Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VII

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[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

[nwctwx]

I don't think it matters at this point. The wind field is very expansive. I don't think we'll see any confirmed cat 4 damage from wind (even though pressure is lower than most cat 3s), but there will be a wide swath of cat 3 damage.

[TomGuy]

KHOU 11 Houston reporter in downtown Galveston reporting large building fire in 'old district'.

AP reporting 3 buildings on fire, 1 engulfed in flame in historic district of Galveston.

[Mo1]

Hurricane Agnes still ranks as Pa.'s worst disaster

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2002/6-20-agnes-revisited.htm

[RayChuang88]

A hat for Shep.

Is there a drinking game going on?

[Howlin]

You're got a lot of nerve, bringing us to the brink of landfall and bugging out. ;-)

[steveegg]

Phillipe is done as far as the NHC is concerned. The 11 pm EDT set of products, which has it being absorbed by the bigger non-tropical low, are the last ones that will be issued.

[ruoflaw]

I have read about that storm but I haven't read the book but I think I will go out and buy it soon

[RummyChick]

second eyewall may be trying to form

[Aggie Mama]

I'm stunned to say that it really has been a non-event for the past 4 hours. I keep looking at the radar for our area, and it looks like the rain just evaporates before it hits Houston. It's kind of strange really. I've been worried sick over this for the past 3 days, and yet as of yet, I haven't even had a drop of rain.

Thank you for your prayers! I know this isn't over yet.

[Txsleuth]

I couldn't reply to your post before...I got locked out of that thread...

You were commenting on Ceci Connolly's pink hat? Code Pink..

I was at the grocery store the other day...and there was a table set up with T-shirts, socks, shorts, umbrellas, etc...all of the them pink and white....

There were for Breast Cancer awareness....but I was so "turned off" by the pink...and what I associate it with --Code Pink...that there is no way I could buy one...even for a cancer charity!

[humblegunner]

Gee, who's standing ground for this storm and who's not?

[LibertyRocks]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it!

[Gabz]

Sigh. . . you aren't one of those fun substitutes?

Depends on you definition of "fun"................

[antivenom]

Harrah's and the refinery on PPG drive is gonna be in bigger trouble...

[freeperfromnj]

CNN guy now saying he hears that the entire block is ablaze with "flames as high as telephone poles". Said they are trying to confirm whether anyone is inside.

[Eaker]

Wind is kicking up and it is raining a bit.

I prolly should move away from the computer because a few "groanup"s are starting to tick me off.

[sfimom]

Agnes was before my time.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

This might turn out to be a lucky break for Houston if there's no damage, but the evacuation forced the NOLA evacuees to go elsewhere.

[BurbankKarl]

Across the street from the historical foundation...and across the street from the Opera House...KHOU is onscene.

[Mo1]

AP reporting 3 buildings on fire, 1 engulfed in flame in historic district of Galveston

Saying it's across the street from the Opera House ... 20th Street