Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VIII

www.freerepublic.com | September 24, 2005

[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

[brytlea]

meat has been on for 3 hours or so at low temp. put the taters,corn,onion and carrots in a little while ago with a little more water with mixed flower in it to thicken the sauce... I'll let cook for another 2 hours..

Ha! My friend said her husband was firing up the grill, when I called. That's a TX man for you. Any excuse to barbeque!

susie

[CedarDave]

It wants to go down the Achafalaya... It will happen. The river is eating away at the structure, and they keep fighting it. But one year, probably in a high water year with lots of flooding, they will lose the battle.

I've heard this mentioned on a couple of threads. Is it commonly accepted that it will occur?

[BurbankKarl]

A firefighter walks past a fire at a strip mall fire Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005 in Pasadena, Texas.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Good for you! No matter how the MSM tries to spin the Constitution the facts are: the onus of response and responsibility is first and foremost local and state. The federal response comes later, that include FEMA.

There are FEMA state departments in all states, offices of emergency services is what they were once called.

Blanco and Nagin have a lot to answer for because they failed in their responsibility and reactions as first responders to Katrina. The other effected states had adequate or superior local and state response to Katrina and now Rita.

The probability that the reason so many LA local and state officials are throwing blame at President Bush and the feds is because they have managed to let their corruption and incompetence to seep to the surface periodically. With the hurricanes the eyes of the world are on them and the corruption has swelled to the surface. Some of that corruption led to failed levees, lost homes and lost lives.

Let the indictments and trials begin before the money to rebuild is allotted.

[Bahbah]

Been watching that mess in DC. What a contrast.

Same here. Not much of a turnout, all things considered. Beg pardon for the offtopic comment.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Big Muddy is an awesome thing in full flood.

It's worth sitting down on the levee at New Orleans and look out across the river to Algiers in the spring, when the water is high, and see all the energy in that river. Lots of power. Lots of energy. Lots of current.

Even nowadays, they can't totally control her. She is an uneasy dragon, and cannot be truly tamed.

[spycatcher]

[ArmyBratsMom]

Is this a recent picture? I hope so ... it lets me know this guy is still there. When we lived in Galveston a couple of years ago, he was always out on the seawall waving that big ol' American flag. He would smile and wave at cars passing by, and we would honk our horns and wave right back. I would usually get an extra big wave and smile from him when he saw our military stickers. In December he dresses in a Santa costume. He's quite a character and quite an inspiration (a Vietnam vet, if I'm not mistaken).

[oceanagirl]

It looks like much precipitation will flow into the Red River. From the maps I have, it looks like the Red empties into the Achafalaya now. Does that mean that Morgan City would be in much more danger of flooding than the lower Mississippi around New Orleans?

[bwteim]

I don't know if it is commonly accepted, but if you Googled, you will find studies/scenarios if it were to happen.

[jeffers]

From today, third article down, 17th paragraph.

The water rushing through the damaged levee was not the only concern.
Hurricane Katrina damaged the locks dividing different water levels
between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. "They are not
functional," Rodriguez said of the locks. "You can't open or close them,
and right now they're open."

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_09_24.html#082372

[SouthTexas]

You're quite welcome, will try and let you know if things change.

[nuclady]

She is an uneasy dragon, and cannot be truly tamed.


Beautifully said!

[CedarDave]

BluesClues is late for another of her pressconferences

They're reapplying her makeup... But they have to stop her from crying first.

[RDTF]

A big soaker!

[Rumierules]

I saw those pictures too. Really illustrates the difference between a category 3 and 4.

[BurbankKarl]

two hours ago

[lonestar]

Good to be here!

[jeffers]

See my last post to Knitting_a_Conundrum.

[Conservababe]

Big Muddy was an awesome sight in the 1993 flood, even here in Southeast Missouri. It was known as a 500 year flood. Folks who never ever dreamed that they would be flooded out, were. Folks just cannot take for granted that where they live is safe.