The feds want a coupld of thousand for rent and people get up and running.
The dems, Blanko, want trailors bought. Now how cost effective is that. How much does a trailor cost for a family of four, or eight.
Seems the federal offer is cheaper, better. But trailor parks, my God, what a mess.
Well in my neighborhhod here after the first storm, we were all out, chain saws in hand, cleaning up, makig neat piles of tree limbs. After a day or so the neighborhood looked great. Then they came and got the limbs and trees and everyone went out again, sweeping and blowing the streets clean and raking up the leftovers.
Blanco needs to put her money where her mouth is, if she wants to buy votes back into LA.
Right.
Another Kathy Whitmire plan was to widen Westheimer by shorting the width of the lanes. People with trucks and Blazers quit using that road because your mirrors would touch.
I don't know about global free trade but I have big suspicions people are gonna get real rich and it won't me be me.
Texas was not part of the Purchase, as you know. However, what is now Louisiana and St. Louis were about the only major inhabited regions in the Purchase at the time of the transfer, so that's when those two places were fixed in their ways (St. Louis also has mass corruption problems, and a gimme-culture).
The rest of the area, not having been significantly inhabited before the Purchase, had their courses set by the settlers that moved in - therefore they followed a different path.
Slideshow of Rita pics sent in to KHOU:
http://www.khou.com/pics/rita/index.html?category_id=337
They are talking of trailors for 3 years or so. Now how much will those trailors be worth after 3 years of NO finest living in them. I can hardly imagine.
And they plan to put two together for large families.
I wonder what these cost. Seems awfully expensive when one could get three months rent in another place and breathing space to get on their welfare rolls!
La doesn't want to lose its welfare rolls. I wonder why.
Okay DUde, my family was here prior to the purchase. They settled a big parish in W La in the seventeen hundreds. And there is not a bum among them.
so don't start the tarring all louisianians with that broad brush. We wouldn't say "gimme" on our death beds, believe me, we would rather be dead.
We do however take every tax deduction we can get.
GAG! I had forgotten about that. That was a stupid, stupid idea.
The DPS wears cowboy hats. I don't think I see any HPD officers in hats of any kind.
Most Louisianans aren't corrupt, that's true.
However, the state's (and many LA cities') governmental structure that's in place encourages and promotes corruption and dependence on the government. And that's what I'm talking about - the government and the culture it tries to promote. St. Louis has the same problem.
Come to think of it, almost all former French possessions seem to have that problem. Hm....
I'm one Texan that loves our coonass neighbors. It is a culture I gladly blend in to mine.
I'm de-lurking after several years in order to thank those who worked so tirelessly to provide support & keep everyone informed during Hurricane Rita.
Thanks to NN & Howlin for their fine work as Threadmistresses (for lack of a better word; I just made that one up ;-)) ... and to steveegg, jeffers, nwctwx, WxMan2000 (and anyone else I missed) who provided such outstanding meteorological information & analysis ... and to all the local folks who posted their own real-time observations and local info ... and to all (local or not) who did such a wonderful job of keeping everyone's spirits up.
My darling S.O. was unable to evacuate Houston due to work requirements ... and since I live over 1000 miles away, I was frantic & frustrated that there was so little that I could do to help him. He and I were in constant contact before and during the storm, and I was able to share so much valuable information with him, thanks to those who posted here. Not to mention that you all helped keep me sane and feel less alone & helpless during such a scary & stressful time.
I don't think what I've written even comes close to expressing the gratitude that I feel, but from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Most displaced Texans *are* staying put, though - that's the point.
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