Hurricane Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 20 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Rita is in the Florida Straits, impacting the Florida Keys and South Florida Peninsula. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for numerous portions of South Florida. Check local weather statements for updates.

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 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
Extra Large Miami Radar Broadband only
Extra Large Key West Radar Broadband 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)

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

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

Previous Threads:
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[1riot1ranger]

A little FYI. The Super WalMart in Katy has already been picked clean of batteries, cook stoves, lanterns and drinking water. Many of the canned goods as well.

Ditto the Super Walmart in ClearLake.

[laz]

They said same about Katrina coming off Florida.

Yup, I remember. She was forecast to go into the Florida panhandle as a Cat 2. But every day, they had to move the track further and further west until she finally started turning north. By then, she was a 3 turning into a 4.

[james_f_hall]

The temperature was 91deg on the shelf. It was 87-89deg in the open gulf where it, Katrina, strengthened to a CAT5. The waters are warmer closer to the Texas coast, not quite 91deg but still very warm.

Rita hopefully won't make it to Cat5 strength. It might be be a CAT4 before landfall but it could be an expansive and wide storm and even a high CAT2 - CAT3 landfall is not something many would want to go through.

[fjsva]

A neighbor's tree hit our house during Isabel. State law made it my responsibility to repair the damage even though the tree was dying and should have been cut down. Fortunately, the damage was not too severe, 5 ft to the right and it would have crushed my son's bedroom roof.

If I had complained to the city and sent the owner a certified letter stating the tree was a danger prior to the storm I could have made a claim against them.

[rodguy911]

Yeah, it's on its way to a cat 3 or 4 for sure, just not here thank God.

[rodguy911]

Thansk Sam, looking more and more like the Upper Keys will dodge a bullet but like Yogi says...

[TX Bluebonnet]

That map kind of makes me sick :(

[sheikdetailfeather]

Here in Fla. there was a run on gas cans last yr. and they became hard to find. By the way..I just heard Nagin is getting the busses ready to roll per Fox.

[kassie]

Hope you are right !

[markedmannerf]

I guess according to that map its not going to hit New Orleans though

[NautiNurse]

Read post #1...geeez...

[fjsva]

It's amazing how grown-ups behave. Jeb is in complete control. Makes the clowns in Louisiana look even worse.

I wonder if Jeb will get a shot at the Presidency someday. It wouldn't matter to me but some may not want to put 3 family members into the white house. He certainly deserves it.

[kassie]

From this map, at least it's not hitting us head on. But we're on the strong side of it. Hopefully it won't gain much strength in the next few days.

[NautiNurse]

That post is hanging up the thread badly - and I have broadband.

[shield]

THIS STORM ON THIS TRACK IS HEADED FOR MY BEST FRIENDS HOUSE!!!

[laz]

Well, however strong it gets and wherever it hits, we all know in advance it'll be Bush's fault, right guys?

[gopwinsin04]

That Navy map made me pucker. Awfully close to Galveston...

[RDTF]

Thank you for posting the Navy graphic here! I was trying to do it and kept messing up. :)

[jpsb]

The forecast was a lot closer to Galveston yesterday, I am thinking Mexico or Tx/Mex border.