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
I understand the emotions..It looked like the Houston area was going to get it head on for awhile. I have been giving a lot of gratitude prayers and also prayers for those who did get hit..My daughter had a tree down..but it did not harm anything when it fell.. Her neighbor gave us a report on the phone.
You need to turn on C-span 2 and watch the Senate----
They are discussing no-bid contracts and NEW spending for hurricane damage...it is getting GOOD!!!
Houston had suspended trash pickup since Thursday. That just happens to be my pickup day. My can holds exactly one weeks worth of garbage. I can set out extra garbage in bags if I buy a special tag for it. Obviously, I have extra trash this week. I was wondering if the city expected me to tag this trash, given the circumstances. Wife made a phonecall and found out: they don't.
It's unlikely I'm alone on this, so I post the info for whatever it's worth.
Nita- excuse my butting in, I'm an old mechanic, so I'll try to help... it may get technical, feel free to ask questions.
It will take longer than 15 minutes with a car's charging system- how long depends on how big the battery is, and how much current ( Amperes ) the charging system puts into it.
However, about 15 minutes at fast idle should tell you if the battery will take a charge, and give you some idea of whether to keep charging it or try the next one.
A battery is like a bucket of water- you can't take out more than you put in, and it takes some time to do that with a car.
If you have any choice in vehicles to use, pick the one with the heaviest-duty electrical system, like a truck. It will charge faster.
How old are those marine batteries? Three to five years is about the extent of any storage battery's life- they should have a date tag with dates punched. In any event, pick the newest one.
Check the electrolyte level-- there should be two rectangular blocks atop the battery ( if there aren't you have a "sealed" battery and can't check the levels in it )-- wipe around them with a cloth you don't mind losing ( acid will eat it ) and using a flat screwdriver, pry under the edges, working around the edge, until it comes off.
There will be holes about an inch in diameter- those are the cell tops where you check & top up electrolyte levels.
Remember, this stuff is sulphuric acid, so be careful-- if you get any on skin ( can't mistake it, it is oily and will start burning & itching ) rinse with water, a bad case, neutralize with baking soda ( Arm & Hammer, not Calumet ).
Using a flashlite ( no flames! hydrogen gas is present ) sight straight down-- you should see fluid. In fact there is a little split ring in the hole to indicate proper levels in each cell, and ideally, the fluid level will be up to it. If it is below that, or you see the plate tops ( grey metal lines ) you must add distilled water until the plate tops are covered and the split ring reached. One source of distilled water is the runoff from an air conditioner, but it may need to be passed thru a coffee filter to get junk out of it. In an emergency, you can use tap water, but it will eventually kill the battery. However, it is vital the plate tops be covered- if not done, the battery will not hold a charge, even if it normally can.
Optional- proceed with caution, this does not always work-- an old mechanic's trick to revive an old dead battery is to mix a few tablespoons of Epsom Salts with the distilled water, and top up all cells with that. Let it sit a while, and it may reduce sufation enough to revive the battery. If your batteries are over three years old, I would recommend tyring this first. If they are newer, just try topping up the cells with distilled water and a test charge.
To summarize:
Pick newest battery
Clean top, pry off cell covers, and cover the plate tops with distilled water or a mix of that & Epsom Salts
Charge for 15 minutes and try it. If it runs your gear a while, try charging longer. If not, repeat with next battery.
Best of luck- I wish I could be there, it's easy to do, but not easy to describe.
I've had it on. Noticed Baucus getting a bit hot, but I'm not listening to their words.
Now Blanche Lincoln is spewing some emotional rhetoric. Wonder if she'll cry or punch somebody out. I'd pay to see her and baby-fat Mary Mary do a mud wrestling match. Bread and Circuses Senate - yeeeeeHawwwww!
Well, I see you made it back home. Glad everything is OK for you and your family. We still have a friend from Corpus who has not headed back. She doesn't work, so she is waiting until all the madness is over.
WHAT HAPPENED, ANDY?
SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
Changes are taking place in the Blanco Administration Rogers learned earlier today. The information was confirmed by this press release.
Reportedly, Chief of staff Andy Kopplin is mysteriously being "moved." The most recent AP report has described Kopplin as the "Recovery Czar." This title is a sham, Rogers has been told. Firing him would have been a "public relations nightmare," sources tell Rogers. So they've moved him to the OEP instead.
MORE
However, Koplin has garnered a reputation for being a "spin doctor" in talk radio circles. During the last legislative session a cigarette tax had been proposed at that time, when the revenue estimating committee suddenly "found" an extra $300,000,000.
Andy Kopplin was questioned by several talk radio hosts about the tax. In each interview, Kopplin was questioned about the need for the tax, in light of the new found revenue. His attempts to explain the need for this tax, in light of new monies, garnered him significant ridicule. Among many, he is now considered a "spin doctor." At least one talk radio host has stated that he doesn't want Kopplin on his show.
WHO IS JIMMY CLARKE?
Jimmy Clarke, Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs for the Board of Regents, will take over many of Kopplin's duties. Jimmy Clarke is said to be a friend of Raymond, "Coach" Blanco, Rogers has learned. Both Clarke and Coach have close ties to ULL in Blanco's home of Lafayette, sources tell Rogers. Jimmy Clarke, Coach, and Governor Blanco are all part of what one source has called the "Lafayette Mafia."
Developing...
http://www.thedeadpelican.com
Glad to hear it - and yes, many thanks from here too - I feel so sorry for those who did lose so much though
Glad you are ok too........
I think there has been "corruption inbreeding" for so long in LA politics that these people really believe that they are "entitled" to their "cut" off the top....
I think that is why I want to see a hearing...because I want all of that to be exposed...
There is a way to blow the sulfate off the cells and make them work again but I'm not going to tell you how to do it. If not done right, the battery will explode. That's the last thing you need right now.
I think that they are scared about what any oversight might turn up and fear is a powerful emotion. I guess it's time to fire up the shredders. Does wet paper shred?
I think that is why I want to see a hearing...because I want all of that to be exposed...
I would like to see that too. Our good Louisiana Freepers deserve nothing less.
Does wet paper shred?
LOL!
I just got word on my relatives in the Beaumont and Woodville area.
Everyone is physically okay. All of the houses are okay, but my grandparents old house (aunt's now) has trees that have fallen and dangerously resting on top of the house. I don't know if they are actually touching the roof or just leaning over the roof. Anyway, my aunt doesn't feel safe staying there, and she is staying at a cousin's house.
They have water and phones. They won't have electricity until sometime around middle of October, and it is very hot right now. Nothing is open, so they can't buy any food. They can't get gasoline for their cars, so they are kind of stuck there. Even if they could get gasoline, they can't drive around because there are too many trees in the roads. My aunt and my 2nd cousin are in their late 60s/early 70s, so I figure it must be pretty miserable.
My aunt has a house in Beaumont, but she hasn't been able to get to it.
I know Houston dodged a bullet, but I think southwest Lousianna and East Texas got pretty damaged.
And just "how many" evacuees did the governor take in to her digs?
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