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

[steveegg]

On my way off the thread, I found a new Data Vortex Message from NOAA3 (looks like the 2 NOAA planes are pairing up) - this eye fix is at 12:46 pm -

353 
URNT12 KNHC 231805Z
VORTEX DATA MESSAGE
A. 23/1746Z
B. 27 DEG 45 MIN N
   92 DEG 15 MIN W
C. 700 MB 2489 MA
D. NA
E. NA
F. 146 DEG 129 KT
G. 051 DEG 19 NM
H. 930 MB
I. 12 C/ 3064 M
J. 19 C/ 3041 M
K. 14 C/ NA
L. OPEN SE
M. C20
N. 12345/7
O. 1/1 NM
P. NOAA3 2318A RITA OB 04
   MAX FL WIND 129 KT NE QUAD 1741Z
   EYE OPEN NE THRU SE

Items of note (I hesitate to call this a comparison between this and NOAA2's noon eye fix) -

- Movement 7 degrees north, 7 degrees west
- Eye 20 nm in diameter (NOAA2 found it at 30)
- Max flight-level wind at 129 knots in the NE quad (NOAA2 came in from almost due east and found 124-knot winds)

[MoefromMs]

I've heard them called F&K bugs......

first you see F....then "you see K"

;^)

[eldoradude]

we could use your prayers in Lufkin

More prayers headed your way. God Bless!

[alarm rider]

Rosey,

Stay locked and stay loaded, let us know if you are ok. What about Athens, Kaufman in there? Any news?

Regards,
AR

[ARealMothersSonForever]

There ARE people there! National Guard, and regular troops. The Army Corp of Engineers are there. The only reconstruction of NO that I believe should happen, must be done under strict federal oversight. Their state and local pols could not manage to pour p!ss out of a boot, with the instructions on the heel.

[oceanview]

why aren't they using the helo sandbag drop on that levee break?

[Sender]

Wind and water can be stimulating. (under 50K)

[Double Tap]

How much rain can Houston expect to get on the West, or dry, side of Rita?

[truthandlife]

Here was my prediction yesterday at 9:30 a.m. Central time.

"That is what is so strange right now in Houston. I have lived in Houston most of my life and have never felt heat like this in September with very low humidity. My own prediction is once this thing starts to get close to land, the dry air will suck the energy out of this thing. I think it will be a true miracle of God."

I decided to stay put. I am in NW Houston and was going to leave for San Antonio at 4 a.m. on Wednesday but my brother left earlier and he said he went 10 miles in 2 1/2 hours and was worried about running out of gas. I have 4 kids and 1 on the way. I was concerned if we would have gotten the dirty side of the storm but decided to hunker down when I saw we were getting the western side. Lucky decision but good decision. I prayed about it and felt good about my decision. I would have definitely left yesterday if if looked like Houston would be taking a direct hit.

[eastforker]

A stall in 6 hours would give it a chance to stregthen and change direction, a stall and slide back over HOUSTON COULD BE DEVESTATING.

[ken5050]

100% correct....and let's not forget that only a few days ago the idiot Mayor was inviting the people to come back...

[cgk]

FNC: 9th ward in 6 hours or less completely swallowed by water: heavy bands of rain now in N.O... St Bernard's parish expecting worse - adding insult to injury industrial canal is now "breached" or "overflowing",,.. in addition to 2 other breaches... text on screen: "significant breaches getting larger"

[Lanza]

I just want to thank The Almighty publicly that I am not still in that disaster 20 miles outside of Lufkin trying to get there.

[steveegg]

Wind and water can be stimulating.

YES! Yes it can! ;-)

[oceanview]

stick around - Landrieu and Vitters will be asking for NO to be rebuilt - twice.

[RoseyT]

AR, I'm only getting news from KTRE (ABC) in Lufkin and B 100.1FM, also in Lufkin, which cover Lufkin/Nacogdoches. Will post if I hear anything about those areas though. www.kltv.com in Tyler might have info about Athens.

[Lanza]

Let me add, prayers to everyone there

[freema]

Can't. Bush isn't in charge. Governor is. And the evacs were done as per plan (I'm assuming), even in light of record gas needs. Might be a good idea if he is with Gov., to keep congratulating him every time Gov gets any air time. Think positive! Help me out here.

[steveegg]

why aren't they using the helo sandbag drop on that levee break?

The winds whipping through NOLA could be a factor. Also, I don't know how many of those sandbags they had on standby.

[Wneighbor]

Ya'll got prayers right along with the folks staying on the coast. But for some wobbles in the storm we'd be sitting in the situation ya'll are.