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Part VI: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1490045/posts |
Posted on 09/22/2005 5:44:09 PM PDT by 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
Try Fox - Fox here is reporting live from there
I EVACUATED
I didn't get any Gas
But I Got This Nifty T-Shirt!
I saw the video feed of the bus fire on Fox News a few minutes ago. It certainly doesnt look good at all.
It was still too dark to see what type - if any - rescue attempts are being attempted.
...Extremely dangerous category four Hurricane Rita continues toward the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts...
a Hurricane Warning is in effect from Port O'Connor Texas to Morgan City Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the southeastern coast of Louisiana east of Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl River including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain...and from south of Port O'Connor to Port Mansfield Texas. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Some portions of the Tropical Storm Warning in Texas could be discontinued later today.
For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
At 7 am CDT...1200z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 27.1 north...longitude 91.5 west or about 260 miles southeast of Galveston Texas and about 220 miles south-southeast of Cameron Louisiana.
Rita is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph...and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. On this track...the core of Rita will be approaching the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts late today or tonight.
Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph...with higher gusts. Rita is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in strength are expected during the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.
The minimum central pressure just estimated from Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft data was 930 mb...27.46 inches.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal tide levels...along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall. Tides are currently running about 2 feet above normal along the Louisiana...Mississippi and Alabama coasts in the areas affected by Katrina. Tides in those areas will increase to 3 to 5 feet and be accompanied by large waves...and residents there could experience coastal flooding. Large swells generated by Rita will likely affect most portions of the Gulf Coast.
Rita is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as it moves inland. Since Rita is forecast to slow down significantly after making landfall...total accumulations in excess of 25 inches are possible over the next several days across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. In addition...rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are possible over southeastern Louisiana including metropolitan New Orleans.
Isolated tornadoes are possible today over portions of southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana.
Repeating the 7 am CDT position...27.1 N... 91.5 W. Movement toward...northwest near 10 mph. Maximum sustained winds...140 mph. Minimum central pressure... 930 mb.
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 10 am CDT.
Forecaster Avila
LOL! That'll work!
>> the largest mass evacuation that ever occurred in the US <<
"Texodus" -- the Texas Exodus.
I heard them say that people were breaking windows to help get folks off the burning bus when the news crews arrived -
Those stations that did stay open and sell gas are to be commended, but did you notice how many were closed. In my area Ft.Bend 75% were closed, with no doubt full tanks.
Latest movement: .3 degrees North, .5 degrees to the west. Prior report was .4 and .4. Sped up forward motion as well.
They are saying now that it was a charter bus out of Houston carrying elderly evacuees - 5 taken away in ambulances
Oh no!
The Army and National Guard have fuel carrying vehicles designed to pump gas to pump gas to vehicles in the field. If you got a bunch of those, they could be filled from the big trucks, and then sent around to fuel empty cars
This story sounds like it should have its own thread. Very sad.
The explosions may have been oxygen bottles.
nothing on the website yet
That's terrible news. Things like this just dont need to happen when people are fleeing to what they believe is safety.
Sad.
I'm thinking there may have been oxygen on board if there were a lot of elderly folks.
That look bad. I wonder if there was someone on the bus who was on oxygen. That could account for the explosion.
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