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

[Ciexyz]

Residents of the effected areas, stand on the beach and scream bloody murder...you'll get more federal aid that way.

[NautiNurse]

Be prepared to fly, then keep checking for airport/airline status. Too early to call just now.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

looks like it is gooing to miss New Mexico:

[Redbob]

OTOH, if enough of us moved to NM, we might establish a conervative - and English-speaking - majority!

(Taos is a mighty fine place, liberals notwithstanding)

[NautiNurse]

Gee, I wonder if we'll have the dubious pleasure of seeing Steve Whoaaa Harrigan locked outside again.

[kingu]

You don't have to log in or be a member to read threads. http://www.easternuswx.com

Looks like you do now, and you have to give an e-mail from an ISP, not Yahoo, MSN, etc. Apparently they have someone who is unhappy with them.

[LA Woman3]

Rush just played the clip of W answering a question and saying that NO is not ready for the population to return. Mentioned Rita coming into the gulf -- final destination unknown.



I am so glad President Bush is speaking out about this now!
There is a meeting at 2:30 with NO officials and FEMA. Anxious to hear what happens....

[CedarDave]

Whew! NM can't stand more than one or two rain showers a year!

[brytlea]

From what I read it never did become what it was before tho. Of course, Texans pull themselves up by their bootstraps tho!!!
susie

[mhking]

Live streams:

WTVJ-TV/DT Miami (NBC6)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (CBS 4)
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (Fox)

[abb]

NN, here's a link to an ABC/AP news story with Nagin's quotes.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1139580

[Redbob]

"...then left town for several days after buying a home in another state..."

MY state!

My employer just announced they're donating a large dumptruck to the City of New Orleans to assist in the cleanup efforts - and this is on top of our parent co.'s $1 Million donation.

Ideal scenario as far as I'm concerned would be if they loaded Ray Nagin in the dump bed before the truck leaves here...

[brytlea]

I'm game! Of course, making a living there is a bit of a problem....
susie

[Ditter]

There is no house on the ranch, the barns would be no great loss, we already lost the roof off the working pens. We have a small travel trailer that will be moved, the cows and calves will hide in the woods. This group of young bulls was going to Oklahoma soon anyway. My prayers are with the folks who live down there, we live in Houston. Another piece of good news, we no longer have a house on Galveston Bay.

[mhking]

From HurricaneCity:

Conference on Rita At 1:30 pm central. KHOU TV in Houston says Galveston County could call for evacuations as early as tomorrow.

[CedarDave]

There is a meeting at 2:30 with NO officials and FEMA. Anxious to hear what happens....

If the mayor continues with this early reentry nonsense I expect the President to do some serious leaning, starting with the crybaby governor.

[Ditter]

I meant to include you in my last post. Thank you all for your concern.

[Dog Gone]

Landfall at Freeport Tx (next town down the coast from Galveston) would take Rita right over our ranch. It is about 25 miles inland from the coast. Mr. Ditter is shipping bulls out to Oklahoma as we speak.

Freeport would be an extremely bad location, not only for the Ditter ranch, but Galveston and the east side of Houston. 25 miles from the coast is plenty far enough to be away from the storm surge, but not far enough to have the hurricane strength to diminish significantly from what it was at landfall.

What will you do if it is approaching as a Cat 4 storm?

[kingu]

I saw that; hence why some think it'll be a strong Cat3 if the model is correct. I think that GFDL is too aggressive in the ramp up, plus I think it is a little north on the track. Perhaps a Cat3 in the straits or if it goes north a Cat2 hitting Key West. Still waiting on the next run and looking for the next vortex message from the Hurricane Hunters..

In any event, anyone reading this in the Keys area shouldn't be unless you've got a helicopter on standby.

[NautiNurse]

KHOU TV in Houston says Galveston County could call for evacuations as early as tomorrow.

That will get some Texans scurrying around here...