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

[Zacs Mom]

My husband said that each town he passed thru along the evacuation route he took had evacuee check-in spots for people that had reached their destination.

[Broker]

The MAGNITUDE of this storm has to be respected;Bastari on FOX. The damage potential is enormous.

[john316]

I don't remember the sn's but I do remember that we got some freepers that live ON Galveston bay arround San Leon and Baycliff. Any news from those folks?

[RDTF]

Did he mention the possibility of Rita going back out in the gulf?

[Zacs Mom]

LOL - did you check out Pookie18's Today's Toon post??

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1489797/posts

It's loaded with good ones this morning

[Petronski]

When I look at Joe Bastardi, all I see is this guy:

[Flyer]

1. . .2. . .3. . .

BOOM!

[frankjr]

"I just heard the local Accuweather guy say it is very possible that this storm stall and goes back out into the gulf again!"

Was it Joe Bastardi from Accuweather? (by the way, Joe Bastardi is Italian for 'Joe Bastard')

[mhking]

When I look at Joe Bastardi, all I see is this guy:

I met Lesko years ago after one of his first books....

[shield]

Ck out the water vapor loop. You'll see the dry air being sucked into Rita. Houston local weather guy on KHOU continues to show Rita sucking the dry air into her. Pressure continues to rise in her. She's weakening and will continue to. She's so strong but any weakening is a blessing.

[Flyer]

But, the important question, do they sell beer?

[Broker]

Don't look at Bastardi, just listen and you will learn something.

[IamConservative]

Sorry to ask for old news. I saw a link to the Beaumont police scanner last evening at home, now at work and cannot find the link. Would someone be so kind as to ping me with that link?

Thanks much.

Thought for the day: Who will be the first liberal to accuse Bush of racism for taking care of the people in Texas better than the people of New Orleans?

[jeffers]

Even better news.

The 0700 position puts Rita just 4500 feet SW of the 1700 track, and northEAST of the 2300 track.

The further north and east, the better for Houston.

[ElisabethInCincy]

REFINERIES POTENTIALLY IN RITA'S PATH
COMPANY LOCATION CRUDE OIL
THROUGHPUT
CAPACITY (B/D)

HOUSTON AREA 2,292,000 (Total)
ExxonMobil Baytown, Tex. 557,000
BP Texas City 437,000
Deer Park Deer Park, Tex. 340,000
Lyondell Citgo Houston 270,000

ConocoPhillps Old Ocean, Tex. 216,000
Valero Texas City 210,000
Astra Pasadena, Tex. 100,000
Valero Houston 90,000
Marathon Texas City 72,000

FAR EASTERN TEXAS 1,013,500 (Total)

ExxonMobil Beaumont, Tex. 348,500
Valero Port Arthur, Tex. 250,000
Motiva Port Arthur, Tex. 235,000
Total Port Arthur, Tex. 180,000

WESTERN LOUISIANA 593,300 (Total)
Citgo Lake Charles, La. 324,300

ConocoPhillips Westlake, La. 239,000
Calcasieu Lake Charles, La. 30,000

[mathluv]

I am not aware of any. Most of the ones I recognize are Houston area. I looked under the 'Rita' link, but did not see the check-in thread. There were over 400 posts on it yesterday.

[LA Woman3]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1488737/posts

[ElisabethInCincy]

I have this if it helps.. http://www.weatherserver.net/hurricanecenter/

[RDTF]

[bwteim]

Regarding "MAGNITUDE of this storm has to be respected"

MSM need to keep away from the Cat 3 vs Cat 4 vs Cat 5 as if they represented discontinous breaks in intensity or landings up a high rise.

It is a continuous ramping up of speed and force. For example, it would be better to think of an "almost a Cat 5" as a Cat 4.99 rather than a Cat 4.

And they need to hammer home the fact that if you are in the way of anything over a Cat 3, KYAGB