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

[CaptSkip]

FWIW...I've been told that tonight there are few if ANY Hotel/Motel rooms here in Norman, Oklahoma City and Edmond.

Anyone know more or about rooms in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Muskogee, Ft.Smith?

[cleveland gop]

TAKE GOOD CARE BUDDY!!!!

[texpat72]

We are praying, too. My brother and nephew are headed to Galveston to help evacuate hospitals.

[BurbankKarl]

and a lot of these people said they arent even leaving...

if you dont keep your gas tank half full, you should start.

[Wneighbor]

Saw MBY post earlier today in the Foxhole. She isn't living on the coast anymore she's up near Austin now. I haven't talked to Alkhin in a long time.

Just got back from our city emergency team planning meeting. You know, the just-in-case scenarios. Only concerns here are power outage, trees blowing down and a very small portion (of our very small town) which is flood prone. I have my job assignments for either possibility.

Dunno if you knew or not - I don't live in north Texas anymore - am back home at the old place. Our biggest worry in this town is one you can relate to I think. If power goes out we have a nursing home with 32 people in it. Some of those are on oxygen and other things requiring power. BUT, the nursing home doesn't have a back-up generator that will power those things! Tomorrow some of the guys are going to be contacting agencies to try to see what should be done or where those folks should be taken.

Feels good to be back home and be a part of things again - even though it is a potential emergency now. I've only been back 3 weeks - but it's nice. :-)

[Diddle E. Squat]

NN, can you post these 2 links to the start of the next thread?

1) Link to maps of storm surge danger zones in the greater Houston area:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/evac_map/gifs/

(Chambers, Liberty, Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Matagorda, Jackson counties, from east to west)


2) Map of flood danger zones(all types) in Houston:

http://www.houstontx.gov/oem/c5ss.jpg

[tcrlaf]

Got caught last year in Birmingham during Ivan....

Ever tried to tie down an aircraft in 60mph wind gusts??

It's not as much fun as it sounds...

[onyx]

Biloxi was hit hard, but the death count, (although awful) was amazingly low for such wreckage.

215 mph gusts are unimaginable to me. I can't fathom it.

[Bubbette]

You could call the Dallas Theological Seminary 214-824-3094 or Prestonwood Baptist Church (a huge church in Plano north of Dallas) 972-820-5000 and see if they could help. I also have some other church contacts. Would love to help, but have a small place and 4 already annoyed cats!

Keep us posted on this thread. When or have they left? Coming towards Dallas? I live in the Lake Highlands part of Dallas and there is a large Bible church up the street that might have housing available.

[Brad’s Gramma]

We're praying for you, jpsb...report in, when you can.

[Spktyr]

That would be because MS mostly managed to evac Biloxi.

[HoHoeHeaux]

Rooms available in Tulsa

http://www.orbitz.com/App/PrepareHotelSearchResults?z=9bg&r=2v&lastPage=interstitial&

[rwfromkansas]

The Fall impacted nature, from the trees to the weather, just as it made mankind dead.

[BurbankKarl]

I think there should be a Freeper housing thread...if there isnt already.

[HoHoeHeaux]

Huh?

[connectthedots]

"Particular Baptist Western Confession Reform of '87 or Particular Baptist Western Confession Reform of '95?"

Sorry; couldn't resist.

[steveegg]

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.

Judging from the flight plan, that's entirely possible. The mission numbers are also different (the AF300 reports used 14, while the NOAA3 flight used WX). Between the vortex message that measured the 161-knot wind and the last one released at 6:58 (and an eye fix at 6:09), there doesn't appear to be an inbound from the northeast that would have changed that max wind. Dunno why the NOAA flight used the AF max wind/time number (I doubt that both aircraft would be in the same quadrant at the same time).

However, the 10 pm discussion (I know, the NHC uses EDT for discussions, but both the storm and I are in the CDT) does note that there was 157-knot winds measured twice in the northeast quadrant the last pass through (doesn't give a time though). That's tempered by other data, including the estimated pressure/wind speed relationship.

[MSCASEY]

Have you checked out the historical record track of previous hurricanes within 300 miles of Rita?

Ms. Casey's Daughter

[rwfromkansas]

I don't know, but folks may have to look more north.....Wichita, Topeka, Salina (KS), Kansas City. Or Arkansas.

[steveegg]

I think there should be a Freeper housing thread...if there isnt already.

I think there is, but I don't remember where the thread is. Howlin?