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

[CindyDawg]

It's a living list. It used to be short and simple but I just keep picking stuff up from these threads:')

[Zacs Mom]

I think y'all are right!!! I think I''ll start with the fudge-cycles and eat till I pass out from a brain freeze!

[Flyer]

That means I used to live up the street from *you* on Palmetto

I usd to live on Aspen. Does that count?

[nascaryankee]

I don't know. The media is already starting to complain. Joe Scarborough is going on and on with the traffic issues........

[Strategerist]

do the pros out in Vages make book on where a storm like this will make landfall? If so, where can you check what the odds makers think?

No. The University of Miami, through the University of Miami, did start a "Hurricane Futures" market this year, (making use of the pre-existing University of Iowa Futures Market) where you buy "Stocks" in different sectors of the coast for landfall and trade them (max investment $500, so not exactly high rolling.

However, Max Mayfield of NHC got upset about the whole Idea, and they did not get SEC certification for the whole thing. They had intended it to be open to anybody (I'd sent in a few bucks to open an account) but they had to send it back to me. So it's running but only open to weather professionals (private ones, NWS mets are prohibited from participating, so you won't find NHC forecasters betting on anything of course.)

[Hilltop]

In Alabama we put Tobasco Sauce on everything from greens to fenders. Fenders are only edible with Tobasco sauce.

For yankees, only edible if you have mettle.

Oh, come on down for boiled peanuts and crawfish.

[freeperfromnj]

officials in Texas know how to manage stuff. I'm impressed!

Greta also noted that they were doing a great job given the size of the evacuation. Scarborough on the other hand is freaking out, screaming like a fool and criticizing the fact that they didn't start the contra flow earlier. I clicked him off. He's acting like a jerk as he did with Katrina. Earlier Gov. Perry said they needed to keep those lanes open so the buses and emergency vehicles could get into Houston.

[CindyDawg]

I couldn't believe that 3 out of 5 models on WU this afternoon, had this thing drifting back south.

[NautiNurse]

That looks mostly west to me. Starting to feel nervous again....

I thought about you when I saw that too.

[Rte66]

We don't have much practice here for things like that. See, we can't even get out of town!

Of course, I do have lists for other things, like progressively more toxic mosquito spray purchases during the summer months, but I like the ice cream idea best--unless it's in a plastic carton and *should* be eaten early, then made into a block of ice.

[the Deejay]

Doesn't anyone take the backroads
anymore but me?

[VRWCTexan]

Thanks - agree will all your comments - just looking for anything positive that might place the "dirty side" to the east of Galveston Bay

[Alia]

I wish I could cite from the book "Isaac's Storm" -- excerpts about the details of being in such a storm. Astounding. Simply, astounding. The 150 mph winds hammering wood into ship hulls (through the metal); exploding glass, uprooting train trestles.. the howling, shrieking winds -- locating every nook and cranny... And the storm surge; 4 feet in 4 seconds..

[SouthTexas]

I gave up on lists, took too much time transferring unfinished items from the old list on to the new list. ;)

[Warren_Piece]

One day in a more appropriate forum, I'll have to post the lyrics of a song from my upcoming CD; it's about the panic that set in here in the south when we get over an inch of snow.

It is by far the funniest thing I have ever written. But the lyrics are over-the-top, Shep Smith alarmist,and reflect the language we've heard over the last month (baton down the hatches, we've got the perfect storm). I've taken it out of my live playlists since Katrina, but will add it again once winter starts.

[SE Mom]

If I cared about Joe Scarborough- I would be worrying about him.

[CindyDawg]

I have a freezer full of popcycles. My grandbabies all know which ones are theirs too:')

[sinkspur]

Folks don't seem to know how to read maps anymore. Backroads are the only way to go.

[Strategerist]

Even though you can't participate, here are the current market quotes for Rita:

http://iemweb.biz.uiowa.edu/Quotes/HFM_Quotes.html

Here is the map showing the zones for each of the stocks:

http://iemweb.biz.uiowa.edu/hurricanes/HFM_Map.jpg

I'd say anyone with any money anywhere other than Zone 2 at this point is in trouble.

The overall site for it is:

http://hurricanefutures.miami.edu/

[Vintage1]

I'm surfing - unfortunately stopped by CNN and heard Aaron Brown running down the TX folks for not having fuel prepositioned for these poor folks trying to evac. Unbelievable MSM.