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

[No Blue States]

14 rescued off oil rig.

Freeport loses water, residents not allowed back in.

[ekwd]

Ophelia did its damage mostly well east of I-95. Unless there were tornadoes in the Durham area they should be okay.

[blam]

"You may have the most days with rain. Mobile and Miami have the most rain because of heavier rainfall. Here in Huntsville we average about 54"."

The 'most-rain-fall' numbers usually have a qualifier, for example, the number I most often see quoted are cities with 100,000 population or more. Using that number, Mobile is vying with Baton Rouge for most rainfall.

The most absolute rainfall is usually some small place in Washington state and Hawaii.

[Howlin]

True dat.

[Howlin]

I'm not sure Nita! Maybe somebody who knows more than I do will come along with the information!

[ekwd]

I should have said the "continental US".

[dixie sass]

And I grew up in Charleston without AC also. It is set at 78/80 and very seldom kicks in because I keep all lights off during the day and the shades and drapes drawn on the western side of the apt. The water heater is a a small one and also very seldom has to come on to heat the water.

Now my neighbor who keeps her apt at seventy has not has an increase in her bill this year nor has the man on the other side who lives in a 65 degree iceburg. Now do you understand?

[Spktyr]

Except for the fact that the Feds were not significantly involved until today.
A fact they will conveniently forget.

It still took FEMA three days to get set up - but they got called on Monday. Along with the military.

[Prolifeconservative]

"Suffice it to say, I am SICK TO DEATH of hearing about NO and the citizens of that area who couldn't manage to hold it together for THREE DAMN DAYS."

It's kind of difficult for citizens here to hold it together for "THREE DAMN DAYS" when they have lost their home, all earthly possessions but the clothes on their backs, AND their livelihood all in one fell swoop. This is not to even mention some who have lost loved ones in Katrina. I'm sorry you are SICK TO DEATH, try some compassion for a change.

[luckystarmom]

My uncle is a doctor, a cardiologist. However, he used to live in Beaumont. He moved to Woodville after her stopped his practice. He's kind of a character.

[dixie sass]

The Govenor of Texas and the Mayor of Houston and other cities that I heard being interviewed sounded like they had had their plan in place for years. They must practice quite a bit.

[cajungirl]

I saw that and had your thoughts.

But I have seen and heard people this last two weeks who have lost everything. When you don't have much, it is as hard to lose everything as it would be if you had millions.

Have you ever lost your bed, your pictures, your wedding certificate, your Mother's one piece of china you had?

People talk about hot meals when they are so bereft you cannot begin to know what it feels like.

Spare me your judgements, I have seen them over and over and over. You have no heart, just judgements.

[Howlin]

I have plenty of compassion; and plenty of people did NOT rape, riot, and pillage, in case you missed that part, which is the ONLY part the press is concentrating on.

[Miss Marple]

I think the problem is that all we see on the television are Blanco and Nagin. When the media shows victims of Katrina, they choose to show complainers.

I am not mad at anyone except the Louisiana political class and the media.

I personally would like to see President Bush federalize Louisiana, arrest all the corrupt politicians, and put honore in charge as Military Governor. I bet things would get cleaned up real quick.

[cajungirl]

Thank you!

[RummyChick]

And then they comfort themselves by buying Louis V bags with their FEMA/red cross cards. Sorry, but I have a problem with tax/charity dollars being used that way.

[Jeff Head]

Cajungirl, this is said with all the sympathy and understanding I can muster. You don't need to police the forum. Keep taking care of your business. This is just the internet.

Most of the talk is certainly not directed at you or those who voted like you and worked for the good. Nonetheless, there were enough on the other side of that equation to overcome your good efforts and get those people elected. It is clear that those elected officials and those who voted for them made a colossal error. It is to them that the comments are directed and meant I am sure.

I am sure, at this point, you also share some of those feelings of frustration to those people...but you cannot and should not act on them until you get your home and your life and the lives of those you are helpng back on an even keel.

Many of the people here don't have those issues and so they are venting about it now...and from what I have seen, most are venting it squarely against exactly who deserves it. Some are not...and we can all just ignore those folks and use the forum to pass info, get news, talk to friends and perhaps get through.

JUst my two cents.

Best regards...and God's blessings on you and yours as you cope with the situation down there. Our prayers are with you all from here in Idaho.

[Zacs Mom]

Hang in there, cajungirl ~ A lot of frustration is being expressed in a sort of shot gun blast form of criticism ~ sweeping generalizations that most folks wouldn't make under "normal" cirrcumstances.

I can only imagine how hurtful it is to read some of that crap when you're up to your eyeballs in simply trying to cope hour to hour, but please, please, never forget for a moment that the people of NOLA are in the hearts and prayers of nearly everyone on this forum!

[CAluvdubya]

I know just how you feel. We out here in California hear the same critisism about getting what you vote for. I didn't vote for Boxer or Difi yet I am lumped in with those that did.

Hang in there, cajungirl. Really, we're with you and praying for you and your family.

[Amelia]

Early yesterday morning NPR was playing tapes of the conference calls between Louisiana officials, FEMA, etc before & after Katrina. Supposedly one of those on the call taped them then made the tapes available to NPR.

One interesting thing was that, although they had planned to shelter "fragile" populations in NOLA, they figured out on Saturday or Sunday before the storm that they didn't actually have the generators they'd need to run the medical equipment in these shelters.

They said they had several hours of tapes available to listen to posted on their website but I haven't had time to listen to them.