Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VI

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

[Howlin]

Here's a good link to great Texas maps:

http://www.tourtexas.com/texasmap1.html

[bd476]

Hope everyone is staying safe and battened down.

The problem with Hurricane Rita is that if it hits where predicted even if downgraded to Cat 2 or Cat 1, Hurricane Rita still looks to be near the same slot as 2001 Tropical Storm Allison which left a lot of damage in the Houston, Galveston area.

Remembering the largest Hurricane to hit the Houston Galveston area since 2000 was in 2003, where Hurricane Claudette at Cat 1 destroyed 1700 homes and businesses.

[greene66]

Even though I'm at Nederland's southernmost point, there's a peculiar contradiction in that the lot my house is on is supposedly the highest spot in town. At least, that's what I understand. And, during a big flash flood in the early-80s, it was indeed the only part of town that failed to be surrounded by rainwater.

Believe me, if I were instead in a few low spots just a few miles south of here in Port Arthur, I would not have gambled staying here. Overall, it still seemed the better option, taking my grandmother's precarious health into consideration.

Some really big gusts (and power dips) going on. The tree limbs are definately dancing about! This might very well be my last post for the duration.

[hummingbird]

**whisper** I'm a lady hummingbird, but I would be happy to cough if it will, ahem, clean my cache.

?8^)

[mware]

I have a fresh gallon of iced tea - I don't drink much coffee. Tea is my caff fix.

I got a gallon of Arizona diet peach iced tea. That stuff is pretty good for diet, my favorite is Snapple Diet Peach.

[TheMom]

I am not a nasty lady. And next time have your credit card ready when you call.

BTW - those cammo boxers sounded sexy.

[willyd]

I would be surprised about a loss of power at this point...just gusty winds and not any rain yet...coming from downtown Houston here...looting already started last night in our complex's parking garage...30 cars broken into because the gate was left open by management...everything else is calm right now.

[Jrabbit]

sheesh....Shep complaining about the evacuation. What happens when people return and no Wal-Marts are open? And Fox is showing long lines of cars again!!

[RummyChick]

Khou just said that the Mexico offer of shelter was for MEXICANS seeking shelter.

[Dog Gone]

What part of the city are you in?

[Veto!]

there is no such thing as "being too drunk to fish"

LOL. Back in school 3459847 years ago, our version of a designated driver was,
"You drive; you're too drunk to sing."

[WFTR]

The biggest rise in water level that I've seen so far is at the Black Bayou at Hwy 621 "near Prairieville." I guess everyone defines "near Prairieville" a little differently, but I tend to think of Hwy 621 as being Gonzales. In fact, I live less than a mile from Hwy 621. The water in Black Bayou has risen four feet today at that location so far. A link to the reports from the monitoring station is

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=0738022395 .

[greene66]

Just heard a transformer blow in the distance.

[uncbob]

Remembering the largest Hurricane to hit the Houston Galveston area since 2000 was in 2003, where Hurricane Claudette at Cat 1 destroyed 1700 homes and businesses.

Sounds like another area that doesn't need an influx of new settlers
Some serious thought is going to have to be given about further populating vulnerable areas or even some population control in general

[steveegg]

Hurricane Rita Intermediate Advisory Number 25a
Statement as of 6:00 PM CDT on September 23, 2005

...Tropical storm force winds spreading over southwest Louisiana and
southeast Texas as dangerous Hurricane Rita approaches...

 
a Hurricane Warning is in effect from Sargent Texas to Morgan City
Louisiana.  A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are
expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. 
Preparations to protect life and property should have already been
completed.

 
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the southeastern coast of
Louisiana from east of Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl
River...including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain
...And from south of Sargent Texas to Port Aransas Texas.  A
Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

 
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

At 6 PM CDT...2300z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 28.5 north...longitude 92.9 west or about 100 miles
southeast of Sabine Pass along the coast at the border between
Texas and Louisiana.

 
Rita is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph.  A gradual turn
toward the north-northwest is expected during the next 24 hours. 
On this track...the core of Hurricane Rita will make landfall along
the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts near daybreak
Saturday.

 
Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph...205 km/hr...with higher
gusts.  Rita is a strong category three hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale.  Some fluctuations in intensity are possible
before landfall... but Rita is still expected to come ashore as a
dangerous category three hurricane.

 
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles... 140 km...
from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up
to 205 miles...335 km.  Hurricane force winds are expected to spread
inland as far as 100 miles near the path of Rita.  A NOAA buoy at
Calcasieu Pass Louisiana... on the coast near Cameron Louisiana...
recently reported sustained winds of 49 mph with a gust to 62 mph. 
Sustained winds of 37 mph with gusts to 54 mph were recently
reported at Galveston Texas.

 
The estimated minimum central pressure is 931 mb...27.49 inches.

 
Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 feet above normal tide levels...
locally up to 20 feet at head of bays and nearby rivers...with
large and dangerous battering waves...can be expected near and to
the east of where the center makes landfall. Tides are currently
running about 2 feet above normal along the Louisiana...Mississippi
and Alabama coasts in the areas affected by Katrina.  Tides in those
areas will increase to 4 to 6 feet and be accompanied by large
waves... and residents there could experience coastal flooding. 
Large swells generated by Rita will likely affect most portions of
the Gulf Coast.

 
Rita is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12
inches... with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches over
southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as it moves inland.
Rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are possible over southeastern
Louisiana... including metropolitan New Orleans with isolated
heavier amounts possible. Since Rita is forecast to slow down
significantly after making landfall...total accumulations locally
in excess of 25 inches are possible over the next several days
across eastern Texas into western Louisiana.

Isolated tornadoes are possible tonight and Saturday morning over
portions of southeastern Texas...southern Louisiana including
southern Mississippi and Alabama.

 
Repeating the 6 PM CDT position...28.5 N... 92.9 W.  Movement
toward...northwest near 13 mph.  Maximum sustained winds...125 mph.
Minimum central pressure... 931 mb.

 
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane
Center at 8 PM CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 10 PM
CDT.

 
Forecaster Knabb

 
$$

[ruoflaw]

thanks for the map link!

[TheLion]

Thanks for the link.

Looks like Rita is going to drop a lot of rain. From Sat to Wednesday, it will move only about as far as as it moved Fri-Sat.

[RoseofTexas]

DAMN drama queen!! If he starts that crap again, I'm tuning off FOX and haul on over to MsNBC! Screw Shep!!

[RDTF]

anyone else having trouble getting on storm2k? I think it may have crashed.

[TheMom]

Southwest side, Dairy Ashford & West Belfort.

The sprinkling has stop. Maybe it was the neighbor watering his yard.