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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
OMG! The airlines are in the know, right?
Howlin -- see this post.
Are you home or at your desired destination and safe now?
Not really the route is clearly marked, it's just that the traffic is barely moving.
I'm worrying right along with you. How much further does he have to go?
Thanks. So he's past I-10. Where is he headed to? Not a lot of good resting spots in that direction but it should get better as long he doesn't run out of gas.
Hubby's spirits seem to be surprising good ~ his aunt is a bit car sick, but he was able to get her some crackers so hopefully that will help.
IAH is a HUGE and busy airport. I travel thru there a lot!
They are trying to get up here to Dallas
Hi Brad's Gramma ~ I missed your post....sorry. I just woke up from a two hour nap and am a bit groggy. They are heading up to Dallas.
I;m really concerned about her. But old people can be surprisingly stable under the worst of conditions. They're wiser.
How many more miles must they travel to reach you?
A million car traffic jam! It figures he'd land himself in one of the biggest traffic snarls ever! ....poor guy! Poor everybody out there trying to make their way out. I suspect its going to get worse behind them, too.
My guess is Continental will cancel most of their IAH-bound Friday flights, too. They want to get the planes to safety, even during a tropical storm let alone a category 5 hurricane. All other airlines will follow. Even DFW may be affected on Saturday.
When Floyd was heading toward NC, a friend of mine left Raleigh at 1:30 and got to Greensboro at quarter to 9 that night.
About 265 more miles to go!
I'm sure you're right. This is looking absolutely monsterous. I am so worried for everyone.
OH NO!
BG - We must seriously pray for ZM's husband and elderly auntie --- they still have 265 miles to travel!
I hope they can rest somewhere.
If he takes highway 321 from Dayton, he can catch US 59 in Cleveland. 59 takes him northeast to Lufkin/Nacogdoches. He could take highway 105 west from Cleveland to Conroe and catch I-45 to Dallas but that could be very crowded right now. A better option might be to stay on 59 north to Livingston and take US 190 W to Huntsville where you can catch I-45. It will be a longer drive but less confusing and less frustrating for those who hate sitting in traffic.
Good luck.
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