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

[Zechariah_8_13]

Pamlet, where are you located? Just curious.

We're just north of Austin.

[laz]

This was duly noted here on FR but ignored by the MSM

The same MSM which also ignores that Clinton didn't sign Kyoto either. But then, it's the same MSM that ignores Clinton accused Saddam of having WMDs, threatened him with war, etc.

[sweet_diane]

We lived in Conroe for a while before our house in Spring was built. Has really grown since I lived there (mid 1960's).

batteries, water, radio, manual can opener, canned food. prepare for the worst and hope for the best!

[Jaded]

Thanks for the laugh! I really needed it.

[pamlet]

We're closer to San Antonio - just west of Canyon Lake.

[Lemondropkid31]

Have you ever seen those wind up radios? My parents had one and I wish I had one now! All you had to do was wind it up in order to get it to work.

[NTegraT]

"he connected the dots on our dalmatian with a wide tipped permanent marker"

LOL Thanks, I needed that.

[burzum]

That discussion of dropping a nuclear bomb in the middle of a major hurricane has floated for quite a while.... The basic premise is that it could act like a gust of wind blowing out a match.... Some of the more weather enlightened said it would be more like throwing gasoline on a fire....pushing millions of gallons of vaporized water into the the huricane... Honestly I haven't a clue but there are a few folks on this thread that could elaborate....

I don't think it would be particularly helpful. If we look at the temperatures in the Gulf right now:

we can see the amount of energy that Katrina removed. I don't think a nuclear weapon has enough energy to really hurt or harm a major hurricane. A major hurricane is just too powerful. It could certainly help a hurricane in the short term I suppose if it was dropped at or below sea level creating extra water vapor (the fuel for a hurricane). If it was dropped above a hurricane I think it would help a little bit since it would help push away the dry air in the outflow channels. It might even be able to shred the eyewall, but as we know from eyewall cycles the eyewall periodically reforms (when it becomes too dry) and it would do so again after it was displaced. More on the eyewall replacement cycle.

[CindyDawg]

bump to find yall

[RoseofTexas]

"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"


I love Psalm 18:24-41, ESPECIALLY verse 41!!

24The LORD rewarded me for doing right,because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.
25To the faithful you show yourself faithful;to those with integrity you show integrity.
26To the pure you show yourself pure,but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27You rescue those who are humble,but you humiliate the proud.
28LORD, you have brought light to my life;my God, you light up my darkness.
29In your strength I can crush an army;with my God I can scale any wall.
30As for God, his way is perfect.All the LORD's promises prove true.He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31For who is God except the LORD?Who but our God is a solid rock?
32God arms me with strength;he has made my way safe.
33He makes me as surefooted as a deer,leading me safely along the mountain heights.
34He prepares me for battle;he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.
35You have given me the shield of your salvation.Your right hand supports me;your gentleness has made me great.
36You have made a wide path for my feetto keep them from slipping.
37I chased my enemies and caught them;I did not stop until they were conquered.
38I struck them down so they could not get up;they fell beneath my feet.
39You have armed me with strength for the battle;you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40You made them turn and run;I have destroyed all who hated me.
41They called for help, but no one came to rescue them.They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Last batch of models are pushing the storm more towards Port Lavaca and less towards Galveston Bay.

I would say anybody between Corpus and Galveston has to stay on alert for when the storm turns north...

http://euler.atmos.colostate.edu/~vigh/guidance/atlantic/early1.png

Someone has noted:

of course its not ALL clear yet for this area but that fact that the BAMS BAMM BAMD AVN ANMN AVNI all shiftied MUCH further down the coast as did the GFDL ... is VERY important

More importantly this shift is now supported by ALL -- repeat ALL of the global models .... the 00z ECWMF the 0z GGEM UKMET NOGAPS and 6z GFS.

___
There's a large high pressure ridge that this storm is tracking around...how that ridge behaves will no doubt influence where the storm comes to ground...

[silentknight]

Wind up radios sold at Radio Shack - bought one for Hurricane Dennis

[bunches]

"EYE OF RITA"

What a frightening sight.

I offer prayers for all you great Texans - God bless your big heart and keep you safe.

Bunches (in Ohio).

[Lemondropkid31]

dang, I don't know any Radio Shacks here. Oh well

[sweet_diane]

I've never seen one of the wind up radios, but like the idea. We're on the Alabama coast and keep battery operated radios in every room of the house! lol

Best of luck to you with this storm

[Lemondropkid31]

They work pretty good! Mabe I should have looked on Amazon and see if they have those.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I like my hand-crank dynamo Grundig radio I got from Radio Shack. Came in really handy when we lost power for several hours last fall.

Emergency Wind-up Dynamo & Solar Flashlights & Radios

[4everontheRight]

http://www.radioshack.com/Locator/Locator.asp?hp=top%5Flocator


There are several in your area...maybe one is close

[No Blue States]

Conroe Radio Shacks

[texas_brewer]

I remember as a kid I used to spend the summers in Miramar, Fl and my grandma had these hurricane lamps, real simple lamps with a big battery. I've yet to see them again. Maybe modern technology took over?! This was around 1971-72.