Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VI

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Dangerous Hurricane Rita is expected to make landfall in the northeast Gulf of Mexico within 24 hours. Tornados have spawned in Louisiana. Water is filling the Ninth Ward of New Orleans again. A bus carrying elderly evacuees was gutted by fire this morning outside Dallas, with multiple fatalities. Television crews have positioned their hurricane reporters throughout the region to attain maximum drama effects. Whoooooa.

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
Jefferson Co TX NWS Weather
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:

Lake Charles Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Houston/Galveston Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Lake Charles Experimental Radar Outages and Delays May Occur

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)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston
KPRC-TV/DT Houston
KTRK-TV/DT Houston
KTRH-AM Houston
KPLC-TV/DT Lake Charles/Lafayette
KSLA-TV/DT Shreveport

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
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 V
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

[bwteim]

You know, if the storm continues(?) to weaken, a lot of prayers will have been answered. There will be damage enough, but you can sense that the media is losing interest.

And, they will continue to slime GWB, focus on NOLA and the 9th ward, and the helpless.

BTW, I took a break and listened to Rush. He had sound clips of Shrillery, Belafonte, and Rangel today. Talk about talking SNAFUs.

[Sender]

We could call it the 'Louisiana Purchase' and give them a real sweet deal...

[Txsleuth]

I can't remember the names, but some of the smaller towns off of I-45 had gas earlier today..

A lot of the local talk radio stations have been taking calls from people giving advice to evacuees as to alternate routes and gas stations that might have gas...

I think I heard the towns of Hubbard and Blooming Grove...

Dang---this was this morning though...so I don't know now...

[Wneighbor]

Mmmm, licking my lips thinking about all the speckled trout we used to catch at Rollover when they were running! Thank you to your grandfather!

I have so many wonderful memories of the times when dad worked down there with Pops. I learned to swim on the beach at Gilchrist before I learned to walk!

I've always been proud of my grandfather. His company built roads in every county in Texas along with some in Colorado and Oklahoma as well as working on different structures on the coast. It was a fun childhood to get to be in so many parts of Texas and I still feel a connection to ALL of them!

[KC Burke]

lined up cars or jammed highway broadcasting rule:

If you have video footage of 54 sparsely used highways and 1 jammed highway to choose from in broadcasting, you ain't an if it bleeds it leads video journalist if you don't know which one to play...

In this, Fox is no different from any other broadcaster.

[Txsleuth]

Ya-hooty....just catching up to the thread...and saw that you announced yourself...

Wonderful to see you!

[johnb838]

Rick Perry says he has neither the time nor the interest in comparing what Texas has done to prepare for Rita with what LA did to prepare for Kat.

[ncpatriot]

Texas Democrats must be different from Dimocrats of other states.

[mware]

Reported on Gibby's show that a law enforcement office had to go to a gas station to stop a fight. He commented that if he had not shown up he is sure someone would have been laying there dead.

Apparently some gits were topping off their tanks and filling up jerry cans. Than they went back to the line of people waiting for gas and tried to sell it for a much higher price.

[silentknight]

Quote "Appears Rita is making her own supply of warm water vapor for power. Rain that normally cools air is falling on very hot land and producing steam that continues to fuel her engine. She may remain stronger than one would usually expect as long as she can draw moisture from the gulf."

Very bad science :)

[blam]

"I'm in Lafayette and it's been steady raining and a little gusty since noon. We haven't had any thunder yet though."

I'm in Mobile and have had driving rain, lightning and even two power losses. I think one of the bands just went through. We sure need the rain too.

[uncitizen]

The way i just heard it on TV was that the reason he cancelled the trip is that the command/control center was moved.

[kassie]

Oh good.

Well to be safe we filled the tubs and washer tub. Plus 2 plastic garbage cans.

Just saw on the news, we're projected to receive 2 inches of rain now.

[BurbankKarl]

hey, everyone's an expert!

[Txsleuth]

I have heard a few people say that there is a chance that this hurricane, after becoming a tropical storm inland, could turn around and just go back down to the coast...

going back OVER the same areas, dumping even more rain.

Has anyone else heard of that as a possibility?

[Arizona Carolyn]

I am so angry about this... I would LOVE to see him file a lawsuit against the Enquirer over this... it's time these people find out they cannot tell lies about our Commander in Chief -- no matter what side of the isle they favor.

[Wneighbor]

I hope you find a place in Texas and LOVE IT! We can always use a few more resourceful folks here. Like ya'll folks from Florida that have weathered so many storms and have sense enough to know what to do! :-)

[WFTR]

Out of curiosity, what's Baton Rouge supposed to get out of all this? The Katrina evacuees still there must be freaking out.

Baton Rouge is supposed to get 30 to 40 mph winds with gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range. We're also supposed to get an inch of rain today and maybe another two inches tomorrow. Rita will probably create more flooding dangers around Baton Rouge than Katrina did. To make matters worse, the east winds may back up water on Lake Maurepas and slow down the drainage around Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge did fairly well with Katrina but had huge power outages. Rita may produce some winds that are pretty bad across all of southern Louisiana. However, we're thankful that we won't be hit hard as we were a few weeks ago and as eastern Texas and western Louisiana will be hit over the next few hours. My lights have surged and flickered a few times, but I'm glad to have power.

[RDTF]

I know. But you know he won't.

[johnb838]

It's because of the eternal "Some". If "Some" critics say he's a coward, then a different "Some" says he's a hero. It's all in who they choose to refer to. Oh hell who am I kidding, they really make it all up out of whole cloth.