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

[ncpatriot]

what does the spiderweb mean?

[janetjanet998]

remember with Katrina..many creatures were fleeing the coast before it hit..it was posted here i don't remember the source

[kassie]

Thanks.

We kept wondering what authority he had. Seems like a smart guy.

[johnb838]

Yeah, you right. Judge Robert Eckels is a Republican and a Conservative to the bone while White, though he's not doing an altogether bad job, is a rat and used to work for Clinton.

[RummyChick]

Sheila Jackson Lee looks to have appeared at a press conferance on Fox. I think that is her in the background

[ladyjane]

Do you have a better hypothesis? shoe bomber?

[johnb838]

It's called the County Commissioners *Court* that's why he's the County Judge.

[dennisw]

I wouldn't touch New Orleans area oysters for a year at least. Due to the huge dose pollutants entering the bays. I'm sure there will be health reports on those oysters. Anyways I hear a lot of the oyster beds got torn up and destroyed during Katrina.

New Awlins food (many good photos)

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=68293

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=67888

[Dog Gone]

Wow! That's quite the photo.

The first outflow boundaries have just reached my house. I'm still finishing up the last of the yard preparations, removing potential missiles, etc.

Gotta engineer a solution to prevent a raised sprinkler head from beating against my bedroom window. I live in a ghost town. No traffic unless you count helicopters and a few jets that seem to be on approach to Hobby airport.

[jeffers]

Most of Cameron reads 0 feet elevation which either means zero or else below sea level with this software.

Thanks for any and all flooding reports.

[RDTF]

Well buckle your seatbelt - more scandal ahead. Engineers not monitoring levees.

[NonValueAdded]

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

Whoa! Just checked the computer models on Phillipe and three show a turn to the southeast! That high over Florida should keep it away but while all eyes are focused on Rita, Phillipe seems to be acting up a little.

[laz]

Surge, storm tide, whatever you want to call it, showing up in New Orleans, 220 miles away, annd Galveston, 250 miles away?

Stephanie has been steadily moving back for the past several hours. She was right at the sea wall the last time.

[jeffers]

No but Interdictor heard the rumor and posted it.

[RDTF]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3366129

Sept. 22, 2005, 10:58PM

Boy is left behind as his family evacuates
Conroe police find lost Pasadena 10-year-old inside convenience store

By RENEE C. LEE
Houston Chronicle


CONROE - Police are trying to locate the family of a 10-year-old Pasadena boy who was left behind at a convenience store Thursday afternoon as relatives continued their evacuation trek.


Conroe police spokesman Sgt. Bob Berry said the family was traveling in a five-car caravan from Pasadena headed to Dallas when they stopped in Conroe.

He said the family members went into the store as a group but apparently did not do a head count when they left and got back into their cars.

The boy told police he turned around and his family was gone.

Police picked up the boy about noon and took him to the police station.

''We're trying to make arrangements to find out who and where they are," Berry said. ''We're also trying to get CPS to step in to find a temporary home for him."

He said the boy gave police his mother's cell phone number but calls were forwarded to a voice mail

[smartin]

Buckled in. Ready for more scandal.

[mystery-ak]

Has anyone heard the weather conditions in NO other than the new flooding.....hubby is there with his troopers and they were moved into an already damaged buiding...I hope it holds..

[SE Mom]

How's your wife, and, do you have a generator?

[johnb838]

We got shrimps and oyster here too if we can just get them through this damnable Rita. (why did it have to be named after my favorite cousin?

[Quilla]

One of my passions is hunting dove and I watch them year round in anticipation of dove season. Yesterday I saw numerous dove flying erratically and swooping down in the path of traffic. I thought at the time that this unusual behavior was an awareness of the hurricane on their part. I am about 400 miles east of where Rita is expected to make landfall.