Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VIII

www.freerepublic.com | September 24, 2005

[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

[Moonmad27]

I worried about Kemah although I haven't been there in years. My family owned a house right by the water, and it was blown away by Carla. Now the same place is a fancy entertainment area (we should have kept that property a few more years!), so I suspect what would have happened if the storm had hit.

[cajungirl]

I know what you mean but was sleeping when you posted.

I have been dreadfully insulted by freepers but they back off when you yell at them for the most part. One drove me away for a week after he went on a diatribe.

But can I admit something really terrible. I have always loved and admired Texans, there is something so expansive and grand and earthy about them.

But lately, I AM ENVIOUS OF TEXAS.

How can one be envious of an entire state. I feel like the ugly girl at the valentine's dance. And there is an entire state, with long ringlets, a ruffled red dress and sparkly white teeth. Thinking of a bumper JEALOUS OF TEXAS

[Spktyr]

Those Texans who are heading home to the Gulf early are bringing their own generators, large quantities of fuel, and their own supplies of food and water. The ones that came to Dallas that are going home bought up all the generators and jerrycans at my local Home Depot. We do have plenty of gas here for now, and these people are buying a lot of it to truck back down to the coast with them.

These people generally know what the consequences of going back early are. They've been glued to the news channels. They know there's no power or water in many areas - but they want to get back to start the cleanup for their homes and their neighbors' homes.

We are *not* useless liberals as a people.

***

Ich, was the original poster you replied to one of those ****** that called I-45 "the new Texas Superdome" upon which thousands would die? If so, they *really* don't know Texans at ALL.

[No Blue States]

Houston traffic cams:

http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cameras/camtext.aspx

[ArmyBratsMom]

"I was bracing myself for the worst scenario, homes totally torn apart like matchsticks and water reaching almost roof tops."

"However, we're not seeing homes reduced to matchsticks because the storm surge apparently rose rather gently, instead of coming in as a piled-up wall that smashed everything in its path."
..............

Don't know if you've seen this thread or not ... but it is worth a look. The damage IS that bad ...

"Rita Damage to SW Louisiana worse than being reported"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1490933/posts

[cajungirl]

Yes, citizens were sold down the river by leaders.

But you forgot an essential part of the sale.

Crumbs given on the way to the citizens as they went down the river.

I don't think corruption exists in government without those crumbs being dispensed here and there.

[No Blue States]

You had a great attitude through this and you represented Texas well. I appreciate that.

[Howlin]

I think you're just a little sensitive, aren't you?

The press conference I saw the people were demanding to return and they were demanding that the city of Galveston set up yet another shelter for them, which, of course, they do not have the resources to staff or supply.

And don't even try to tell me that if they do go back home -- against the instructions of the governor and mayor of Galvestion -- that they won't start demanding city servies, which are in a shambles.

[Spktyr]

Actually, I'm reading it the other way. In Texas, the Government *is* trusting us, the people, to get the job done. They trusted us to evacuate while they evacuated the people who couldn't get out on their own and then rendered what aid they could to the rest of us. There were some problems, but it would have been impossible to better the results.

Now they will trust us to clean up and get life moving again. Houston will be fully functional by the end of the week, as will 90% of the strike zone in Texas. In a month or so, you probably won't be able to tell a hurricane went through at all - except for the monument we'll erect. We like monuments, and we'll probably put one up to mark the largest successful evacuation in human history.

Regarding the Feds, after Katrina and having to deal with the incompetence and corruption in LA, would *you* want to trust local government?

[Howlin]

Fits, doesn't it?

[MAWG]

" The track path changed the day of or right before the day of the strike...."

Wrong. The track path changed late wed. night from Matagorda to Freeport and continued to change all day thurs. But, you wouldn't have known that if you just watched the local Houston weather guys. And that is my point. You need accurate info. if you are gonna make an informed decision. I got that info. from 3 sources; Max Mayfield, NOAA Website and MSNBC, not the local channels. As late as friday afternoon, CBS and ABC here in Houston were still saying Rita was just as likely to come up the Ship Channel. That was nonsense! Only NBC was by then giving more accurate forecast info.

" They were asked to leave, they were not forced to leave...Your argument assumes that people cant think for themselves "

Wrong again.I live in Clear Lake, an area that would have been devastated by a Cat 4 up the Ship Channel.The Mayors Alert Message rang at my house three times starting on tues. and on thurs. nite woke me up just after midnite. ALL 3 local TV stations were INTENT upon scaring the living shit out of people all the way through thurs. nite. After that, they starting advising people to " Hunker Down " and " Shelter in Place." You need the best and most current data to make an informed decision in a situation like this. The local media DID NOT GIVE IT to us. I've been in lots of disaster situations and it is usually 2 things that cause people to die, panic and the wrong information. People paniced here ( lots of them called me ) and hit the road when they didn't have to. I believe the death toll from the Evac now stands at 31. So far, I haven't heard of anyone in the Houston area being killed by Rita.

[Spktyr]

The press conference.... you mean the one where the *reporters* were demanding this?

We do have a few whiners like that, but per TXCN/KHOU, almost everyone there has been saying that "yeah, it's going to suck for a while, but we can take it."

Almost no whining.

[Howlin]

No, that's almost word for word what she said.

[Sunnyflorida]

http://mappoint.msn.com/(4tj0itnexxqwbq453xeh2t55)/map.aspx?L=USA&C=29.29533%2c-94.80787&A=43.00000&P=|2DB6|&TI=Galveston%2c+Texas%2c+United+States

Yes there is Galveston Bay it is primarily to the NORTH of Galveston City. The sun does not set to the NORTH even in Texas - especially in TEXAS.

If you watch a sunset in Galveston you will watch it set over the i-45 bridge many times of the year. My suggestion is to purchase a map. I suppose at some time of the year and if you were in the correct part of the city (standing on the i-45 bridge) there are times it could appear to set into the West Bay. But I think the effect is similar to all those dopey tourists that come to Key West to see the sun set over Tank Island. I never saw the attraction to this. BTW the sun only sets in the west twice a year.

[Spktyr]

What's the big deal? Flying projectiles. Same problem in an F2-F3 tornado. And you don't want to be there when a telephone pole gets rammed through your house.

[Howlin]

The reporter clearly said that those who wanted to come back right then wanted to know if the city was going to provide a shelter in case they couldn't stay in their homes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Texas is anywhere near the way New Orleans was.

But I just don't get this "I'm going back even if everybody else says no and the winds haven't even died down" mentality.

[ncountylee]

Sheila lee is already whining about who is going to pay the people for gas money and stuff.

...hysterical Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She exasperatingly said that the "rich and powerful elite of NO had already had a secret backroom meeting and they decided not to let the po' people back in NO and we have to fight them."

Hard to keep a good moonbat down. Full moon time?

[handy]

Welcome to Memphis Rita remnants. My yard need the rain!

[Howlin]

I know what you mean. :-)

[ArmyBratsMom]

SE Mom, take a look at this thread. It will answer a few questions. There is a link within the thread to a local forum that gives some great insight into what is really happening in SWLA. Maybe sometime today the MSM will start getting the real story out there, but I'm not holding my breath.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1490933/posts