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

[steveegg]

I know. I'm willing to bet it hasn't come up much, if at all. The storm has looked almost the same all day, and we have convective bursts as its coming ashore. I believe there are pockets of sustained over 120mph, personallu.

That's quite possible. The last flight through was 4 hours ago.

[VirginiaMom]

yeah, I hadn't thought about that. Breast Cancer awareness may want to rethink their official colors now....? I wouldn't want to be associated with those code pink moonbats.

[LikeLight]

Is there video of the fire on CNN?

[mtbopfuyn]

There's some truly nice homes in the historic distric, but then there's also the ghetto around the block. Most are wooden so fires would spread easily.

[glock rocks]

I hope to make the NASCAR thread!

There's a race this weekend??

[Republic]

I believe weather is weather, mother nature is mother nature, specific laws of science always apply and that when all systems are favorable to the formation...a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, whatever fits the situation, will occur.

That said....seems like someone is trying to send LA, in particular, a message.

[RummyChick]

I hope the deadly virus' are in a fireproof location.

[AliVeritas]

Is she still moving at 12 mph?

[Squantos]

Ok for pure entertainment go to MSNBC....Rita Cosby looks like pressed ham in a plastic wrapper.....funny !

[Jrabbit]

Are there any Fox reporters in Galveston? I think Jerry Rivers might have hoofed it over to Cameron where the action is.

[sfimom]

So just play with us kids then ;-)

[RDTF]

TORNADO WARNING LAKE CHARLES COUNTY - per Fox

[Blogger]

TORNADO WARNING LAKE CHARLES CO

[Johnny Crab]

Does anyone else think that these reporters are pushing their luck this time? I think they are underestimating the dangers. I agree. One of these days, a reporter is going to get hurt and they will stop them from standing out in these things.

10-4. A friend of mine was doing similar antics with teen children in Claudette here(Cat1~2) when a roof shingle slammed through his truck windshield. The "playing in the wind" ceased.

PS: This is from a hotel in San Antonio where we evac'd to. The trafficfest was no fun(took us 12 hours to get here from ~180 miles away). From yesterday's fun:

[mware]

Poor Lake Charles is going to get slammed.

[fishntex]

KPLC: Eye-wall warning = giant F-2 tornado on the ground - for 2 counties!

Reality check.

[TomGuy]

Current wind recordings in the coastal area:

[mtbopfuyn]

Hey, where's Shep? Camera guy has lost him!

[Dustbunny]

Hurricane Agnes still ranks as Pa.'s worst disaster

I remember that one. It packed quite a wallop quite far inland.