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

[NautiNurse]

ROFLMAO to your tagline!

[WoodstockCat]

absolutely no way to control those embers right now in this wind..there's not a central point of attack for the firefighters..prayers for FD of Galveston..

[woofie]

Caution! Reporter Hurricane Warning!

[Dolphy]

Just so everyone knows - one of the reports I heard right after the bus fire had a survivor that stated the driver went back into the burning bus several times to help people out - at risk to his own life.

I had heard this too. As described, he was heroic. Besides, according to Landrieu, getting bus drivers to work even on a sunny day is hard work and about impossible during an evacuation ;)

[MarMema]

You'd think she just might think God may be sending her a sign.

If only she had a functioning brain, perhaps...

[Armedanddangerous]

I want to know where Mary Snow got to.

She's beginning to grow on me with that sly smile of hers.

I am beginning to dig her. 8-)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

LOL! That's how I feel whenever I read "Knock it off" and I am not even involved!

Once I posted something and said I hope the mods have a sense of humor. Someone linked a picture of a car (I think) struck by lightening and a humorous reference to the mods. Wish I could find it.

[hummingbird]

"Day ain't over yet..."

I can't believe what I'm seeing with that fire in Galveston.

[TheMom]

This is a different kind of wind.

[Rte66]

Where UB, citywise?

[conservative in nyc]

10:40 PM - Peak wind gusts from official reporting stations around the [Lake Charles, LA] forecast area, as of 10:30 PM:

* Lake Charles 64 knots/74 mph
* Beaumont 54 knots/62 mph
* New Iberia 51 knots/59 mph
* Lafayette 44 knots/51 mph
* DeRidder 36 knots/41 mph
* Fort Polk 36 knots/41 mph
* Jasper 36 knots/41 mph
* Alexandria 33 knots/38 mph

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/temp/ritablog.htm

[Spktyr]

The wind is coming out of the north, and I do know what the paper mills smell like. This isn't it.

[Wneighbor]

Question: Just got back in the house and turned on CNN (we don't get FOX here) They're talking about a big fire. They're saying it's in Baytown, but the text on screen say Galveston. Which is it?

[groanup]

Now that is ugly and uglier. I'm not saying which is which.

[Howlin]

I love it when good Freepers stand up for good people.

I'm right with you.

[nwctwx]

Seems about right to me. The inner eye wall is hurting... large area already getting smacked with big winds/surge.

[johnb838]

I don't know... I don't want it to be twue... I want the power to stay on. I want a pony.

[RDTF]

Oooh I know you are right. Praying for them.

[Fester Chugabrew]

. . . did you see Rita Cosby's outfit?

She's one chunky kid who'll stay put. They don't need to chain her down like they do Shep.

[mtbopfuyn]

Ok, looks like the fire CNN is showing is near the Moody Center. The Moody Center is the tall building sometimes in the background.