Update: Category 5 Hurricane Rita - Live Thread, Part II

NHC - NOAA ^ | 21 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Category 3 Hurricane Rita became the fifth major hurricane of the 2005 season during the night. Hurricane Rita threaded the needle through the Florida Straits and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Storm damage in the Florida Keys and South Florida Peninsula was light, with scattered power outages, scattered tornados, and mild to moderate flooding.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Galveston County TX and New Orleans. Additional evacuation orders in the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area are anticipated throughout the day.

Crude oil prices reacted as oil producers shut down and evacuated workers from platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

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 Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Buoy Data Western Gulf of Mexico
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
GOM WV Loop
GOM IR Still Image
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston: mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_khou
WWLTV NOLA

Additional Resources:

Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston

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:
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for checking in and providing the local traffic update. Good to know you are in your safe location. Now you get to hurry up and wait...

:o)

[SpottedBeaver]

If the tracks remain close to where they have been, I'm figuring that it will cause some flash flooding, downed trees and downed powerlines. Pretty typical for spring weather here with straight line winds and thunderstorms. Only this would be more widespread.

Maybe it would be wise to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Perhaps a few days supplies of water and batteries.

[steveegg]

There are worse things than having ZZ Top going through your head and eating your way across a state at Dairy Queens (White Castle comes to mind). :-)

[2Jedismom]

I'm preparing for power outages. I think by the time it gets here that's going to be the biggest problem.

[shezza]

Hey, Louie! I see you're keeping an eye on this monster, too. Prayers for our fellow Texas FReepers.

[sheikdetailfeather]

I just love to hear his press conferences! I laugh so hard!

[silentknight]

Visible images at bottom - check out the eye

http://www5.wright-weather.com/bb/showthread.php?s=&postid=456140#post456140

[Txsleuth]

Here, here!!!

I was just going to post that even though the gas prices spiked up about 30 cents a gallon in the days after Katrina...

The prices had already fallen this last week...

No reason to panic....and if you put gas prices in perspective to what other products have "gone up" in the last few decades...we are still ahead of the game.

BTW, I just got a NEW SUV yesterday...for my birthday present...THAT is how worried I am!! LOL

[raygun]

110 / 153 = 0.71

From the last vortex:

125 / 161 = 0.77

[Dog Gone]

Words fail me.

Just as well. It's not worthy of a response.

[SpottedBeaver]

Looks like it's going over Waco, too! Prayers for you all...my parents and one sister live in Waco. Be safe!

Thank you for the prayers. My wife and I are just going to hope for the best.

[CajunConservative]

It looks like they are edging the path east. :(

[Robert A Cook PE]

Well, yeah, TX has its bus's mobilized.

But the TX bus in front has its STOP" sign out.

Hell, the rest are still probably waitin' on him to drop off the kids and can't pass.

[Txsleuth]

Are you staying in Sugarland...or moving more north?

[don-o]

Glad to see you're inland. Now, how could you forget the beer? :-)

Let's pose that question to the usual beer forgetter: Come in, Norm.

Been lurking at work all day. Great, especially to see Freepers not only providing up to date info, but also offers of material help.

[shezza]

Wow, those are some awesome images.

[rwfromkansas]

I would give out my registration except my password is used elsewhere.

[Michael Goldsberry]

forget the beer?

Found it! ... All set...

;)

[SE Mom]

We can't maintain an economy that freaks out every time there's a storm.

---

Uhmmm..the country didn't FREAK out last year when Florida got hit by 4 hurricanes..we didn't FREAK out over Ophelia just last week or countless other hurricanes.

Katrina and Rita are exceptions on so many levels it boggles the mind.

In the meantime, go find another thread to pontificate on, please.

[N8VTXNinWV]

Just talked with mom. Dad is renewing his Insurance adjuster license...He won't have to go on any roofs, just handle the paperwork.