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]

Some of us are agreeing that perhaps Rita needs to make an example out of Geraldo, ifyaknowwhaddamean...

[ArmstedFragg]

No water, or nothin when the evacuees arrived at the Superdome.

That's a media myth. The National Guard had set-up at the dome, and was feeding folks as early as 24 hours before landfall. There was no water or food at the Convention Center because it wasn't a designated shelter.

[Howlin]

[CindyDawg]

Well what yall say makes sense. I just tire of hearing because of NO. We aren't NO and would find a way to get people food and water.

[Ichneumon]

what are the winds in houston right now? some thunderstorms get worse then this.

Just a few gusts here, really, and barely any rain at all. so far Hurricane, what hurricane?

[raygun]

I'm not looking at winds. I'm looking at clues about the thermodynamics of the heat-engine of Rita. I don't believe upper level winds will increase. But if the core parameters continue to get more robust, the only conclusion I can draw is that its getting nastier on the surface.

[steveegg]

I wish that NOAA/AF would have more than 1 aircraft updating the vortex messages more often. It sure is confusing everybody, and it's a few hours from landfall.

[mathluv]

Thank you, Miss M. Reading the post you are responding to made me wonder if I had lost my memory about what the President really said.

[Txsleuth]

That is what I said...unsubstantiated...

Excuse me....I tried to convey my skeptism in that post...but I guess I didn't do a very good job...

[RummyChick]

I couldn't believe he said that. I heard that guy tell Shep it was going to go over his head and now the Great Drama Queens think they know more than the expert.

[jeffers]

They may not have a brain, but they sure don't take orders very well. That's where the slop comes in.

After we get the various reporting agencies synchronized on one coordinate system, we can start training the storms to move in straight lines between tight turns.

I'm going to grab a snack and a nap, then try to get back here by 0200 or 0300. I was down from 10 to 4 today, but it didn't do the trick, I'm typing like I'm underwater, with the expected number of typos.

[fishntex]

Geraldo: "The grid is under assault. The power is being run by auto-pilot."

I wonder if he thinks that there is normally a person on a bicycle generating power or holding two cables together to keep the city power grid up? I like him OK but sometimes he really makes me wonder if he is not one sandwich shy of a picnic.

[Palladin]

David Gregory looks like a monkey.

[BurbankKarl]

100,000 customers now without power....Centerpoint

[kassie]

We had a few sprinkles earlier this evening. Not enough to get the sidewalk wet. Now there isn't even a breeze.

[mtbopfuyn]

Anyone know where Don't-you-know-who-I-am Sheila Jackson-Lee is? Shouldn't she be looking for a camera op?

[johnb838]

They[ve got to be careful or they'll get whacked on the evac, but probably not White cuz he's a rat, maybe FEMA? But FEMA wasn't really involved. Still, I expect them to get the blame for not having an improvised fueling station with bathrooms and ice cold drinks (water and gatorade) every thirty miles.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

"Can you use an empty bottle? That's such of a waste of a beer".
Well, yes. Although with Lonestar, you hafta pound down the first three when they are ICE cold. Then the taste does not bother you as much.
Creativity points are awarded for "tagging" the Lonestar laden carcasses with sequential numbers. Use orange flourescent spray paint for maximum contrast.

[ezo4]

Prayers to all the folks down that way - wish ya luck and safety

[VirginiaMom]

But if he left now just think of all the melodramatic moments he'd miss. He is truly Queen of the Drama Queens.