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Locked on 09/23/2005 9:43:13 AM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
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
this one makes me sick at my stomach ....
There is a Backup Control Center(BCC) in Russia built by us, with a subset of the same equipment as JSC and operated by our operators over there.
I just heard the local Accuweather guy say it is very possible that this storm stall and goes back out into the gulf again!
FOX showing clear Freeway near Katy clear. Steve Doocey asks, "Where are all those ppl going?" Then goes on to explain all the hotels are full. I guess it hasn't occurred to him that most people have family and friends to shelter these people.
Isn't the internet wonderful!! The SOS/MSM is mostly clueless!
Morning, all.
Good news. The 0500 projected landfall is 1.09 miles SW of the 2300 (11pm) track, and it is only 3.15 miles SW of yesterday's 1700 (5pm) track.
That means that this graphic,
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/02J.jpg
...based on the 1700 track, is still useful, and better yet, that the chances of Houston and Galveston avoiding major surge have remained about the same overnight.
There are rumors from our old friend the Interdictor that parts of New Orleans are filling with water again, notably the Lower 9th District, which isn't such good news, but which is hardly unexpected considering that 12 foot waves are forecast up to 300 miles away from Rita's center, and the New Orlean's Levees are in a precarious (more like barely existant) state:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1489838/posts
I've seen two reports of flooding overnight, both minor, one at southern Galveston Island, the other at South San Padre Beach, both consistent with 12 foot surge, but now is a good time to remind everyone that last time, early reports of flooding went....underreported, at first. I'm interested in any reports of flooding or rising water your may come across so don't even think twice before posting them.
It's a real shame about the bus fire this morning. Those people deserved a better exit than that.
Unfortunately, when looking down the barrel of a shotgun at a Cat-4 monster, in the midst of a multi-million person evacuation, we really don't have any choice but to hang tough and focus on the big picture.
Some things are going to go wrong over the new few days, maybe a lot of things, but I think a lot is going to go right too.
In fact, I know it is, we can see it, the people at risk are getting out this time.
Right now, I'll settle for that.
That won't be good, would it? I mean if went back out wouldn't it just grow stronger again?
Explosion, fire rip evacuee bus; 20 dead
07:41 AM CDT on Friday, September 23, 2005
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA-TV
Also Online
Cynthia Vega reports
WILMER -- An intercity passenger bus carrying evacuees from Hurricane Rita was destroyed by fire on Interstate 45 in Wilmer early Friday, killing an estimated 20 passengers and injuring a number of others.
A Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokesman said the bus had been carrying about 45 senior citizens from Bellaire, Texas, a Houston suburb.
One motorist told News 8 he saw what appeared to be an explosion before flames engulfed the bus.
Some of the elderly passengers had oxygen tanks with them, but it was not known whether this may have contributed to the fire, which engulfed the bus about 6:30 a.m. on the highway south of Dallas.
All northbound lanes of I-45 and its service road were shut down at Mars Road, leading to a backup of three to four miles.
The bus driver survived the fire and was talking with investigators.
I-45 has been a primary thoroughfare for Gulf Coast residents fleeing in advance of Hurricane Rita.
FOX said it was a charter bus. If it had been a school bus, that's exactly what the MSM would say and still might. :/
Or that sleeping in your car a 100 miles or so inland better than getting blown away. I think he's a funny guy but I wonder if he was a boy scout:')
I knew we had that kind of an agreement. It is just so sad to think about the Space Center and surrounding areas being flooded. My best friend and her husband live in that area. They have gone to the Dallas area.
is there a rita evacuee checkin lis like the one for Katrina
Perhaps it's because a lot of storms go north an northeast.
* morning, all.
*A somber beginning to this morning.
NN, thanks again for all the work in keeping up the threads.
Joe Bastardi on Fox.
Lol, you got in one!
Yes, but I don't have the link.
The T J Cinnamon on the inbound frontage road of the South West Freeway at Dairy Ashford / Sugar Creek Blvd. in front of Gerlands is OPEN. I just scored a dozen sausage and cheese kolachies and a dozen cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven.
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