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

[steveegg]

NHC is still going with 140 mph sustained ground-level winds in the 1 am advisory (unchanged from the 10 pm advisory). The Vortex reports are at flight-level (and in knots), and I can't remember the conversion that they use off-hand to give ground-level winds.

[Spktyr]

All Texas State Parks inland are now open for people who wish to camp out - no fees.

[gpapa]

wind speed conversion chart knots to miles per hour http://www.disastercenter.com/convert.htm

[BurbankKarl]

thats up in the Woodlands I believe...near Spring, TX....north of Houston, south of Conroe

[ekwd]

I'm way past goofy now, so I'm going to bed. I don't recall their names.

[Retired RN]

It was on the local news, and spokespersons stated that they were having radio stations inform people where to go for shelter. The Red Cross, here, has supplied cots, blankets, water, etc. and the University cafeteria is providing meals.

[Centurion2000]

Generally, you cannot shoot in the daytime to *prevent* someone from committing a crime against someone else's business property. Under "State Of Emergency", that rule is suspended, along with the nighttime restrictions on trespassers.

So has a "State of Emergency" been declared yet?

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

Someone should put up a nice sign with this text and something like an open season hunting sign.

That ought to cool down any looting tendencies.

[jpsb]

that would be nice, hope it happens I have more then one friend running out of gas and wondering what to do. I am pretty sure I will lose a very nice 91 mustang Convertable, gave it to a fried so he and his would have a ride outta here, last I heard he was nearly empty, if so he will abandon the car and go with the rest of the convoy. Good-bye mustang, too bad I really liked that car, 5.0 mustangs are cool.

[Torie]

So, we learn there need to be more positions. Contra flow maybe needs to be adjusted. Maybe gas trucks at gas stations in town, assuming the gas stations might close. And so it goes.

[jeffers]

I agree. Many times you can tell if a Tstorm has put down a twister because the whole cloudbase turns dirt brown.

[tcrlaf]

G'nite all....

I have a feeling tommorrow nite is going to be VERY interesting on these threads...

[Torie]

That is good. Woodlands is a north exurb of Houston isn't it?

[Wneighbor]

I meant to ask if evacuees can find gas and places to stay west of Fort Worth on I-20? Getting sleepy.

We found several families places to stay today in the counties southwest of Ft. Worth. The places on the interstate were full - but lots of the little towns on the state highways had places. Some of the folks we sent to some bed & breakfast places and some of 'em are gettin' to stay at some of my favorite fishing cabins over on Lake Whitney. Don't think they had fishing gear though.

[Spktyr]

Waiting for it to come up again in the Transtar cam rotation here.... I may have mistranscribed the name.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Couldn't have been me, fatima. I'm part of the banned group, remember? ;)

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bump!!! Thanks!

[justa-hairyape]

The whole thing needs to be war gamed like a ballet. For the next decade, this will happen again and again. They will eventually get it right.

The organizations that are the best in the world at providing this type of logistics are within the US Military. Perhaps the states can hire them from time to time. Many other world states are doing just that (ex. Kuwait, Iraq, etc..). The local problem is policing. We simply do not have enough deputized regular police to direct the mass public in fast mass evacs. We the People need to become more involved with emergency evac plans.

[Torie]

Losing a mustang is not the ultimate tragedy in life, is it?

[Centurion2000]

That was only loaded pistols. You've been able to legally carry a loaded longarm in your vehicle (or on your person) since the beginning of Texas.

This was just a correction of badly worded state law to align it with reality and, as you say, the rights derived from God.

Can you explain that one in more detail ???? Enquiring fellow texans.

[Ichneumon]

["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.

Actually, you could *always* legally carry a loaded rifle or shotgun in your car in Texas.

The new law change only applies to *handguns*, and only clarifies an older law that already made it legal to carry a handgun in your car if you were "traveling" (the problem was that the old law never actually defined "traveling").