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

[CedarDave]

LOL - President Bush swung around when asked that question and I was almost expecting him to ask that idiot reporter if he was stuck on stupid. I really wish he had!

He should have said something like "If General Honoré was here, I refer the question to him for an answer."

[glock rocks]

Aren't you still banned?

[Sender]

You just know that you live in a RED state when you can make pix like these, and the neighbors think it's funny.

Try this in a BLUE state and...instant headlines ;)

[steveegg]

Is that small print on that sign "to eat all the lead they want"?

[lainie]

Wow. Big storm!!

[Spktyr]

If anything, the cops might come by and ask to borrow a gun if they're feeling underarmed. They might also drop off additional ammo, or get a reload if they're low.

The funny part about Texas is that the citizenry is better armed than any of the goverment agencies, save the active military.

[Brad’s Gramma]

WHOO HOOOOOOO!!!!

Gone lootin'???? ;)

[Zechariah_8_13]

She has another month to go but the barametric pressure does some weird things even though there has been a few studies out there that say it is not clinically significant.

All the nurses, midwives, etc I've talked to said they see a rash of births when a storm approaches -- the change in pressure can cause a mom's water to break.

[shield]

Joe was pathetic when it came to Ophelia. When she didn't do what he said she would do to NC, he had such a goofy look on his face when Greta had him on. He also said that Olphelia would hit Cape Cod...again he was wrongo. I wish FoxNews would wise up...and keep him off the air. I think that's the only cable news station that gives Joe the face time he wants and needs so bad. What a fake. And many good meteorologist can stand his grand standing.

[nwctwx]

Yup, it was good in a sense that she bombed out so early... bad, that she got her inner core to a point that it would be hard to totally disrupt. I must say, I thought she would restrengthen last evening, at the latest. It's good she kept weakening, unless she held off till now.

Latest visible loops show the structure improving dramatically. Outflow is still superb.

[lainie]

The funny part about Texas is that the citizenry is better armed than any of the goverment agencies, save the active military.

As it should be.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Unfortunately, what you are doing is coming across at the former. We got everyone out, there are things that could have been done better, but nobody, nobody, nobody could have done this better."

I think most emergency professionals would disagree. They are ALWAYS looking for ways to do things better.

[Txsleuth]

LOL----Why do I think Bonnie and Clyde when I see that picture???

[Wneighbor]

No worries about hoodlums at the WalMart for TheMom! :-D

[humblegunner]

Locked & loaded & hunkered down in Houston.

Power outage in approx. 6-7 hrs.

What you got is what you get.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Whoops. Yes. I am. Shhhhhhhhhh

[Spktyr]

The difficult we do immediately. The 'impossible' takes a bit longer.

The media has said it is impossible to evacuate an American city. They now have to eat their words (but won't.)

[steve86]

the eye looks MUCH better than just an hour ago

I see similar observations on S2K. People need to not get complacent. I think even a bunch here have left their guard down somewhat.

[uncbob]

NEVER point guns at people PERIOD

[glock rocks]

I have family down there I'm trying to figure out where they evac'd to. You and yours have our prayers. Stay safe!

Curious... seen any grackles today, or have they taken cover?