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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
I call him Barron Frown
Rita outdid her sister in the gulf, but I think she is not going to hit land with the same ferocity as Katrina. She could be an Ivan though, still a major event.
Waist deep water, described as a river, now in 9th street ward
Wind Direction (WDIR): | N ( 10 deg true ) |
Wind Speed (WSPD): | 25.3 kts |
Wind Gust (GST): | 33.0 kts |
Wave Height (WVHT): | 12.1 ft |
Dominant Wave Period (DPD): | 14 sec |
Average Period (APD): | 7.2 sec |
Mean Wave Direction (MWDIR): | E ( 96 deg true ) |
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): | 29.64 in |
Pressure Tendency (PTDY): | -0.01 in ( Steady ) |
Air Temperature (ATMP): | 80.4 °F |
Water Temperature (WTMP): | 85.5 °F |
Dew Point (DEWP): | 73.6 °F |
Heat Index (HEAT): | 85.1 °F |
Combined plot of Wind Speed, Gust, and Air Pressure |
Wind Direction (WDIR): | N ( 350 deg true ) |
Wind Speed (WSPD): | 25.3 kts |
Wind Gust (GST): | 31.1 kts |
Wave Height (WVHT): | 16.4 ft |
Dominant Wave Period (DPD): | 14 sec |
Average Period (APD): | 8.1 sec |
Mean Wave Direction (MWDIR): | E ( 100 deg true ) |
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): | 29.61 in |
Pressure Tendency (PTDY): | +0.00 in ( Steady ) |
Air Temperature (ATMP): | 82.8 °F |
Water Temperature (WTMP): | 84.6 °F |
Dew Point (DEWP): | 74.7 °F |
Heat Index (HEAT): | 89.8 °F |
Combined plot of Wind Speed, Gust, and Air Pressure |
TIME(CDT) | WDIR | WSPD |
---|---|---|
8:50 am | N ( 349 deg ) | 24.7 kts |
8:40 am | N ( 353 deg ) | 24.5 kts |
8:30 am | N ( 352 deg ) | 25.1 kts |
8:20 am | N ( 349 deg ) | 25.1 kts |
8:10 am | NNW ( 343 deg ) | 23.9 kts |
8:00 am | NNW ( 345 deg ) | 23.1 kts |
On the west side, like you, you'll be suprised how quick the sky clears up if it doesn't stall or slow down.
Good luck and God bless RWB.
I think NautiNurse is off-line for a while this morning ~
Rita has weakened since yesterday. The eye is not as distinct and the convection is not as intense as 24 hours ago. This is consistent with the central pressure which has risen to around 927 mb and winds have decreased. The initial intensity has been adjusted down to 115 knots. Unless another eyewall cycle occurs that could bring the winds temporarily up a little bit...the overall tendency is for Rita to weaken gradually. So far the passage of Rita over the warm eddy in the Gulf of Mexico has not resulted in intensification. However...research suggests there is a lag in the atmospheric response. Nevertherless...Rita is expected to make landfall as category 3 or...a little less likely...category 4 intensity.
Upper-air data shows that the high pressure system controlling the motion of the hurricane is already north and east of Rita and is centered over Arkansas and Tennessee. Consequently...Rita has turned more to the northwest and is now moving 310 degrees at 9 knots. No significant change in track is anticipated before landfall near the Upper Texas or southwestern Louisiana coast early Saturday. Once inland...the steering currents are forecast to collapse and Rita is expected to move little over northeastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas. Rita by then will likely produce torrential rains. The official forecast follows very closely the model consensus.
Rita is a large hurricane and tropical storm force winds extend outward a great distance. A sond dropped from a reconnaissance plane measured 56 knots surface winds about 120 N mi west of the eye.
Forecaster Avila
forecast positions and Max winds
initial 23/1500z 27.4n 91.9w 115 kt 12hr VT 24/0000z 28.3n 93.1w 115 kt 24hr VT 24/1200z 30.0n 94.2w 100 kt...inland 36hr VT 25/0000z 31.5n 95.0w 45 kt...inland 48hr VT 25/1200z 33.0n 94.5w 30 kt...inland 72hr VT 26/1200z 33.5n 94.0w 25 kt...inland 96hr VT 27/1200z 33.5n 94.0w 25 kt...inland 120hr VT 28/1200z 33.5n 94.0w 25 kt...inland
$$
Water pressure is now zero in my area of west houston. glad I got up at 5:30 to fill the tub. If you still have water pressure fill up everything. This early run on water should have been obvious.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Water pours into 9th Ward
Water poured in the Lower 9th Ward on Friday morning, topping a section of the Industrial Canal levee being repaired by the Army Corps of Enginners, Lt. Col. Pete Schneider of the Louisiana National Guard said.
Officials blamed rain and storm surge caused by winds from Hurricane Rita for the high water.
Dozens of blocks were already under water as a wave of water 30 feet wide poured over a dike that had been used to patch breaks in the Industrial Canal. On the street that runs parallel to the canal, the water ran waist-deep and was rising fast.
The levee had been breached during Hurricane Katrina, causing catastrophic flooding through the neighborhoods of the 9th Ward.
And that message has the eye closed. The last update had it opn to the south.
From a discussion at weather underground:
Although Rita should be a Category 3 or 4 hurricane at landfall, she will still carry to the coast a storm surge characteristic of a much stronger hurricane. A Category 4 or 5 level storm surge is likely along a 40 - 60 miles stretch of coast near and to the right of where the storm makes landfall on Saturday. Storm surge heights will peak at 15 - 20 feet in some bays, and bring the ocean inland up to 50 miles from the coast. This surge will be lower and cover less length of coastline than Katrina's surge, but will still cause widespread destruction in the cities of Port Arthur, Orange, and Cameron.
http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html
LOL Mommy Multitasking!
Winds are picking up, stores are all closed except for a few mom and pop stores, cars are abandoned up and down 59 and 45. Very few cars on the road. This house has become evacuee center for the family, son, daughter and brothers family along with the pets. Will keep everyone advised through Freeper son 31R1o. in portland when we lose power and phones via cell phone.Everything in place and no plans to go back out.
Waist deep water, described as a river, now in 9th street ward
Sending boats to try and fix the problem...
Thanks for the link. Forwarded to local news people.
May be up here forever!
Leni
My guess is they don't care about water flowing back into an area that was completely flooded already, has nobody in it, and where the levy is essentially completely gone.
That bears repeating.
Those were chemical oxygen generators. They produce pure oxygen from a chemical reaction, which makes them a lot more compact than a tank. But the reaction produces a LOT of heat. One or more of the generators activated in the plane's cargo hold and the heat started a fire in the luggage. And with all that oxygen to feed the fire, it quickly got out of control.
}:-)4
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