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

[jeffers]

Call me crazy, but I still swear I can taste the salt on my lips when the remnants of a hurricane make it up here to the heartland.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Shhhhhh!!!!


He's been BANNED! Don't say nuthin, glock!!!

[Fiddlstix]

See this post: Click here

J

[BurbankKarl]

Happy Fall!

[Spktyr]

TXCN showing footage of Dallas County school buses evacuating people from Houston.

So, not only do we use the buses that are there, we bring in other buses to haul people away.

I will be very surprised if Rita finds any functioning buses in her strike zone.

[Squantos]

It's my association with Eaker isn't it....guilt by association and I'm banned........*@&^#%%@#$ !

Nite Fatima & Gramma......I have a 0530 wake up ya'll .....I'm outta here !

Keep the peace !... and anything else ya find not tied down !

Stay safe !

[fatima]

I tlak to myself and answer myself.I always get the right answers;)

[Fiddlstix]

Glad you like it J

[Retired RN]

Odessa has opened the gym at UTPB for evacs. Said they can handle about 500.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Well thank you! I hope your fall down the stairs is equally nice!




:)

[milagro]

Am so sorry about your experience in Salem. You should have come down further south. Here in our town just north of Medford, our little church raised over $1,700 in a two-day rummage sale normally held to raise money for missions. This year it was decided to donate the funds to Katrina victims. On top of that, the congregation itself donated over $900 to Katrina victims.

And ours is a small church full of mostly retired people without big bank accounts. And--they are all mostly Conservatives!

[Spktyr]

Yes, but it doesn't take effect until Rita touches land or her bands start trashing things.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Nite my friend. Sleep well.

You're a good sport. :)

[Fiddlstix]

That's an idea.......
Thanks........
J

[de Buillion]

"As of the first, Texans can carry loaded weapons in our vehicles...no need to get permits anymore. That'll make would be thugs think twice! "

I personally don't think that that law made much difference. Folks I know that wanted a gun in their car had one anyway. Just alligned the state law with a God given right.

[Lemondropkid31]

Haha yea, I saw that. I think I was the one who wrote that actually.

[ekwd]

I'm trying to think of the name of the greasy spoon just outside the Presidio gate from my barracks. One of the Army troops in the class behind me married a waitress there. He was killed at Fire Base Carroll in 72.

[RoseyT]

"I believe its "Dangyankees" (one word) and the ng is "mn"."

No, no. She's a dangyankee. She doesn't live in Texas. If she moved here then she'd be a damnyankee.

[Lemondropkid31]

"Call me crazy, but I still swear I can taste the salt on my lips when the remnants of a hurricane make it up here to the heartland."

I have heard of that happening. It's like a game that the mind plays when something drastic happens to you, then you feel like you can feel it later on so to speak.

[publana]

ROFL! Love it! We are forever fixin to do sumpn which is so much better than sitting around with their noses up in the air doin nuttin. ;)