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

[Sunnyflorida]

Hopefully they had flood insurance.

In Punta Gorda the houses that got destroyed by Charley found the cleared lots worth more than 2x the house and the lot combined before the storm. There were several houses that were going in the high fours on the water before the storm; after the storm the lots alone were worth more than a million! The change took place almost faster than it took us to get power.

It is not clear what causes this. Watch housing prices all over; I bet they take a jump from this storm. It tends to pull up vacant lots even more than remaining structures.

One bit of caution. There is an old saying, "you can have it done fast, you can have it done right, or you can have it done cheap...pick two." After a storm like this you only get to pick one. My suggestion is to move slow, expect to pay more, and think things through. Everybody I know in Punta Gorda that tried to get a deal got screwed.

[Txsleuth]

I doubt that I can take your advice...

because soon after I signed on to FR, I had a "run in" with humblegunner over AM talk radio...and survived!!!

And, I have been on the Texas Cowboy thread for looooong enough to know that all ya'll are much more "bark than bite"!!!

LOL----In fact, I have grown to truly love ya'll!

[RDTF]

In case you miss it I just had to show yall this story that I just posted. Fruitcake!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1491455/posts

Out There: Man-Made Hurricanes?
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Global warming? Act of God? Nope, says one Idaho weatherman — Hurricane Katrina was part of a man-made plot against America.

Scott Stevens, a meteorologist who for nine years has been forecasting the weather on KPVI-TV (search) in Pocatello, says the Yakuza — the Japanese mafia — is using a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to launch terrific storms against the U.S. mainland.

The devastation of New Orleans was in revenge for the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Stevens explains on his Web site. He says it will soon be used again against another major American city.

"A battle in the skies is waged daily. Some battles are won and others lost. We yet know not which," Stevens writes on the front page of his site. "For years this massive global project has been under way, but only now is it making it to the forefront of the consciousness of those with curious minds."

Rumors have long circulated of a secret Soviet weather weapon, but Stevens told the Idaho Falls Post Register he became convinced it existed after noticing strange patterns in a Montana cold front in 2004.

[Spktyr]

That's a relatively recent development - I have an older (late 80s, early 90s) inverter that was permanently mounted in my Jeep by a prior owner. It does not have such an alarm (unfortunately).

[laz]

Well, I like that theory better than Bush and Rove making the hurricanes. ;)

And people here think Bastardi is whacked.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Are you back home yet? Anything to report? Hope all is well.

[Dog Gone]

I found gasoline this morning! Woo hoo! Filled up the wife's Jeep (running on empty) and contrary to official instructions, filled my truck, too.

Now, all I have to do is figure out how to connect to my company's computer network, and I can work here at home until Wednesday when I'm supposed to return. I'm in hog heaven.

[Dog Gone]

I'm sure she's not home yet. Last night she told me she planned to bring the family home today. It's a long drive and I wouldn't expect her to check in until sometime in the evening, at the earliest.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Appreciate the update.

[laz]

He says it will soon be used again against another major American city.

Those Japanese gangsters haven't quite gotten the hang of steering yet. They missed Houston. Hope they don't keep practicing. ;)

[Michael Goldsberry]

... Squantos, humblegunner and Eaker.

... don't forget Flyer and Leapfrog...

;)

[james_f_hall]

Didn't you know we redirected it at the last minute. Per Richard C. Hoagland. Hahahahahahhaahhahahhaa.

[Howlin]

5 dead in Beaumont; carbon monoxide. A family.

[Sunnyflorida]

Do you think they cheaped out on rip-rap? Should it not go down to the bottom of the dam? Think the embankment is too steep? Who built it? Halliburton :)?

[Cboldt]

5 dead in Beaumont; carbon monoxide. A family.

A not-uncommon bummer in extended power outage situations. Internal combustion engine / generator fumes most likely. Even outdoors, can be drawn in through open windows and similar.

Probably not caused by a propane cook stove.

[bonfire]

We have friends here in Ohio that STILL can't get into their home in FLA. What a mess.

[dirtboy]

This means a radically different land use plan for NOLA.

For the sections well below sea level, let me suggest a designation of "lake".

There is land above sea level west of town. Rebuild there. Put two levees around the French Quarter and downtown and areas still above sea level. Bulldoze the rest and let nature take its course.

[cgk]

:(

[Cedar]

That's a great link with photos. Thanks for posting.

[Conservababe]

Does anyone remember the woman who was staying in Port Arthur or Beaumont with her 91 year old grandmother who had had recent heart surgery? Her screen name began with green and then something.

I am wondering how they fared.