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

[jpsb]

"do you have a boat? "

yes a J-24, excellent boat, but rain is not a worry at my local, just drains into the bay, rain is no problem here.

[johnb838]

It's gonna come a frog strangler. (said with E. Texas accent.

Why Ah blieve it's gonna come a turd floater. (said with a Central Texas accent.)

[Prolifeconservative]

I know where that is........high on a mountain in Guntersville Lake. Been there!

[fishntex]

A bunch of friends hit the highways at 11 am, they have been driven for 12 hrs and have not yet made it out of Houston. I am more worried about them than I am worried about me

I have two friends that tried to get out but burned half a tank of gas and only went 15 miles and it took 12 hours. They went back home with half a tank of gas. Now they are afraid leave because they will not make it to more gas before they run out. Hopefully there is some gas tomorrow. I doubt it would make it to them unless they were on the road though.

[CedarDave]

She wouldn't STFU. After complaining about her daughter being stuck on the Katy, asks announcer for specifics about getting off the "contraband" at a certain exit once she gets on.

[montag813]

Rita will be a category 3 or weaker by 3pm Friday, according to my friend at NOAA. He also said it wont come close to Galveston, but hit almost directly on Port Arthur. Stocks should have a huge rally on Friday.

[RummyChick]

Dumb ass contractor in galveston is not leaving and he actually has a crew in NO and knows the damage very well.

What is wrong with these people. He claims he is staying because his parents won't go. I just can't understand staying in Galveston. I think one of the reporters said water was already on the road but not sure.

[BurbankKarl]

The media is saying the Nat Guard left Fort Hood with fuel....but it is unknown where they are.

[SouthTexas]

I have had the same feeling. Hope we are wrong!

[Zacs Mom]

I've not heard of any in Houston........I think there were some problems in Galveston but I didn't catch the whole report.

[Sender]

I reckon it's gonna come a gully washer (spoken with a North Georgia accent).

[Rte66]

That's the home she left--it's a premier museum of American decorative arts (antique home furnishings, mostly, from different periods). Very nice place. I just didn't know if all you knew of her was her *unique* name.

[montag813]

Dumb ass contractor in galveston is not leaving and he actually has a crew in NO and knows the damage very well.

Galveston will be just fine.

[AggieMom x 3]

I wonder if a lot of the gas lines aren't just folks coming up from Houston and filling up once they get here. Just a thought.

[steveegg]

Why Ah blieve it's gonna come a turd floater. (said with a Central Texas accent.)

In Milwaukee, 2 inches of rain is literally that (combined sewers that the city doesn't want to separate without being able to stick the burbs with the bill).

[RoseofTexas]

"Max saying the deep hot water may strengthen Rita tonight... Expect Cat 4 by landfall..."

My goodness, isn't there any good news from this BLASTED hurricane as far as it subsiding or hitting some damn cold water! ANYTHING? Damn that witch RITA!! GO away you rotten *itch!!

[squarebarb]

Yes. There is a town called Cut and Shoot.

Also near there is one called Dime Box.

[RoseyT]

"It's gonna come a frog strangler."

That anything like a toad soaker?

[johnb838]

If Pt. Arthur takes the hit, it's going to go completely underwater.

[AFPhys]

oops... I'll have to recheck this. on the earlier set of probabilities, the time for C was 1AM-1PM Sat... and col C for Galveston was still "1".

Last time I saw, the projected landfall was around 3AM, I believe, so the probability of it remaining within 65NM of Galveston must still be far greater than 1% in any event.