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

[rodguy911]

gotcha.

[mhking]

crap....is that a jog to the north from 5 a.m?

Yes.

[demkicker]

Wasn't there a Hurricane Brad or Bret recently as well? It only hit ranch land and was very companct if I recall. Like 1999 or 2000.

It was Hurricane Bret that hit south of Corpus Christi on August 22, 1999. We'll never forget it because our fishing cabin, which was a floater, was destroyed. My husband, a couple of his partners and my son built it themselves. We've got some wonderful memories of that place and were very sad to lose it.

[mhking]

WFOR is streaming continuously (going dark for commercials): http://dayport.wm.llnwd.net/dayport_0025_live

[LBelle]

aargh!!!! I'm moving to Minot. I can't take this crap another year. Better run get stuff together to get the hell out of dodge.

[rodguy911]

Thanks nautiNurse, once again no one can thank you enough for these threads great job as usual.

[NautiNurse]

...New watches and warnings issued for portions of South Florida...
At 11 am EDT...1500z...a Hurricane Warning is issued for the extreme southern Florida Peninsula from Golden Beach southward to Florida City and westward to East Cape Sable.

A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for all of the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas...including Florida Bay.

At 11 am EDT...a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are now in effect from Deerfield Beach Florida southward to north of Golden Beach.

At 11 am EDT...a Tropical Storm Warning is issued along the Florida East Coast from north of Deerfield Beach northward to Jupiter Inlet.

At 11 am EDT...a Hurricane Watch is issued for the extreme southwestern Florida Peninsula from west of East Cape Sable northward to Chokoloskee.

[dirtboy]

crap....is that a jog to the north from 5 a.m?

The models have steadily been shifting the recurve further north along the coast.

[CindyDawg]

I'm not disagreeing with you but just curious. How do you wind proof a house on stilts?. I would think it would be at a higher risk of wind damage.

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for the link.

[Elle Bee]

Just flew home to Key West this AM

Locked down and provisioned up

Heading to Schooner Wharf

.

[numberonepal]

She's gonna bomb tomorrow morning thru afternoon. I expect between 950 - 960 mb at tomorrow's 2PM update. Things will start to go downhill in the Keys after sundown tonight.

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for checking in. Let us know when you are at your safe storm location.

[Orlando]

I think the mayor of New Orleans should hold-off, about asking people to come back to N.O.

I wonder if the Mayor, Governor of LA have any plans in place for Hurricane Rita ?

[mhking]

Brian Norcross/WFOR: Expecting CAT 1 for upper keys and Miami/Dade, possibly up to CAT 2 by time it gets out near Key West.

[Prolifeconservative]

"I think the mayor of New Orleans should hold-off, about asking people to come back to N.O."

They are meeting this morning about this very topic. I'm hoping clearer heads can talk some sense into the Mayor of New Orleans.

[numberonepal]

KPRC in Houston just played an excerpt from the President saying that folks in NOLA need to take heed of Rita.

[NautiNurse]

I wonder if the Mayor, Governor of LA have any plans in place for Hurricane Rita ?

Heard on the news in the past hour that Nagin is mouthing off about Thad Allen's concerns for NOLA residents returning so quickly. Nagin made some asinine remark about Allen being the new mayor.

[Dog Gone]

although the center is right now projected to hit Corpus Christi, TX, "Hurricane force winds will extend all the way from New Orleans to deep into Mexico."

What a maroon.

[SlowBoat407]

How do you wind proof a house on stilts?. I would think it would be at a higher risk of wind damage.

Multiple issues here. First, the greatest danger to any house from wind is roof failure from lifting off of the house. After that, the rest of the house collapses pretty easily. Hurrican clips tie the roof down and help prevent failure there.

Second, a house on stilts would generate some kind of lift from air passing over the roof and under the house, just like a wing. This is probably the greatest danger from wind. Best way to fix that is to disrupt laminar flow over the house. Chimneys and other protrusions can take care of that on the roof, and lattice across the legs can help underneath.

By far, though, the greatest danger to any structure that is not a mobile home is still from flooding, and not wind.

...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express