Tropical Storm Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 18 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Tropical Storm Rita has developed from TD 18 in the Atlantic Ocean. TS Rita is currently located north of Hispaniola, the eastern tip of Cuba, and ESE of Nassau, Bahamas. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for portions of Florida. Check for local weather statements.

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
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only!
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - http://dayport.wm.llnwd.net/dayport_0025_live"
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - mms://216.242.118.141/broadband

Other Resources:

Florida East Coast Surf Reports Lots of great info here, including surf cams
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

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

[Txsleuth]

Heads up everyone...MSNBC says that Governor Blanco is going to have a presser soon...

I hope it is as enlightening as Nagin's was...hehe

[Chasaway]

Hey there, Whyisa...

So I belong in the slow class...How long have you been back in Texas?!

Last time I (formerly known by another screen name) chatted with you, you were in PA and your significant other'd been offered a position in Texas. But I didn't know you were here now!

[They don't call me "Lighting" for nuthin', ya know.]

[cyborg]

Awwwwwww....

[NautiNurse]

1933 had 21 storms, none were named back then. 1995 last storm was Hurricane Tanya.

[Dog Gone]

Good advice.

[Chasaway]

"Lighting" should have been "Lightning".

See what I mean?

[humblegunner]

We're all good, the mutual assistance disaster plan has been established for a while.

We even learned lessons from Katrina and have revised accordingly.

[jslade]

One thing I learned after 3 hurricanes and power outages last year here in FL. All of my phones were electonic, cord free. This year I went out ant got corded phones for areas I do business in. My office still has a cordless phone. Hint. Get corded phones.

[Petronski]

Cute kitty!

[Lanza]

Thank you HC!

[Dane]

Off topic but don't they retire the names of the really nasty hurricanes.

I think Andrew was the last name retired, no doubt Katrina will be and hopefully not Rita.

[NTegraT]

I just read a tag at the bottom of Ch. 11 News and it said that the Astrodome may not withstand a Hurricane, according to Mayor White. CYA

[LikeLight]

Heads up everyone...MSNBC says that Governor Blanco is going to have a presser soon...

You'll learn more in reading 5 random posts from any of the FR hurricane threads than you ever will from a rambling incoherent Blanco presser. She does not have a freakin' clue.

[nwctwx]

I haven't had much of a chance to digest much information.

It looks like the environment will be conducive for strengthening, through at least a day or so before landfall.. and might be conducive for longer. It depends on how much any trough affects it. A storm moving on a westerly component at landfall will likely be stronger than one moving north.

There is a good deal of drier air ahead of the system... it will be interesting to see what happens with this. I don't think it will be a major hindrance, but we saw Ophelia take quite a hit from dry air during her time.

Once it's south of LA, it will enter water that is untouched (even Katrina's wake didn't cool the GOM very much though). We have already seen two storms just completely 'explode' in the GOM this year... it's worth keeping that in mind. The official forecast takes it to 105kt, which is conservative in my opinion. I would not be surprised to see this go towards cat 4/5 at some point during its life-cycle.

As long as it moves fast, it's going to be a problem. If for some reason it continues west then slows down off the TX/LA coast it could draw in dry air off the landmass... this is more common the further south in TX it comes in. If it can sustain a decent speed, this won't be much of an issue.

This is the kind of storm that makes one wonder why anyone would think of putting evacuees from Katrina in boats along the gulf shore.

Surge could be a big problem again... especially if it goes mostly west... the waves will build all the way across. If it does deepen to cat4/5, it will build very large waves. Even if it weakens after, and before landfall, there could be significant coastal problems.

Everything points towards the western GOM, but this season says to keep eyes on it if you live in the NGOM.

I'm sure many, fueled by the media, will 'freak out' in the coming days as this thing strengthens. We have to remember how rare a storm like Katrina was. Even if this does become a major storm, the chances that it would do similar damage are very low - unless it directly targets a city like Houston.

[scott0347]

You are righthere is the list:
Agnes 1972
Alicia 1983
Allen 1980
Allison 2001
Andrew 1992
Anita 1977
Audrey 1957
Betsy 1965
Beulah 1967
Bob 1991
Camille 1969
Carla 1961
Carmen 1974
Carol 1954
Celia 1970
Cesar 1996
Charley 2004
Cleo 1964
Connie 1955
David 1979
Diana 1990
Diane 1955
Donna 1960
Dora 1964
Edna 1968
Elena 1985
Eloise 1975
Fabian 2003
Fifi 1974
Flora 1963
Floyd 1999
Fran 1996
Frances 2004
Frederic 1979
Georges 1998
Gilbert 1988
Gloria 1985
Hattie 1961
Hazel 1954
Hilda 1964
Hortense 1996
Hugo 1989
Inez 1966
Ione 1955
Iris 2001
Isabel 2003
Isidore 2002
Ivan 2004
Janet 1955
Jeanne 2004
Joan 1988
Juan 2003
Keith 2000
Klaus 1990
Lenny 1999
Lili 2002
Luis 1995
Marilyn 1995
Michelle 2001
Mitch 1998
Opal 1995
Roxanne 1995

[yield 2 the right]

Name Year Location(s) affected
Agnes 1972 Florida, Northeast U.S.
Alicia 1983 North Texas
Allen 1980 Antilles, Mexico, South Texas
Allison(TS) 2001 Texas

Andrew 1992 Bahamas, South Florida, and Louisiana
Anita 1977 Mexico
Audrey 1957 Louisiana, North Texas
Betsy 1965 Bahamas, Southeast Florida, Southeast Louisiana
Beulah 1967 Antilles, Mexico, South Texas
Bob 1991 North Carolina, Northeast U.S.
Camille 1969 Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
Carla 1961 Texas
Carmen 1974 Mexico
Carol 1954 Northeast U.S.
Celia 1970 South Texas
Charley 2004 Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, South Carolina
Cleo 1964 Lesser Antilles, Haiti, Cuba, Southeast Florida
Connie 1955 North Carolina
David 1979 Lesser Antilles, Hispanola, Florida, and Eastern U.S.
Diana 1990 Mexico
Diane 1955 Mid-Atlantic U.S. and Northeast U.S.
Donna 1960 Bahamas, Florida, and Eastern U.S.
Dora 1964 Northeast Florida
Elena 1985 Mississippi, Alabama, Western Florida
Ekiuse 1975 Antilles, Northwest Florida, Alabama
Fabian 2003 Bermuda
Flora 1963 Haiti, Cuba
Floyd 1999 North Carolina, eastern seaboard
Frances 2004 Caribbean, Florida, eastern United States
Frederic 1979 Alabama and Mississippi
Gilbert 1988 Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Gloria 1985 North Carolina, Northeast U.S.
Hattie 1961 Belize, Guatemala
Hazel 1954 Antilles, North and South Carolina
Hilda 1964 Louisiana
Hugo 1989 Antilles, South Carolina
Ione 1955 North Carolina
Inez 1966 Lesser Antilles, Hispanola, Cuba, Florida Keys, Mexico
Iris 2001 Belize
Isabel 2003 North Carolina, Northeast U.S.
Isidore 2002 Western Cuba, Yucatan, Louisiana
Ivan 2004 Windward Islands, Florida, Texas, Louisiana
Janet 1955 Lesser Antilles, Belize, Mexico
Jeanne 2004 Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida
Joan 1988 Curacao, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua (crossed into Pacific and became Miriam)
Juan 2003 Nova Scotia
Keith 2000 Belize, Nicaragua, Mexico
Klaus 1990 Martinique
Lenny 1999 Antilles
Lili 2002 Lesser Antilles, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Louisiana
Luis 1995 Lesser Antilles
Marilyn 1995 Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico
Michelle 2001 Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba
Mitch 1998 Central America, Nicaragua, Honduras
Opal 1995 Central America, Mexico, Florida
Roxanne 1995 Mexico

[abb]

Blank O live on WWL now

[Types_with_Fist]

She does not have a freakin' clue.

Every time I see and hear her I think of the movie "Being There" and Chance Gardener. Granted, she's more talkative and whines a lot but that's who she reminds me of.

[mastergibs]

Mayor White, A democrat yes, but also smart.

[SE Mom]

Excellent suggestion! We were in the same boat without any hard line phones..cell towers were mostly out. Every home should have at least one hard line.

Also-

1-Check out all your local AM stations ahead of time- find out who has best coverage etc. We would never have made it without our local guys in the Orlando area...they were 3-fantastic! People would call in to the radio stations from all over giving info- where to get ice, gas, which roads to take and avoid etc.

2-Go to the library and check out those books you've been meaning to read:)

3-You CANNOT have too much ice.