Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part V

NHC - NOAA ^ | 22 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Category Four Hurricane Rita continues to move toward landfall along the northwest Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations continue across Texas and Louisiana coastal areas. Lake Charles LA is providing evacuations by bus for residents who have no transportation.

Traffic gridlock in the greater Houston area was compounded by gasoline stations without fuel, long lines at those stations still carrying fuel, and record breaking temperatures on the first day of autumn.

Offshore drilling platforms and rigs, as well as oil refineries, petrochemical and natural gas plants are in the path of the storm. Wave heights recorded by buoy have exceeded 38 feet. The refineries threatened by Hurricane Rita are on higher ground than those affected by flooding from Katrina. As a result, speculation abounds regarding future prices for winter heating fuel and gasoline.

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
Houston/Galveston/Beaumont/Lake Charles Wx Watches/Warnings
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana
Hi Res Houston Flood Zone Map Slow load, great detail

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)

KPRC-TV/DT Houston - KPRC-TV/DT Houston - http://mfile.akamai.com/12944/live/reflector:38616.asx
KPLC-TV Lake Charles KPLC Streaming
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
Beaumont TX evac Routes
Lake Charles/Southwest LA Evacuation Map
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
KPLC Lake Charles Evac Routes, news
KFDM Beaumont/Port Arthur News, evac info
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 IV
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[Texas Songwriter]

Forget the cone. Joe Bastardi says the eye will enter the eastern part of Galveston Bay and head northward into east Texas slightly to the east of the I-45 corridor. Baytown, Winnie, Anhuac are gonna get wacked huge, I fear.

[Spktyr]

Not exactly. That's an LA thing. Here, it's more of a blanket permission for the armed citizenry to suppress criminal stupidity.

[fishntex]

Cantore said last night he noticed a lot of folks with mattresses in their trucks leaving Galveston.

I cannot imagine asking my family to sleep outdoors on the highway because we ran out of gas 30 or 40 miles from home.

[Zechariah_8_13]

Beats sleeping in the seat or in a bare truck bed, I suppose!

[Lemondropkid31]

I have to take 1488 into the woodlands from Montgomery. Am I going to be able to get there?

[wildcatf4f3]

be there right beside you.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Gov. Perry sent almost a hundred buses to Beaumont to evac folks without cars and unable to get out. They appear to be doing all they can to avoid another NOLA.

[Texas Songwriter]

Not far from Dollar Hide, Texas

[Teri0811]

"How far from the coast is Houston? It seems unusual that people are evacuating Houston.

Houston is huge - spread out many many miles, and doesn't end till you get to Galveston. From City Hall it is 50 to 60 miles from the coast..."

I have family in Pearland, (just below the outer loop, dead smack in the middle between 288 & I-45) and they're only about 42 miles from Galvestan.

[McGavin999]

General Honore deserves a medal for that. Or a promotion to White House press secretary.

It would be worth some serious cash just to watch the faces of the pressies if the good general would walk out and say "Good afternoon, I'm the new Press Secretary. Any questions?" ROTFLMCO

[Extremist]

We're sitting up here between Rusk and Palestine. I'm not nearly as worried about the storm as I am the 5% or so of the many, many commuters who have passed our place and will go back by as they return home who have no problem stealing, looting or even killing. I have a shot-gun, several rifles and pistols and will shoot to kill any person who threatens me or my family. No questions will be asked.

I will do anything I can to help any deserving person but will blow a pizza-sized hole in the first punk who shows up.

[Spktyr]

We will do that, I think, but you won't see it on the media. It doesn't fit their agenda.

The moment that hurricane touches Texas, it's open season on looters.

You'll also notice that we're having none of this "let the prisoners go" BS. All the area prisoners have been bussed out to other prisons.

[RoseofTexas]

I swear the EVIL NASTY RATS are pushing us into a Moral Civil War!! OKAY, I've vented, I feel better! NO MORE TUBE FOR ME!!

[fishntex]

Yes it would. At least they thought ahead enough for that. Hopefully the traffic will clear by tomorrow night.

[PAR35]

How far from the coast is Houston?

Closer than New Orleans, farther than Tampa. About the same as Oakland or Jacksonville, perhaps.

[jonrick46]

If the illegals are going back, it's a drop in the bucket.

[BurbankKarl]

KPRC showing bumper to bumper traffic...lots of cars without gas

[jeffers]

Let's see here...

Landfall at 0500 Saturday...HF winds out to 75 miles...9 mph forward travel...that means HF winds reach shoreline at 2100 Friday night...

Figure half an hour to prop open the old eyelids and dredge up a cup of coffee...8 pm wake up time.

Then I could go 24 straight...but I'd miss out on the scanner calls for all the dead looters Saturday night...

lessee...

roll in early tonight and get up early tomorrow...nap from 1800 to midnight...maybe 1 am...then pull a 24...(maybe a 3 hour nap midafternoon after the winds pass but before the choppers get back...)...

grab a solid 8 from 1 am Sunday to 9 am, and wake up on a regular cycle, ready for a full day, when the news starts rolling in after first light....yup....that sounds about right...

that makes it meatloaf and bedtime here pretty soon...

[swmobuffalo]

well, there's always Toad Suck and Possum Trot.

[CindyDawg]

Things are only as good or as bad as we make them IMO. 40 miles is still 40 more miles inland. When they get far enough from the storm they may not be able to find a motel. A mattress in the bed sounds practical to me. Actually kind of romantic if the mosquitos don't bother you:')