Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III

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

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous and large Category Five Hurricane Rita is churning westward across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. Air Force Reconnaissance indicated the central pressure has dropped to 904mb, making Rita the fifth most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin.

Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches have been issued from Northern Mexico through the South Louisiana coastline. Galveston TX used school buses to evacuate residents. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations are in effect along the Texas coastline.

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 Western Gulf of Mexico
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana

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

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

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

Additional Resources:

FReeper Sign In Thread Check in to let us know whether you are staying, going, and when you get there
FReepers Offering Lodging To Rita Evacuees People and/or Pet Friendly FReepers Offering Shelter
Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston
Galveston Webcams
Golden Triangle Weather Page Provides Galveston Weather, Warnings, Radar, etc.

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

[vox humana]

Now there are people at a gas station that dont want REGULAR gas....they are waiting for the tanker to bring PREMIUM!

Darwin Award candidates?

[onyx]

Hey lainie! Yep, 30 miles inland and sinkspur just confirmed that to me.

I am almost numb from this monster. It's awfully difficult to imagine it's (her) force and the wreckage she could possible leave in her wake.

[rwfromkansas]

I have a relative in Sapulpa. Great area.

[cleveland gop]

I think Gen. Honore had it right--THEY'RE STUCK ON STUPID

[rwfromkansas]

I was expecting lots of rain from Katrina here, but that is looking like it may not happen. It may even stall over northern Texas and rain itself out. Which means more flooding down there....awful.

[Centurion2000]

This 890 came in AFTER the report you just posted...Dr. Lyons just came on AGAIN and said 890..

That would make it #2 in the atlantic.

[Wneighbor]

Hi there! (just checking in on the Rita news and found you here) :-)

[AntiGuv]

Houston worse-case scenario

[Centurion2000]

It wouldn't surprise me if we had a major earthquake in California or if Yellowstone erupts.

If Yellowstone erupts, it's all over for the USA.

[eastforker]

Yup, just got a few minor details to complete, will defend the home front.

[lainie]

I guess the latest update said gusts to 215 mph. That's crazy. That's like a tornado.

I have seen some neighborhood footage of Biloxi. Parts are flattened: nothing left. It's all boards and mud.

[raygun]

There could be two different aircraft - AFR HH and a NOAA - loitering simultaneously, and both having had the same max winds in the same location. If the mission number changes (or a higher MAX FL is recorded), then a MAX FL WIND remark should be reported with a different time.

ITEM P always begins with mission ID:

AFXXX AABBC NAME where AA is mission number, BB is depression number and NAME=RITA

Remember, the P3-O's can loiter up there at least 10 hours (especially when they're going downhill, they get really really good gas mileage).

[2Jedismom]

Hey!! What about Alkhin? MBY??

My little brother is in Houston dealing with the off-shore rigs. My folks moved to somewhere around College Station (don't know exactly where though). I imagine my brother and his family will go up and stay with them.

It's looking to head straight toward us after it leaves Texas...I'm ready for an extended power outage.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

OK Texas FReepers help me solve this one.

There is a Professor of Religion at Houston Baptist who just decided to leave town and has nowhere to go. Anyone able to put up the prof, his wife, his 22 year old son who is a SR at HBU and my son's best friend, the sons fiancee a grad of HBU, the younger brother and an Asian Foreign Exchange student, plus 3 each 12-15# dogs?

Not much to ask ..........

[cleveland gop]

890? Unbelieveable. Why is it that this might be the "one"!!!. No doubt 24 hours ago even thinking of 900 might have come with a few stares...

[lainie]

Good find.

Here's the printer-friendly version.

[steveegg]

Does anyone know when high tide is at Galveston?

The Houston-Galveston Hurricane Local Statement has mean high tides for various points around Houston for the late Thursday PM/early Friday AM hours.

---

Some minor thunderboomers are rolling in here in south suburban Milwaukee, but I trust my surge protector :-)

[HoHoeHeaux]

"A landfall here would allow its powerful upper-right quadrant, where the waves move in the same direction as the storm, to overflow Galveston Bay. Within an hour or two, a storm surge, topping out at 20 feet or more, would flood the homes of 600,000 people in Harris County. The surge also would block the natural drainage of flooded inland bayous and streams for a day or more."

OK so that's where the quote came from. Joe Bastardi did not make it up!
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3046592

Prayers for Texas

[Centurion2000]

She'll go annular before long.

If she does that then, she will definitely hit at CAT5. and maybe CAT2 up through Dallas.

[daisyscarlett]

"It was weak and created almost no damage to my locale, but it was the scariest and longest weather night of my life."

I can relate to that. When I was 8 years old, my family and I got caught in a "little" hurricane enroute to visit relatives in the South. I was terrified and have never forgotten it.

GOD BLESS TEXAS AND THE GULF COAST.