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

[steveegg]

Thanks; I haven't completely lost it then.

I wish I hadn't lost the link to that Vortex archive over on Texas A&M's site. That would give us a better idea on whether that's a solid NE of the track or right on track.

[jeffers]

Mo1 wrote:
They are saying water is going into the 9th ward in NO

Army corps of engineers says there is no breakage.




There's more than 13 miles of breakage, that can flood that area, unless they have performed a miracle in less than three weeks.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1489838/posts

[bunches]

"Somewhat off-topic, and maybe it's just me, but does Philippe look like he's trying to reform?"


I hope not. My family and I are going to Florida next Thursday for 10 days. If Phillippe hits Florida, it may be longer!

[Jalapeno]

I want to point out something the media will miss here...

When the bus caught fire, the driver was changing a tire. He ran back on board the bus and "saved as many people as he could".

This is stark contrast to what happened to elderly abandoned in NO a few weeks ago.

[WxMan2000]

Recon at 12:09Z measured 925 mb.

[NautiNurse]

I've finished frying all the bacon. Had a huge breakfast, bagged the rest.

Last year, I recall posting here that we were living one hot meal, one hot cup of coffee, and one hot shower at a time.

[texianyankee]

"FOX & Friends reports that we will have "GAS PAINS SOON!"

[Lonely NY Conservative]

Sounds as though someone tried to sneek in a quick smoke while the driver was gone. Not such a good idea with a bunch of oxygen tanks around.

I want to point out something the media will miss here... When the bus caught fire, the driver was changing a tire. He ran back on board the bus and "saved as many people as he could". This is stark contrast to what happened to elderly abandoned in NO a few weeks ago.

[truthandlife]

I wish I hadn't lost the link to that Vortex archive over on Texas A&M's site. That would give us a better idea on whether that's a solid NE of the track or right on track.

Is this it?

[steveegg]

Damn; that's the wrong way. Waiting for either Weather Underground or NHC to put up the new Vortex (I can't make heads or tails of the intermediary reports :-)

[conservativewasp]

"just being born of one skin color"

Don't we get enough of this race baiting crap from the left? It makes no damn difference what color you are, unless it matters to you personally and apparently it does. Welcome to the ranks of Jesse Jackson, Louis Farakahn, Queasy Mfume and the rest of the skin color affixed raceists.

[jeffers]

It's half as far north of the 1700 track as the 0700 plot was south of it. That figure was 4460 feet, give or take ten.

The 1700 track is north of both the 2300 track from last night and the 0500 track from this morning.

[bwteim]

I am listening live to United Radio of New Orleans now and the hosts Don and Monica just now said that Corps is checking into reports. Prior to that they were just having callers talking about road conditions.

[kassie]

I guess we knew that was coming.

[NautiNurse]

Water gushing into NO's 9th ward

Not too surprising with this monster storm offshore. Thank goodness *someone* talked a little sense into Nagin before too many people came back to the city.

[NautiNurse]

Thank you for the streaming links!

[dfwgator]

They should not even think about bringing people back to NOLA until Hurricane Season is officially over. There are still two months to go.

[Mo1]

Agreed

[dirtboy]

At this point, I think Rita's landfall will be bad - a Hugo-scale event. But it won't be the worst part of the storm.

If Rita stalls over NE Texas, picture Agnes, Floyd and Allison combined. The storm will have the size of Floyd. It will have the slow track of Allison, along with proximity to Gulf moisture that Allison had. And it will have a cold front nearby to enhance rainfall, like Agnes.

The inland flooding could well be horrific.

[steveegg]

Close enough. Thanks.

Now to see if I can remember how to use the archive. IIRC, the station is NHC, the category is Raw, and the type is Reconnaisance.

Yep.