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

[11th_VA]

Any idea what these cost?? I may invest in one .

[Republican Red]

Good luck and stay safe!

[Gabz]

I knew you would make the wise choice. ;)

He did all the pans - but did leave me the dishes - I guess it could be worse :)

[burzum]

She's going annular. I predicted 120kt off the tip of Cuber a couple of days ago

I wouldn't discount it, but I also wouldn't be so sure either. Less than 1% of hurricanes go annular and Rita has a very spiral pattern right now.

[laz]

Makes for a good movie of the week, though.

The way Rita's been behaving over the past 24 hours, I sometimes feel we are in the middle of a Hollywood disaster movie.

[texas_brewer]

Buy a new clean trash can and liners, put liners in the can and fill with water. Fill your tubs. Fill your washer. Fill plastic containers and put in your freezer which will keep it cooler longer after the power goes, then you can drink it. Remember to run your dishwasher before power goes out if it's full. Luckily I am a homebrewer and have about 10 5 gallon kegs I am filling with water. Improvise, don't depend on buying water.

And for fun...
Q:  What does George W. Bush think about Roe vs. Wade?

A:  He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans- as long as
they get out.

[Xenalyte]

Gunner gave me and Mr. Xena some intriguing ammo!

AAMAF, when he picked up the box, I said, "Ten bucks says that's ammo." He laughed, opened it, looked at me, stood up, got his wallet, and handed me a ten.

Then he said, "How did you know?"

I said, "Educated guess, baby!"

[Alex Marko]

Fill up your gas tanks before thursday.

[11th_VA]

Hmmm link didn't work.

LOL !!! I thought you meant the emergency generator !!!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I guess they are more concerned (rightly so) with the possible flooding of Southeast Houston - and think those of us in the next county won't feel a thing...........

Maybe they should just say "Build an Ark"

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I pity the fool without a swiss army knife.

Or one of these:

[silentknight]

10 a.m. RITA

http://www.usawx.com/sept2110ampowerfulritagrows.jpg

EYE OF RITA
http://www.usawx.com/10amcenterofritapowerfulcat4hurricanegulfofmexicoy.jpg

She could very well be a Cat 5 now.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

wow, what a pic...

[CajunConservative]

How thoughtful of you. It's tempting just to see the fall foliage ;)

[Lemondropkid31]

Thanks. I am getting bottled water here in Conroe (people here are not going crazy yet) and some canned food for a couple days.

[laz]

The ignorance on display by Gore and the people who suck it up is really unsettling to me.

Sometimes, when I get completely unnerved by their irrationality, I open my Bible and read the part in 2 Thessalonians where Paul speaks of the strong delusion God would send to the wicked, and I think I understand what's going on with them.

[Lemondropkid31]

I thought they would have something like that, I hope the students go to those, or else leave town. One of them had already paid for a hotel room in Austin.

[Centurion2000]

If true, then she went from TS to Cat 5 in less than 24 hours. I'm speechless.

pretty scary actually.

[Lemondropkid31]

I filled up mine today

[silentknight]

Houston Mayor to speak at 10:30 a.m.