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

[kassie]

I'm in Fort Bend - Sugar Land. If you find one of those maps, can you post the URL for it?

[Redbob]

"...making a living there is a bit of a problem...."

There is that;
I've got a friend who's an artist and art professor. I've asked him to teach me "art" so I could learn a useful trade and move there.

He wants to go too, so I'm asking him just to give me OJT in "art."
:-)

[jpsb]

She swears by them (ants) and she is worried for the first time in a long time about a storm. She is poor and no insurance on her house. I told her not to worry FEMA will be writting lots of checks if Rita grows into a Carla and hits our area. I have lots of insurance on my house (my mortage company insists on it).

Also 5 day forecasts are rarely correct, so chances are very good Rita will miss us.

[WestCoastGal]

If this thing hits the Texas oil coast we're in for it again. I heard the other day one of the reasons gas proces are going down was because the demand was down. I guess a lot of us will not pay those prices if we don't have to. I know I curtailed all my errands into one run.

[shield]

Sorry, I'd didn't know.

[jpsb]

I bow to experience, I would have thought trees greatly dampen wind, so much for thinking.

[johnb838]

You should check out the KHOU link to the computer model that predicts what various storm surges will do to Houston. It's scary even when there ISN'T a storm in the Gulf.

I'm due to buy a house on the 30th. Bet the sellers are antsy. I know I can't close if there's a storm in the gulf, but it should be all over by then, and if it's damaged... too bad.

[daybreakcoming]

ants have stocked up and are deep in ground, she trusts the ants.

We've had about 15 hummingbirds swarming our two feeders all morning. Is that another sign of a hurricane? :o)

[jpsb]

"How could an ant possibly know?" I will ask her that and get back to you, but I expect a "look" and a "they just do".

[hobson]

My two story condo faced the tennis courts and the lights were pointed straight at my patio doors. The condo was flooded from blowing rain but that's about it. All the carports on either side of my car collaped, mine was the only section left standing.

The worst part was the constant, rythmic, pounding wind. Plus, my sister from Midland was visiting and she was freaking out the whole time. I came close to knocking her out.

[kassie]

Thanks. That's what I am doing right now.

[Redbob]

No, the galveston beaches are nothing like e.g. Panama City beaches, nor even Naples', but what can you do?

Besides, the seafood is good there, and a Breckinridge Oatmeal Stout is good no matter where you are!

[Sam Cree]

We were in a heavily wooded lot during Andrew in South Dade. Yes, the trees blocked the wind, but they also provided plenty of debris to fly around, large heavy branches and logs were flying, and the trunks of mature oaks and Dade Co. pines actually broke in half and came crashing down. I think the trees were a windbreak, but it was only luck that the ones which fell missed the house, by mere feet in some instances. The storm itself was so noisy that you couldn't even hear the large trees breaking up right outside.

[Diddle E. Squat]

If you are in heavily wooded area, would that lessen wind to the point that fly debree will not be a problem?

Maybe in theory, in the same way that standing behind a chainlink fence will lessen the odds of you being hit by a bullet shot at you. But those limbs are more potential missiles to break off and be tossed. And bear in mind that pine trees are particularly susceptible to snapping at mid-trunk in wind storms. A Katrina-size storm will likely knock out power in areas inland as far as La Grange, Bryan, Madisonville, or Lufkin (depending on the storm track.) I'm going to bring my parents up to Dallas to ride it out.

[Redbob]

Ah, Clear Lake!
What a great community!

You with NASA?

[Dog Gone]

About the only possible benefit of tape would be to keep some of the shards of glass together.

There's no way to board up my home. It is a high elevation two-story and I'd likely kill myself falling off the ladder in the process. If I had a crew of men and a cherry-picker, it could be done, but I don't.

And I see that the new GFDL model run also chooses Houston now. It was pointing well east this morning.

[steve86]

duct tape adhesive is nearly impossible to remove

Found that out last week when it pulled off a six-inch strip of paint from my truck. After having been in place only about two hours. Fortunately, already had a pint of touch-up paint.

Good luck to those in Rita's path.

[NautiNurse]

Tropical Storm Rita Intermediate Advisory Number 7a

Statement as of 2:00 PM EDT on September 19, 2005

...Rita nearing hurricane strength over the central Bahamas...

[No Blue States]

hurricane surge map for Sabine pass area:
(move mouse over catagory legend to see predicted surge)

http://www.kfdm.com/hurricane_surgemap.shtml

I found this and a ton of information and maps here:

http://www.ih2000.net/ira/bmt-wth.htm

[onyx]

Where do you see Rita coming in on the Gulf?