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Locked on 09/22/2005 3:40:46 AM PDT by Jim Robinson, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1489163/posts |
Posted on 09/21/2005 4:19:11 PM PDT by 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
Uh-oh....
It looks like the computer models are starting to DIVERGE on where this thing is coming ashore!! One or two seem to have it taking a hard right up through Central Louisiana....
Does god want to get Blanco all of the sudden???
www.wright-weather.com/gfdl.shtml
thankyou!
I offered to FedEx some ammo to someone today...they declined.
This guy got his car ripped off in front of one of the reporters earlier today....his oil light went on...so he parked it on the side of the bumper to bumper freeway traffic as he walked across the median to a gas station...and some people stole it.
Do you have a place to go to?
There's a link at the top of this thread, and I just posted it, of Freepers, offering to help Freepers...PLEASE check it if you don't have anywhere to stay.
((hugs))
Thanks. We have folks in Houston that are waiting TOO long to evacuate.
Good grief, I hope this isn't happening a LOT.
Want my address and you can send ME some ammo? :)
Been there done that...
Was at Andrew/Murphy NC Airport a few years ago tying down a PA-32 during a hailstorm with downline gusts ove 70 miles an hour. Watched a small Lear get pushed into a Hawker jet. What was cool was a self flying 152....for 10 minutes would fly in place on the tarmac (loosly tied down) to the ends of the rope. Finally one rope broke and the plane "took-off" until it flipped crumpling one wing and the tail section.
The FBO manager had my wife and kids get under his desk as shelter until it passed....
NeverGore :^)
Ordinarily the timespan given begins when tropical storm force winds are forecasted to reach the coast (i.e., Friday evening for Rita on the TX coast). The surge will be at its worse when the eyewall passes over the coast. Tides will make a major difference, even if the surge is 20 ft+. You don't want high tides. The astronomical tide is added directly to the hurricane surge. If the tide is 4-5 feet, then add 4-5 ft whether the storm surge is 3 feet or 30 feet..
I'm not going to stay much past the 1 am CDT intermediate advisory.
GFDL
Seems like there was a FReeper who accurately forecasts where some of the last hurricanes would hit land.
Not me. I always forecast Pensacola if I can get away with it. ;^)
Maybe Strategerist. He's very knowledgable about 'canes.
dennis_w sp? usually had the goods, he'll show up if you ping him.
LOL!!!
You haven't lived until you've seen a SAAB lift 3 fairly big guys into the air!! It was an interesting afternoon....
Got to watch from the PAX window of a DC-9 in Detroit in the Mid-80's as a tornado went right across the FBO ramp, and into the T-hangars....
ELT's were still going off a week after that...
The latest on that story is that the car was towed, not stolen.
Thanks again.
thx will do.
Some interesting historically violent hurricanes
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml
So much for accurate reporting. I general dont trust women with two last names and a hyphen.
Yep, people evacuated.
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