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

[Diddle E. Squat]

Bastardi is like Bill Clinton, all spin. He'll make conflicting forecasts, and then crow about the one that pans out. Zero credibility.

[oldironsides]

We just got an automated call from Gov Blanco asking us to evacuate our home. She said to pack as if we were going camping or some such thing. She finished by saying "God Bless You"

I live in Pennsylvania

[hummingbird]

Rains ICE!

THAT can't be fun. Look at all the weather info we are picking up!

[dandelion]

Hurricane Ivan was a three - hurricane Jeanne, both were damaging. Alicia comes to mind just because of the flooding...

I'm sure there were other Cat 3 that were very damaging.

[texianyankee]

Who's Cantore? I wanna know where Geraldo is!

[Double Tap]

I know. It is surreal to sit in my living room and watch that monster come at us on TV, yet the skys are fairly clear.

I drove around last night a little to see what was going on. Spring is a ghost town. No businesses are open. There is ZERO fuel to be had. I45 was a 200 mile long parking lot. Folks had pulled off onto FM2920 and parked at gas stations in hopes of fuel coming in the morning. Very sad and a little scary. I hope they make it to where ever they were going.

Stay safe Southeast Texas Freepers, and all of you for that matter.

[markman46]

naa you just have to watch out for the bouncing ICE flows on the big lake!!! ;)

[Calpernia]

I believe it. I just can't understand why the misinformation.

[handy]

The remnants come up here from time to time. Oh geez, did anyone hear the jackass ask the President what the point of him being there is, and that its over compensation for him doing nothing in NO????? What an a$$hole.

Five people in the lunchroom yelled A$$hole in unison at the TV when he asked that question.

[processing please hold]

hi sleuth.
excuse no capital letters. typing with one finger while on phone.

[kassie]

Thanks for the ping.

[hummingbird]

You called it right...another "STUCK ON STUPID" reporter!

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

So is Houston safer now?

Sure is. The thugs left or are in hiding and most of us that are left here are armed, well fed and have been pissed since Clinton was first elected! ;-)

[pgkdan]

People criticizing Texas for not instituting contra flow sooner simply don't know what they're talking about. You can't just snap your fingers and make all Southbound lanes Northbound. There are legitimate reasons why some folks still had to travel into evacuated areas while others were trying to get out...not to mention first responders and those prepositioning supplies. Our city and state officials here in Virginia hate to even discuss contra flow, even though it's a part of our comprhensive evacuation plan.

[Eaker]

We really appreciate what you are doing here. A lot!

We are starting to move stuff inside The Compound.

It is getting windy.

I gotta get up and get to work as my troops realized that I ain't really saving the world on the Internet!

I sure hope nobody pings TheMom to this thread! She is a real task master!

[Rumierules]

Where is Steve Herrigan?

[texianyankee]

anytime. Y'all getting a good breeze now?

[RDTF]

Sept. 23: A breached levee in New Orleans' Ninth Ward.

[ekwd]

Okay, I have seen some criticism of TX officials for waiting "too long" to begin it. From over here in North Alabama, it looks to me like they are a doing pretty good job, considering that they had something like 5 million people to get out and that, unlike some people, they weren't certain where the worst of Rita would hit days in advance. Evacuation west on I-10 may have been easier if only they had not ordered Corpus Christi's evacuation too, but when they ordered it they thought Corpus Christi would be hammered.

Has I-45 opened up to Dallas and I-10 to San Antonio yet or are there still long stretches of grid lock?

Good Luck.

[TXBSAFH]

Dr. Frank has a history of being a drama queen in storms. I trust the NHC more then him.