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

[BurbankKarl]

XMRADIO....they have traffic channels for the major cities....they said its mostly clear inside the Loop....

[ekwd]

However you measure the distance, Houston is no further north from Galveston than Hattiesburg, MS is from Gulfport.
Hattiesburg got hammered. There is more to get hammered in Houston.

[flowergirl]

oops!! Thanks for the correction:)

[jpsb]

Situation is bad, very bad and getting worst. Would you want to ride out a cat 4 hurricane on the side of the road, with pets and kids and all you stuff, no food, no fuel and no where to go?

Doesn't get much worst then that.

[Rte66]

'67 here - Houston Lee, that is. (Not Baytown or Midland.) They're not allowed to talk about the General anymore, dontcha know? Saber-rattler that he was!

[Ichneumon]

You've obviously never been to East Texas. East Texas is a HUGE pine forest.

I've always been amused by the difference between the John Wayne movie of the Alamo, which shows the Alamo on a dusty barren plain, and the reality, which is that the Alamo (besides being in DOWNTOWN San Antonio -- the city grew up around it) is surrounded by dense green forests for countless miles in every direction, except for the parts that have been cut down for development or crops.

[fatima]

Lemondropkid31,I have cricket's in the garage.Turn on the light-they love me-turn off the light-they fall asleep.You alone there(((Hugs)))

[ekwd]

Okay. It still runs. Bet the Cadillacs in San Angelo don't.
Forgot that I quit. This old man is getting sleepy.

[Spktyr]

Let's have this conversation later or on another thread. Let's just say that I don't disagree with you overall, but I think the specifics are a little different.

[steveegg]

Nice work. On a straight line, the eye looks to cross Angleton.

[Howlin]

Alan, what is the latest?

[abigkahuna]

It is for this people that I feel. Mom definetel wants to get out, probably has ben working janitorial--taking mass transit to work, etc...makes little money and quite frankly has no way out. Whether she is legalor illegal, she deserves to be rescued and taken out of harms way.

You know, years ago, when I was in the 9th grade, our english teacher brought in a poet to lecture. The only thing I remember after all these years are these words of his:"Broke is temporary, poor is a state of mind." Now I along with many othr folks will be broke our entire lives, but never be poor. In NO, there was a large segment of poor. In the story about the woamn sitting with her daughter, with all her possesions waiting to be picked up, sounds like she is broke...She will be a survivor, but just needs a ride....I hope someone in the community, or at least the reporter relating the story gave her a ride somewhere...

And thats what gets me about some of these reporters---they are they to lead it if if bleeds, but do they lift a finger to help someone who actually needs it, or does that interfere with their "objectivity" of not becoming part of the story?

I just hope this woman tonight has been directed to a safe haven.

rant off

[jeffers]

"...'at's right, I'm 307-22-3013 and I wants to bote..."

[PhiKapMom]

Obviously you have not been listening to the news. The Governor has fuel trucks going all over the highways providing people that ran out of fuel with fuel. The traffic jams are getting less as the evening has gone on and will continue to diminish throughout the night since they opened the interstates to outflowing traffic only.

[Colorado Doug]

Under "State Of Emergency", shoot on sight.

In Texas, can't y'all do that about any time anyway?

[myprecious]

Everybody better get set, the first feeder bands are heading into New Orleans according to intellicast .
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USLocalWide.asp?seg=LocalWeather&loc=kmsy&prodgrp=RadarImagery&product=RadarLoop&prodnav=none&pid=none

It is showtime!

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT

[Rte66]

Oh, that was one of the MSM comments today--"some of these people have three cars on the road--look at that, just one or two people per car!"

And it wasn't someone from Mexico reporting that.

[CindyDawg]

Yall know where El Campo is? My DIL left about 10 (he thinks) for Austin. My son keeps calling me from Japan asking if I have heard from her yet. I told him traffic crawling and phones down but he worries. How long should it take?

[Spktyr]

I'm watching local coverage *and* talking to someone in that mess, and she's saying that they're taking care of them between the government trucks and individuals helping out.

It will happen, and we still have a good 28+ hours till severe effects arrive. I think we're going to pull off the "impossible," I really do.