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
10 cents!
They open bids at $10 for the smallest stuff.
I got something NEAT for $15 today.
I will remind you...but I want you to know that I will take them when you have time...
Thanks...
BTW....I am still hoping to visit your B & B someday..!!
What a DIRTY dog. I would have been MAD.
You have a Victorian house? So do I!!!!
Mine is 123 years old.
Facts: 70 % of the people in NO rent houses (HUD substidizes many of their rents.)
Moon Landrieu had head of HUD under the Carter Administration.
In 1998 an article in NOLA stated that the congress were trying to stop house owners from triple dipping on flood insurance...Some home bought for as little as $30,000 had already collected more than $200,000 from HUD operated flood insurance.
WIlliam Jefferson (who has just be indited) is a slum lord.
Hi, CC, I hope you will be pleasantly surprised when you finally return to your home; sorry to hear about your car.
Here's some news from my end...
Although the official NWS Tornado Warning had been called off for Alexandria on Friday night, it turned out that when the local police notes were published online, there was indeed a report of a tornado in the Wardville section of Pineville, not far from me. Yikes!
I just had a call from a friend who lives in the Holiday Village section of Pineville. He finally got power back on and was able to save $700 worth of meat he'd recently purchased for his family and put into a large freezer. For a while, it looked like he'd be throwing a party called the "Mother of All Barbecues." They'd been without landline phone service, too, but it's been restored.
The City of Alexandria has announced that residents must boil water. I didn't know that when we finally ventured outside today for the first time since Rita hit. All the restaurants were open with very long lines. We had coffee and ice water with our meal -- wonder how safe it was, eeep!!
Rita may have passed, but this situation is gonna be with us for a long time, sigh...
Progress Energy trucks are headed to Texas to help out per our local Orlando news tonight.
Good rant and I agree 100%. That storm hadn't even hit and people were ranting about Bush and FEMA. Absolutely ridiculous. If my house were demolished by an act of nature and my job was gone because of same; why does the government owe me something? And why don't people realize that WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT! I say, let the libs pay higher taxes. They are the ones who are doing the screaming. Let THEM opt to pay more. Wonder how many would volunteer?
re:Baby drowning. That, and cooking babies in cars are a real hazard in TX. (Not to mention the "God told me to kill them" moms) Sorry, I lived there for 12 years and it was becoming commonplace. Prays for that baby.
1870 here. Sometimes I WISH a hurricane would hit the dang thing!
Nice line of BS, too bad it has no relation to the truth. With a housefull of evacuess, we've seen most of the coverage since Wed., and for the most part the coverage has been ok. No conspiracy to ignore SW LA, they've been covering it the entire time and getting out images with nonstop terms like 'devastating' and 'catastrophic' as soon as their crews ventured into the area. Not easy to do with roads under several feet of water.
That's not being an apologist, but simply being truthful and objective. I hate myths, regardless of which sides put them out. Some people here are so used to criticizing the media for legitimate gripes that they go into kneejerk whining regardless of the truth. No different than the libs blaming Bush for everything. Simply take their rants and substitute 'the media' for 'Halliburton'. Your nonsense about SW LA supposedly being ignored because it isn't full of inner city blacks is as bogus as Jesse Jackson' claim that Bush ignored NOLA for the opposite reason. And makes clear that you are unaware that much of the affected areas have a large percentage of rural blacks.
Oh no. I love my old house and you love yours too. How big is yours?
I surely hope you are right.
Um yeah, I read that thread earlier, and it squared with what we saw being reported on TV since the hurricane hit.
That was a good rant, Txsleuth!
Bonfire:
"I say, let the libs pay higher taxes. They are the ones who are doing the screaming. Let THEM opt to pay more. Wonder how many would volunteer?"
Bonfire, this reminds of all the libs howling about Bush's first taxcuts and how they would send their checks back. I wonder how many did? None would be my guess. Wish there was some way to find out.
It's a "shotgun" Victorian. Parlor, dining, kitchen, study, family room (used to be summer kitchen) and 3 bedrooms. Unfortunately, only one bath.
We bought it a year ago. Pretty bad shape so we have spent $$$$ trying to undo the previous owners "fixes". Spent all day today scraping and cleaning windows that probably hadn't been cleaned for years.
I could go on and on!!
What is yours like?
There was a convoy of cherry-picker type trucks assembled on an off ramp of the Pineville Expressway this afternoon. My daughter counted 39 trucks while I unsuccessfully tried to read the logo because it definitely wasn't CLECO, our local power company. Now that you mention it, the words could very well have been "Progress Energy." Thanks!
I was thinking of the same thing.
Let the IRS put a "donation" box for Katrina on our tax forms. Or better yet, if you get a refund you can opt NOT to take it. Would be a great experiment. Let them put their money where their mouth is.
Boy are you right....Texas has had WAY too many babies die in cars, swimming pools, and by their own mother's hands..
I don't know if it is because I LIVE in Texas that I am so aware of the frequency of these deaths...but it is so bizarre!!!
I have two granddaughters 9 months and 6 years old...and I am ALWAYS aware of where they are and what they are doing when they are around...and I totally trust my kids to watch them.
I know accidents happen...but there are accidents and then there is neglect and not paying attention!
All in one piece and in really good shape. Just had it painted: exterior. Did the interior last year. Pretty big. 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 7 fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and original window glass. Very nice.
They're worth fixing. I'd rather have this old house than any new one.
LOL---and you know who is the most guilty about complaining about his tax cuts...ole Bubba Clinton!
He LOVES to talk about how he is so rich and that he gets way too many tax cuts...but, I have yet to see him present President Bush with a personal check made out to the IRS.
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