This was originally a GIF, but I removed the animation in Adobe ImageReady since it was too big.
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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
In fairness, she's the one who corrected her story about 8 or 9 PM.
Maybe this nasty bitch, Rita, is going to finish what her evil twin, Katrina, started.
I've got some great aviation stories.....
I once took-off in that same PA-32 fully loaded in a NorEaster from Salisbury, MD....45kt winds gusting to 60kts.
That was fun.....
NeverGore :^)
We're across the TX line over here in Port Arthur.
Our only option for evacuation is family in Deridder, La. But I don't know if that's good enough weather wise, not too much better than here for the effort it would take to get there.
My dad's refinery won't let him off work as of 10pm tonite (in Jefferson County)- so we're faced with, leave without him (me, mom and dog, mom REALLY doesn't want to leave him), or leave Friday at 7am when he gets off, or just stay. We're considering staying right now.
What I'm really worried about is my cousin and his family stuck at Texas Children's in Houston with their teenage daughter there who came down severely ill a few days ago...
This was originally a GIF, but I removed the animation in Adobe ImageReady since it was too big.
ouch!
The backup on I-45 north of Houston is 70 miles per a caller to Open Road (Driver delivering to Wal Mart store in Houston)
I don't trust that kind of weather (or is it my SKILLS in that weather?)
Had the fear of god put into me over the lake one night weaving through pop-ups in a 172 after a Meigs departure...
($100 hamburger run)
Thus proving that the best way to survive a hurricane is to be elsewhere.
I had heard at one time they were traveling 10 mph. What a nightmare.
Will you please FRmail me the original?
My hubby said one of his people called in, it took them five hours to get from Houston to The Woodlands...
He's telling his level one security people in Houston to GET OUT. To complicate things, he already has one disaster recovery team in place in New Orleans - and now he's getting ready to lead a team into Houston, as soon as the storm lets up enough to go. But we also have the distinct possibility that Rita will still be at HURRICANE ONE status coming through the Waco area. This is just scary, especially since so many of us here are in modular homes/trailers. We're preparing to ride this out, and we're having to make preparations for the worse-case scenario...
Prayers for all in Rita's path, and may God have mercy on us all.
Watching the eye track on TV satelite loop seemed like it was starting to go more North.
Yep, and not sticking around for whatever reason, realizing that life is most important of all.
And it seems they are STILLED lined up going outbound....
traffic.houstontranstar.org/devmap/getcam.asp?camnum=116
I don't think so, a lot of fine people will soon be homeless, not a good thing.
FYI, a cat 4/5 hiting freeport is the worst case for galveston bay area. that is what we are looking at, think Katrina was bad? Wait till Rita is finshed and southeast Texas with it's millions are homeless and it's oil/gas production/seafood/manurfacturing/refinery/NASA/ports/ are shutdown.
Not sure about that, but it sure looked like it was starting to suck down moisture from the north....
Next update is in about 5 minutes....
...Category five Rita maintaining strength over the central Gulf of Mexico...
a Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the Gulf of Mexico coast from Port Mansfield Texas to Cameron Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning may be required for portions of the Hurricane Watch area Thursday morning.
A tropical storm watch remains in effect on either side of the Hurricane Watch area... from east of Cameron to Grand Isle Louisiana... and from south of Port Mansfield to Brownsville Texas.
A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward to the Rio Grande.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours.
Interests in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of potentially catastrophic Hurricane Rita.
For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
At 1 am CDT...0600z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 24.8 north... longitude 87.6 west or about 540 miles... 870 km... east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 645 miles... 1040 km...east-southeast of Corpus Christi Texas.
Rita is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph ...15 km/hr. A general westward to west-northwestward motion at a slight faster forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.
Reports from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter indicate that maximum sustained winds remain near 175 mph...280 km/hr...with higher gusts. Rita is a potentially catastrophic category five hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles...110 km... from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles...295 km.
The minimum central pressure just reported by the hurricane hunter is 898 mb...26.52 inches. This means Rita is the third most intense hurricane in terms of pressure in the Atlantic Basin.
Tides are currently running near normal along the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts in the areas affected by Katrina. Tides in those areas will increase up to 3 to 4 feet and be accompanied by large waves over the next 24 hours... and residents there could experience some coastal flooding.
Heavy rains associated with Rita are forecast to begin to affect the western and central Gulf of Mexico coastal areas Thursday night into Friday. Rita is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches over the central to Upper Texas coast. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches will be possible across southern Louisiana... including the New Orleans metropolitan area. After Rita moves inland...total rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches will be possible over eastern Texas... and central and eastern Oklahoma during Saturday and Sunday.
Repeating the 1 am CDT position...24.8 N... 87.6 W. Movement toward...west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds...175 mph. Minimum central pressure... 898 mb.
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Beven
$$
oops....this image was from earlier today. Can't use it to judge any strength tonight. It looked like a late post at another forum, but actually fairly old.
I hate to see what the sun brings.
So statistically, the odds of two worst case doomsday hurricane scenarios, one for Houston and one for New Orleans, actually occurring, within a one month time, span is how many bazillion to one?
I remember one of Tom Beardon's articles from several years ago to the effect that the Russians had mastered zero-point energy by way of hen house radar sets, and were using it to tweak and steer hurricanes near the US.
Clearly the "science" is bushwah, and just as clearly the Russians wouldn't do this, they are our allies and that would be an act of war.
I'm not so sure about Hillary Clinton, though.
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