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

[ncpatriot]

we named our dog Rummy, not because he liked to drink; but because Rumsfeld was our hero

[Jeff Head]

See my post 2850.

[Eaker]

My son, SpawnofEaker1, was in the Reliant center for several days.

Did you read any of his live on the scene reports?

You might want to do that before saying much more.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?id=221952

[Jeff Head]

Spoken with a sure knowledge my friend...as it should be. RKBA!

[RummyChick]

I can't give you a percentage of who is "good" and who is "bad". I can't say the "good " are more than the "bad" in NO or vice a versa.


All I will say is that one persuasion or the other is not 99.99999% in NO.

And the corruption is one of the things that lead to the current mess in NO.

[cajungirl]

Cameron,,I have vivid memories of Audrey. Those people were on my mind last night. And my first fiance was from Sulphur. Before there is a riot, I only had two and am married to the second.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Glad you are ok! CNN keeps showing Lumberton, TX and I think I heard that about every street there is blocked so many trees are down.

[Howlin]

Thank goodness. I couldn't bare to think of you sitting out in a lawn chair swatting flies today!

[cajungirl]

Yep.

[ncountylee]

Is Nagin in NO or Dallas today?

[AFPhys]

There is only ONE essential difference between N.O./LA and the remaining states and cities battered by hurricanes:

N.O./LA did not have the LEADERSHIP required to implement the "plan"

LEADERSHIP is the key - and it has been missing in LA for quite a while -

[dixie sass]

Oh my! Thanks for the pictures.

[Eaker]

I too saw Texans helping Texans.

I am proud of my neighbors, city and State!

Take care,
Tom

[STARWISE]

I was happy for Dog Gone's good experience .. there's definitely damage, but the initial reports are that it may be less than anticipated.

[sheikdetailfeather]

WOW! CNN! NEW VIDEO LAKE CHARLES!

[RummyChick]

Where is the thread that talks about the volunteer who saw ungrateful people. Men who would not help women carry their beds. People who treated him like dirt. Etc. Can you post that one, too.

[MoefromMs]

Ok. then the government needs to stop taking my tax dollars to rebuild Iraq, or build a Palestinian state. I could go on and on.

And I need to move to Kansas, oh wait, they have tornadoes. Ok I'll move to the west coast, oh wait, they have earthquakes. Ok, I'll move up to the northeast, oh wait, they have nor'easters and floods. What ever shall I do?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If this administration, or any administration for that matter, can use OUR tax dollars to build a terrorist Palestinian state, and can give welfare to corporate America, yes I said welfare, then why in God's name can't they help Americans?

And I could care less if you think I'm a coward. As long as I breath I will think for myself. I will not be "dictated' to be ANY political party.

[Armedanddangerous]

I would LOVE to have seen what you saw. Like I said, I've only heard things, never seen.

I don't know what I would do if I did in fact see a spirit. I do know that I was watching a psychic named Sylvia Browne on the Montel Williams show the other day and she said all one needs do is just tell the ghost to go to God. Apparently, most of them don't realize they are dead.

[Armedanddangerous]

I would LOVE to have seen what you saw. Like I said, I've only heard things, never seen.

I don't know what I would do if I did in fact see a spirit. I do know that I was watching a psychic named Sylvia Browne on the Montel Williams show the other day and she said all one needs do is just tell the ghost to go to God. Apparently, most of them don't realize they are dead.

[Rte66]

Thank you! Was feeling VERY alone last night & this morning, but sleep became a necessity, rather than a luxury. I have *seen* canoes and kayaks on those streets, as well.

In the Oct 94 floods, I was the only person out and about checking on Brays Bayou. When the news helicopter flew over, lots of people got to see me in the only rain gear I had to put on when I ran out to get "hands-on" with the flooding. (It's usually too hot here to have on rubberized anything!)

But there I was, in my very bright yellow rain poncho with a huge full-color Mickey Mouse on the back--bought in an emergency during a sudden rainstorm at WaltDisneyWorld earlier that spring, lol!