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Posted on 09/23/2005 9:39:06 AM PDT by 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
Here's a good link to great Texas maps:
http://www.tourtexas.com/texasmap1.html
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.
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.
I got a gallon of Arizona diet peach iced tea. That stuff is pretty good for diet, my favorite is Snapple Diet Peach.
BTW - those cammo boxers sounded sexy.
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.
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!!
Khou just said that the Mexico offer of shelter was for MEXICANS seeking shelter.
What part of the city are you in?
LOL. Back in school 3459847 years ago, our version of a designated driver was,
"You drive; you're too drunk to sing."
Just heard a transformer blow in the distance.
...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
$$
thanks for the map link!
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.
DAMN drama queen!! If he starts that crap again, I'm tuning off FOX and haul on over to MsNBC! Screw Shep!!
anyone else having trouble getting on storm2k? I think it may have crashed.
Southwest side, Dairy Ashford & West Belfort.
The sprinkling has stop. Maybe it was the neighbor watering his yard.
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