Posted on 09/24/2005 9:58:36 AM PDT by Howlin
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:
Hurricane Rita Freeper CHECK IN THREAD
FReeper Sign In Thread (LOCKED) 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 VII
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
Can you image two or three hours on this forum without spats?? But they were little ones. No bloody noses...I don't think.
How BEAUTIFUL! I should be more nosy... I never click on anybody's link...lol.
Maybe it is heading back to NO.
Rinse, lather, repeat.
I'm without tv reception, but I can't imagine why FNC is bothering with Blankstare? Her 15 minutes are over, aren't they?
lol
Impeach her and twitchy's little brother becomes Gov.?
I found two queen Bess,,one was like 1924 and one was later. And I love the Morning Star.
I will be looking at flatware all night, I just have a thing for it.
Maybe some will realize that it is the Democrats who are the racist plantation owners.
/sarcasm
I think the Federal Response has been slow!!! Where is FEMA. Where is the NG. Where is the ARMY!!! Hasn't Bush learned anything from Katrina yet. Did Bush wave a magic wand yet and fix everything damaged by Hurricane RITA. Blah blah blah. Bush should go to the scene, but he shouldn't go. Bush's response is too slow. Bush's response is overkill. Texas only was successful because Louisiana failed. Who's Jeb Bush? What do you mean he went through 6 hurricanes without scapegoating FEMA?
He might have been?! He did a ride along!!
I can't imagine a whole hour without some sort of spat...or at least some silliness...Way north of Dallas?
That's why you recall her!
Thanks for the link. I just sent it to my sister who is north of Lufkin, but they have had no electricity all day. I did watch the video and tried to summarize it to her over a cell phone. Thanks again.
Not much out of Vermillion yet.
I heard an incredible story on local tv about a bunch of horses out miles in the water in the gulf in chest deep water. People were going out in boats, getting on them and riding them in. I heard 10 miles out. That was when I knew the flooding was like really bad.
Phase I ended today.
Phase II is the massive rainfall for the next several days (maybe flood out the enire city of New Orleans again???) as it heads south.
And, potentially, Phase III is Rita re-entering the Gulf of Mexico - and who knows, maybe even reforming into a hurricane again - to hit Texas again (or, perhaps more probably, Mexico).
Stay tuned, everyone! This is the storm that refuses to surrender!
Having trouble determining whether they mean Lafitte in Jefferson Parish or Jean Lafitte in Plaquemines Parish. It seems that Jean Lafitte would flood from the river.
Be nice to BlankHead... she had her head under the covers until Tuesday the day after Katrina... by the time she looked at N.O. there was NO traffic in N.O at all! Simply a bunch of poor "negros" hanging out on the I-10 bridge waiting crying that FEMA had not rescued them!
Cars? Buses? They couldn't get out of the 10 feet of water by then!
BlankHead is right about there being no traffic jams in N.O.... at least during the time she sobered up!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
