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

[Lemondropkid31]

I Hope so! Goodnight and God Bless

[CobaltBlue]

I do security work at a plant that has all glass windows in the front.

Yikes!

I hope the people in charge took this seriously, and shut it down, and battened the hatches!

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for the post. Nighters Gramma

[abigkahuna]

THe rides should already be up and ready to go. Evidently fair management and carnival has plans to conduct an "orderly" slough--That means its every man for himself and a real charlie foxtrot.

[D-fendr]

If that's true, that would put that at least over Longview

Damn near dead center. Please bear in mind things could and likely will change. But you should prepare thoroughly and keep a a close eye on it.

[laz]

Shouldn't you be waiting for FEMA to do this? I'll bet these buses don't even have restrooms.

Heh heh. From what I've seen, traffic jams notwithstanding, evacs in Texas have gone as well as humanly possible. Heck, once they're finished, they might be able to send some buses over to NOLA and help Nagin with his evac.

[NautiNurse]

I understand. I hope you have a safe place to park. Dog Gone posted yesterday that cars in a hospital parking lot were having their gas siphoned.

[D-fendr]

Are you in Tyler? The stores here were wiped clean of bread/water/etc. I think they were getting re-stocked tonight. Tyler was crazy today.

Yes. But not really crazy, just lotta folks buyin lots of stuff at the stores. I saw it as a good sign. Better it be in people's hands and not the store if it gets bad. Now, it may get more "interesting" in stores and gas stations around here Friday and early Saturday...

[flowergirl]

I hope you're safe,will be praying for you.Any word on Dog Gone? Is he going to ride it out at the hospital w/ his wife? My good friend who volunteersw/ red cross is staying in Houston, at a Holiday Inn, near the astrodome where she's been since Katrina:( Is that a safe area..far from flood zones? Thanks & take care :-)

[Colorado Doug]

Are you still in the Cripple Creek area?

No, sadly, I'm down to 5500 feet now. I like the short and mild winters down here but I sure do miss the summers up there. I used to love calling lowland friends during heat waves and complain that it was 73 degrees and so hot I might have to wipe my brow soon.

I miss picking on flatlanders, now I are one. Oh well, there are still Texans ;-) ducking and running fast

Seriously, fall is a nice time to visit Manitou.

[NautiNurse]

Got a post from DG in 906.

[Lemondropkid31]

I dont know if they did or not. All I know is that the security are the ONLY ones there. Everyone else, like maintenance are gone. I hate that, but I guess it doesn't matter. I will get hazard pay

[Lemondropkid31]

Yea, I will have a safe place. Where I am parking has a very tall fence with barbed wire on top.

[Ichneumon]

at a Holiday Inn, near the astrodome where she's been since Katrina:( Is that a safe area..far from flood zones?

It's safe from any storm surge, yes. As for flooding in general, Houston is so flat that *any* place can flood if it gets a heavy rain, but the "flood" isn't the kind that will force you to your rooftops, except under the most extraordinary circumstances. Usually it's just 1-3 feet of water in the street, or maybe 6 inches in your house.

And I've never heard of any exceptional floods in the Astrodome area. Just the "stay off the streets until it drains off" kind.

[Colorado Doug]

Heck, once they're finished, they might be able to send some buses over to NOLA and help Nagin with his evac.

I'm sure they could but Nagin will first have to decide whether he's coming or going. I still don't think he knows.

[de Buillion]

Did you miss the person that you were responding to?

[familyop]

The neighbors here from Texas are great. Did you have the campground on Teller #1 by a housing development? ...me, too, on melting. After too many field training exercises (Army National Guard) in hot places, one wants to be where it is cool and dry. We have a place in South Park and love it there.

Do you remember that big snow we had...maybe, what, a couple of years ago? I drove through 4 1/2 feet of it (modified 4WD) to do some work at a lot (sold now) in the higher part of a development on the west side of Pikes Peak. It's nice to drive when no one else is on the roads.

[NautiNurse]

Where I am parking has a very tall fence with barbed wire on top.

Very good.

[laz]

From Drudge:

RITA IS 'GLOBAL WARMING,' SAYS UK ENVIRONMENTAL CHIEF...

So was the 1900 Galveston storm, I suppose. And all the hurricanes stretching back two centuries that are listed in the NOAA archives. And all the hurricanes that happened for centuries before any records were kept at all.

How anyone can dare call himself a scientist while he completely ignores facts and historical records is mindboggling. Pretty soon, a normal thunderstorm will become evidence of global warming. Anything that happens with the weather will be global warming.

The only global warming that exists is all the hot air coming from the Left.

[Wneighbor]

Heh - I haven't found a time of year yet that I don't like visiting Manitou. LOL... I can love it in winter as long as I know I'm coming home before I get brain-freeze. However, I'm such a die-hard Texan that I still get real cold up there in summer. I like my temps in the 80's and 90's. I know, just ain't natural. Can't help it.

You're right, I would love to get up there sometime this fall. For personal reasons, it would just be a good time for a visit.