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

[gpapa]

Minutes to decimal degrees calculator http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/DDDMMSS-decimal.html

[ekwd]

I didn't mean to start a fight.

[rwfromkansas]

I am calling it a night.

I am one confused human being about what this cane is doing.

[spycatcher]

ExxonMobil is sending a convoy with a quarter million gallons from Dallas to reload gas stations along the route.

[Brad’s Gramma]

http://www.weatherserver.net/ritavideotexas.htm


Where's Khema? (sp) Water splashing over the boardwalk.

[Spktyr]

Addition: You may also carry it on your person.

Yes, that's right, you *can* legally walk down a Texas city street with a slung rifle that is loaded,

[CobaltBlue]

Hurricane coming makes you feel light-headed and a little bit giddy from the pressure dropping.

That's why people in Louisiana throw hurricane parties -- one reason, anyway. You get higher faster.

Another way to tell that a hurricane is coming is little clouds, high in the sky, scooting by really fast.

The thing you mentioned, smelling or sensing moisture in the air, is one, too.

If you go outside, and you don't smell moisture in the air, and you don't see the little clouds scooting by in the sky, my guess is that you're safe.

Hurricanes move along currents that are high in the upper atmosphere. Even NOAA doesn't have those currents up on their website tonight.

No idea why. They have close-ups but that doesn't really tell you where it's going to go, only that it seems to be breaking up somewhat.

[Colorado Doug]

I just love Texas. I just wish you had at least one, tall cool mountain down there.Come to think of it, I'd make y'all a pretty good deal on Pikes Peak.

[Wneighbor]

We've sent a lot out that way. You know, everybody in these little towns has kinfolk in some of the other little towns, so by word of mouth we were able to find accomodations for everybody that actually stopped in to ask for help at city hall, the power company office (it's right on the highway) or the cafes.

All in all it was a good day. As some of the folks on this thread have said, all the folks were really in good spirits albeit needful of help. Everybody was just friendly and talkative so I had an enjoyable time talking to 'em.

[Torie]

Well you are entitled to your opinion, that it is all going grand. But as I said, it is more of subjecting folks to a horrible day, and maybe losing a car, rather than loss of life.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Kemah...! (sorry)

[jpsb]

Nope I am at home. will ride at Rita on Galveston Bay, it will be fun. LOL, well maybe not alot of fun it will make for really good stories on next years' hurricane threads.

I am very well supplied and I am looking foreward to selling bags (little bags) of ice for ten bucks. LOL, beer prices at my bar will go up big time on Sunday. LOL, Ann Randers will love me for it.

[Centurion2000]

Thanks. I wonder if there is a penal code entry number for that.

When I was in class for the CCW they defined 'traveling' as crossing 3 county lines.

[fatima]

Thanks gpapa.

[Spktyr]

There is, but I'm not going to look it up now.

[flowergirl]

We do...in Big Bend its still the rockies..ponderosa pines and columbines grow there ...its rugged but beautiful ..looks like the Superstition MTS in Arizona

[Lemondropkid31]

I will have to go back outside to see if I see little clouds.....I see some little clouds, but they are moving slowly.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I KNOW you've already thought about everything...but do you have an out of area contact? Someone you can let know that you're OK?

[Colorado Doug]

Sam Houston himself was a lawyer at one point.

He was a great man and I think that we can all overlook his faults.

[Torie]

The loop is on the fritz. The storm jumped north all of sudden , because the map jumped north (the storm and NO moving north in perfect tamden like two dancers in a ballet (there is that word again). The storm is basically on track to landing between Galveston and Port Arthur, as of now.