| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
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
REPEATING THE 7 PM CDT POSITION...24.5 N... 86.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 13 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...165 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...898 MB.
I'm sure it's been posted before as you guys went to a new thread already but... WOW!
I'm sorry, I just don't get it. My apologies for that rant, but ... somebody was talking earlier about having the faith from God to pray to have Him shut this thing down. The mercy from God is the advance warning to get to H-e-double-toothpivk out of Dodge before it hits. That somebody in the path would not heed this is beyond belief.
Those buses are headed for Huntsville, I believe. Lufkin and College Station are two other sites of refuge for people leaving the Galveston Bay area.
Does anyone know how long hurricanes can sustain CAT 5 status? Do they "top out" at some point and begin to lose strength for reasons other than colder water?
I caught those when they were released earlier today...
Majority due to Katrina, I expect.
Is that the New Track? Looks like it's a LOT closer to Houston than before!!
...Category five Rita continuing to strengthen 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 10 PM CDT...0300z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 24.6 north... longitude 87.2 west or about 570 miles... 915 km... east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 670 miles... 1080 km...east-southeast of Corpus Christi Texas.
Rita is moving toward the west near 9 mph ...15 km/hr...and this general motion at a slightly faster forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds are 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 estimated minimum central pressure is 897 mb...26.49 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 24 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 10 PM CDT position...24.6 N... 87.2 W. Movement toward...west near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds...175 mph. Minimum central pressure... 897 mb.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 1 am CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Stewart
$$
Next draft. I like that. Of course the Dem's would say that's tantamount to a national ID card, and ... oh never mind.
Help, am looking at this correctly? Does this show it coming closer to Houston than before?
Thanks,
...Category five Rita continuing to strengthen 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 10 PM CDT...0300z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 24.6 north... longitude 87.2 west or about 570 miles... 915 km... east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 670 miles... 1080 km...east-southeast of Corpus Christi Texas.
Rita is moving toward the west near 9 mph ...15 km/hr...and this general motion at a slightly faster forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds are 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 estimated minimum central pressure is 897 mb...26.49 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 24 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 10 PM CDT position...24.6 N... 87.2 W. Movement toward...west near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds...175 mph. Minimum central pressure... 897 mb.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 1 am CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Stewart
71(?) our little town north of there was an island. We were high and dry, just couldn't go anywhere.
Yes it does.
She is good, ya'll's loss is definitely our gain. And I agree. This is gonna be one big punch in the gut.
While checking on Rita, I found this. What the heck is going on near the Great Lakes?
http://wwwa.accuweather.com/maps-satellite.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&traveler=1&zipcode=&site=WI_&type=ei&fday=1&anim=loop&large=0
Yes, that is the updated 11P ET track.
What's 34 seconds between FRiends :-)
they have to maintain outflow to sustain that strength - if the outflow is blocked, they weaken. wind sheer can also weaken them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
