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

[MEG33]

I'll give it my best. Have a nice rest.

[Miztiki]

Geez, it's 4:30 already. I might as well just stay up, eat some breakfast, and head out. What do you think?

[NautiNurse]

Are you packed already?

[shield]

You've got lots of shrimpers, farmers, ranchers---on the Texas coast you've always got plants. Alcoa has a really big one right in the path of Rita, right on the gulf. OK..you've got a huge Dow Plant that's in Freeport. Also, in Bay City you've got a Nuclear Power Plant, just outside of West Columbia you've got a petrochemical plant on hwy 35. The only one that'd take a direct hit is the Alcoa Plant. The way the models are bunching up you've got Victoria in her path.

At least Houston wouldn't get a direct hit...Houston 125 miles from where Rita would go in. If the models hold...and it is 72 hours from landfall.

[Miztiki]

Yep, car is all loaded.

[NautiNurse]

What did you do with family photos, insurance docs, bank info, passport, etc.?

[laz]

I hope she's not as "busy" today as she was yesterday.

Monday night, forecasters here in Miami were predicting she'd be a Cat 2 by the time she passed Key West and entered the gulf. After monitoring her all night and seeing her maintain those 70 mph winds, I thought she wouldn't live up to those expectations. But even after her late start Tuesday morning, she reached Cat 2 before reaching Key West.

[Miztiki]

In the trunk. I'm taking my (large) dog and two cats also. Have food, kitty pan/litter, cat carrier...

[laz]

the thing is getting stronger and is so large

Is she larger now than Katrina was? I think so.

[SouthTexas]

Didn't work on it last night, will just rig tomorrow. Was going to get some rest, but that don't come easy at the moment.:)

[NautiNurse]

Did you pack some paper towels?

[ChefKeith]

Aww heck you slept last week.

[Miztiki]

Yep, sticking out from the pocket behind the front seat. Got baby wipes too.

Cell phone is charged.

I'm eating now.

Am I ready? I may be leaving my house for the very last time. :-(

[MEG33]

I don't know..

[TXBSAFH]

Good luck and God Speed rom Pasadena. Prayers for us all.

[Miztiki]

You're not staying are you?

[NautiNurse]

You need to keep positive thoughts. Did you take photos or make a video of your home contents?

[MEG33]

Prayers to send you on a safe journey and a happy and joyful return to an intact home..

[Caipirabob]

Glad your safe, Elle Bee!

How did you do, Laz?

I got into work about 30 minutes before my boss. He was steaming because people were calling in to see if they had to work and the storm was ~200 miles South. I've known my boss for 15 years, and he's a great guy with a lot of heart. It's also great that our company was concerned enough to permit leeway incase it turned North, but we didn't get hit at all and they wanted a day off. *sigh*

Broward still closed the schools, and the biggest problem people had is that they had to care for their children and couldn't take them to work in most cases. It was dead in Broward yesterday and all we had was periodic rain.

[GummyIII]

Oh, Miztiki! Prayers and hugs for you. Check in when you can!!