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Thread VIII: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1490587/posts |
Posted on 09/23/2005 8:01:35 PM PDT by NautiNurse
Hurricane Rita landfall is anticipated within the next few hours. Strong winds and heavy rains are battering southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas.
MSM news crews are shouting over the howling winds as they foolishly describe blowing rain, swaying trees, and crashing waves through rain splattered camera lenses. It's a hurricane. We know these things already.
An 18 wheeler rig reportedly overturned on an I-10 bridge. The fate of the truck driver is unknown at this time. Reports of widespread power outages in Lake Charles. KPLC-TV Lake Charles local news has remarkably improvised their reporting from a remote location. They are taking calls from residents, NWS, and public utility representatives, and alerting residents to local conditions.
On the flip side, CNN announced to the world that law enforcement officers had evacuated from Port Arthur TX with the rest of the population. Engraved looter invitations would have been more elegant.
Godspeed to all those in the path of this storm.
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 VI
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
Reports on FNC of "opportunists" targeting the homes of evacuees in Houston. Terminate with extreme prejudice!
Agree with all of that.
That makes sense...I'm guessing the section of I-10 that collapsed runs along the lakefront just east of there too...scouring under the pylons and a large side load from the wind.
Oh my. Oh my. Sums that up, doesn't it.
Our economic life just got substantially more interesting.
That is just another just-damn from this storm.
That forecaster obviously didn't catch the conference call for the 4 am discussion.
I will once the NHC releases that damn (oops, there's another dollar) 4 am discussion.
Heh heh. W turned that knob just a wee bit too late to get it to NOLA. Practice, practice, practice.
Long span roofs on the airport terminal building?
Hope the WX guy has a blockhouse like the NWS office here.
Post Arthur's getting it too...but that hook to the east may have saved Beaumont...wind at the top of the eyewall might be pushing SW below the city...we'll see
Whoa... you got one of those too? My wife installed a debit card reader on our cuss piggy bank. I'm in trouble.
Sounds like your services are required, gentlemen.
It got started on the previous thread when I launched into a triple d-it.
reports from Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft and National Weather Service WSR-88D radars indicate that Rita made landfall just east of Sabine Pass about 0730z with maximum winds of near 105 kt and a central pressure of 937 mb. Since landfall...the convection in the remains of the northwest eyewall has become quite intense...possibly due to increased frictional convergence over land. Overalll...Rita should weaken as it moves farther inland... becoming a tropical storm in 18-24 hr and a tropical depression in 36 hr. However...the cyclone is unlikely to completely dissipate before 120 hr. This...combined with the forecast slow motion... will continue a threat for very heavy rains long after the winds have subsided.
The initial motion is 325/10. Track guidance is in good agreement that the cyclone should turn more northward during the next 24 hr with some deceleration...then turn slowly northeastward. The guidance then diverges...with some of the models calling for a loop as high pressure builds in west of Rita...some calling for slow motion...and the GFS calling for a rapid motion to the northeast. Given the spread...the official forecast track will follow the previous package and call for little motion after 48 hr.
Forecaster Beven
forecast positions and Max winds
initial 24/0900z 29.9n 93.9w 105 kt 12hr VT 24/1800z 30.9n 94.3w 70 kt...inland 24hr VT 25/0600z 32.3n 94.5w 40 kt...inland 36hr VT 25/1800z 33.0n 94.0w 30 kt...inland 48hr VT 26/0600z 33.5n 93.5w 25 kt...inland 72hr VT 27/0600z 33.5n 93.5w 25 kt...inland 96hr VT 28/0600z 33.5n 93.5w 25 kt...inland 120hr VT 29/0600z 33.5n 93.5w 25 kt...dissipating
$$
Things are a lot better than they were an hour ago here just outside the 610 Loop. Rain is gone now, though we had a nice shower earlier. The wind here has been in spurts also. Probably a few gusts to tropical storm force. Power only had a brief interruption.
What was wild (and I think someone else mentioned this on FNC) was the different colored lightning in the clouds. Some was greenish-blue -- I thought it was blown transformers at first -- and some was more like orange. Speaking of orange, I know that most of Houston still has power b/c the sky has its characteristic sodium-vapor light reflective glow.
You're right about how bad a direct hit would have been. I hope those to our east are doing okay.
And with that, it's time to collapse for a spell. Good night all.
Since landfall...the
convection in the remains of the northwest eyewall has become quite
intense...possibly due to increased frictional convergence over
land.
Orange...maybe LC too.
Thx for holding the fort...a trooper...sweet dreams and seeya in eight.
Good night Steve. Thanks again for your great reporting over the last week. Sleep well.
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