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

[Warren_Piece]

Here in middle TN, the only rain we've gotten in the past 4 months is from hurricanes and tropical storms!

[NautiNurse]

I hope the sat interpretation is wrong.

Have you seen the pics? I don't think they are wrong...

[TomGuy]

I just hope we don't have tornadoes out of this. Rain, I can handle. Tornadoes worry me.

Depending on its on-land path, it could spawn tornadoes into the TX panhandle, throughout Oklahoma, or Arkansas and southern Missouri. It could affect a large area.

[CoolChange]

We lived in Freeport during Alicia and were without power for almost 2 weeks. This one looks really scary for that area. What about all of the chemical plants there?

[Rte66]

Local met just showed a little comparison chart:

Alicia
Cat 3
125 mph
10' surge
5" rain
23 tornadoes


Rita
Cat 4
145 mph
18' surge
12" rain
??? tornadoes

[RDTF]

Path of the hurricane Duration Sept. 1 – 12, 1900 Highest winds 150 mph (240 km/h) sustained Damages $25-50 million (1900 dollars) $540 million - $1.1 billion (2005 dollars) Fatalities 6,000–12,000 direct

[steveegg]

It was a weak hope because I saw the pics. She has all the looks of a monster.

[Zacs Mom]

I received a post card in the mail a couple of weeks ago from the State of Texas advising us that a sex offended had moved into our area. The card was addressed to "resident" so I think the notification cards were sent to all homes in the general area.

This was the first such noticed I'd ever received so it maybe this is a new service they recently initiated.

[steveegg]

That's not a favorable chart. Stay safe.

[Ron H.]

My mom is a widow lady that still lives in Austin. Is it gonna be safe there or do I need to get her out?

Should be, at least let's hope. I have neighbors going to Austin for refuge. My family and I are headed for Waco Friday. Too many trees around my house and property to chance any coming down on the house during the hard blow that's coming. And I'm in east Montgomery County, who would've ever thunk it possible.?.?

[Rte66]

We lived in Freeport during Alicia and were without power for almost 2 weeks. This one looks really scary for that area. What about all of the chemical plants there?

I haven't heard what will happen, but Brazoria County is going to have a mandatory evac starting today, maybe this morning.

[texianyankee]

Austin is far enuf inland that she should be okay. Rita should lose much of her strength by the time she gets near the Austin area - depending upon Rita's path. However, there could be tornadoes spawned around the Austin area - so definitey stay aware.

I guess that still doesnt answer your concerns. Sorry.

[Alia]

When hurricane season is over, for now, you will drink in every word of book "Isaac's Storm" -- chronicle of events leading up to, during, and after the Galveston Hurricane of past.

[NautiNurse]

Inland Wind Risk Potential for a Cat 4 landfall at various forward speeds. Note Rita is moving 14 mph now.

[CoolChange]

Thanks. My prayers are with everyone there.

[AntiGuv]

For anyone that's wondering, the highest storm surge on record was 42 feet at Bathurst Bay, Australia in 1899.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks--never guarantees, but I tend to trust Freepers more than others.

[RoseyT]

"I just hope we don't have tornadoes out of this."

Same here. Stay safe y'all!

[Halls]

PING for myself

[Gardener]

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