A goat named Cabrito hangs out in his life jacket on a shrimp boat in Terrebonne Parish following Hurricane Rita.
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
They aren't going to get it without a fight from me...I am going to call and e-mail both of my Senators and my Rep. Joe Barton....
I plan on telling them that LA needs to be responsible for some of that money...if for no other reason than the stupidity of the local and state officials..and the corruption that kept the repairs to the levee from being done----
I also intend to tell them that I don't want any $$$$ going to reconstruction in NO until the levees are fixed the CORRECT WAY...not a quick-fix...and NOT by a LA firm if it doesn't have a better idea than a firm from out of state...
I DO NOT want it to be written in a resolution that LA businesses AUTOMATICALLY get all of the contracts...
Why fix even ONE house, if the levees aren't fixed???
Same thing here. They wanted me in on Sunday to start powering the servers back up... in the Woodlands!
From Sugar Land to the Woodlands and back, in heavy traffic, on a half tank of gas and no way to replace it. I don't FReepin' think so.
I'm working from home for now.
I found gasoline today at the Krogers at Mason Road and Westheimer Parkway. That's about 15 miles north of you, but it may be worth a shot. You might call them first to make sure they haven't run out.
Where have you been?
Wait until I tell you in FR mail what we acquired today from an old character we met at the auction yesterday.
Thanks for the info.
I don't really need to race around to find gas though. I've got pretty much everything I need for awhile here already.
Sure, I'm anxious to get back down to Galveston to survey that house, but for now I'll just sit back and let folks who are in a more desperate situation get the fuel.
I'm happy to have the A/C back and a goodly stock of cold beer.
There is a poster that got his hard in Miss. from Katrina, and her gas station owner started having people make "appointments" to get gas....
She said it worked well....she would call up and he would say to come at 3:00, which she did, and didn't have to wait in line and waste gas...
I thought it was a brilliant idea....of course, a gas station in a major city on a main thoroughfare might not be able to do that...but it seemed to work in that one instance.
Probably some buddy of Coach Blanco.
BLANCO ADMINISTRATION SHAKEUP
SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
Changes are taking place in the Blanco Administration sources tell Rogers.
Chief of staff Andy Kopplin is mysteriously being "moved," sources tell Rogers.
Though he will retain his title as chief of staff, he will only deal with the storm's aftermath.
Another staff member will do everything but that, Rogers has learned. That is, another person will be taking over many of Kopplin's duties.
Jimmy Clarke, Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs for the Board of Regents, is believed to be this person.
Developing...
http://www.thedeadpelican.com
Just got a report in from work: Rolling blackouts to commence immediately.
Don't know if this advisory from Entergy is for the Woodlands area only or if it will be wider.
Shep is in NOLA now and reporting the cold hard facts. It is hard. The politicians will pander, but the people are being realistic. The only thing that makes sense is to double up on the levees that protect areas that did not flood and seriously thinking about dredging and filling. The whole place needs a new land use plan.
For those that are there. I know it is hard. But you really have to slow down. It takes a long time. We did not have power for weeks. I got a generator, found a canteen, and just started to pittle around the yard. It took me about a week to get the pool cage out of the pool. Work slow, drink water. Take breaks; get away. Life comes back, but it is slow. Everybody I know in Punta Gorda that moved to fast got screwed. Don't sign contracts with anyone.
It is SO hot today. Don't take my AC away! (whining in a very pleading voice....)
Clearly, this is George Bush's fault and even though the construction was done in 1966 by Forest and Cotton, Inc., I sense Halliburton involvement. Just what was Dick Cheney doing in 1966? I just can't imagine the riprap vanishing, I'll bet the slope is less than 3-1 or they didn't go to the bottom but most likely Halliburton stole it for use in Iraq.
Barnes said the city has done its own calculations and he doesn't think the river will rise as high as 29 feet, though residents should assume otherwise. Barnes said that Liberty the city of 8,300 is prepared because it built a 34-foot levee after the 1994 flooding. The river flows through the city.
The initial wall of water was 36 feet (at least at the gaging station) maybe that's why they scaled it back. It's at 37k CFS now.
"We feel comfortable," Barnes said. "We will not reach a critical mass stage for the majority of the city of . I just don't think it's going to happen."
Hope he's right. . I think it's time for a field trip to inspect the dam about 40 miles upstream of me.
Early this afternoon, Entergy began interrupting service north of Houston to avoid a broader blackout that could affect the area for a longer period.
The rolling outages, which will occur in 60-minute intervals, will affect more than 142,000 homes and businesses in Montgomery, Walker, Grimes, and Liberty counties.
"Hurricane Rita has devastated our electrical system," said Joe Domino, president of Entergy Texas, whose company earlier asked customers in the affected area to voluntarily reduce their usage electricity.
Congress taketh away, then Congress giveth. My guess is that teh below is but one example of "just under the radar."
US Congress is probably as corrupt as Louisiana, and US COngress has lots more power and our money to "play" with.
[[Page 110 STAT. 3717]]
Public Law 104-303SEC. 325. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, LOUISIANA.
The project for hurricane damage prevention and flood control, Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, authorized by section 204 of the Flood Control Act of 1965 (79 Stat. 1077), is modified to provide that St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Louisiana, shall not be required to pay the unpaid balance, including interest, of the non-Federal cost-share of the project.
A goat named Cabrito hangs out in his life jacket on a shrimp boat in Terrebonne Parish following Hurricane Rita.
I've had to chase those idiots too. I don't think they do so well with rural delivery.
Aren't they postponing school in Houston for a while??
They should, if for no other reason than that they wouldn't have to air condition them....it is so hot in Texas right now...that would probably cause more brown-outs...
plus, you wouldn't have to gas up the school buses, and people wouldn't have to use precious gas to take their kids to school.
Catholic Church to cut jobs in New Orleans
9/26/2005, 9:16 a.m. CT
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Archdiocese of New Orleans, which was hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Monday that it will lay off a yet-to-be determined number of workers over the coming weeks.
In a news release, the Catholic Church's archdiocese said it is trying to determine how to best utilize diminished resources.
All employees were asked to report by Oct. 3. At that time, workers will learn if jobs are available, said the Rev. William Maestri, the archdiocese spokesman. If jobs are not available, workers will be given two weeks of pay and the chance to apply for jobs outside the archdiocese, Maestri said.
Maestri said he did not know how many of the archdiocese's 9,000 workers would be laid off.
Sure, just like kids...if you don't make them "pay" for things like repairs for cars if they wreck them...or pay for their own college costs if they fail classes...
they won't worry about what they break or when they fail, because it won't "cost" them anything.
Louisiana, from everything I have seen so far, like what you posted...has NEVER had to pay for NOT using the money allocated for levees and they haven't even done it when ordered to by the Congress...
SOOOO, why wouldn't Landrieu and Landrieu, and Blanco, and Nagin and Broussard, and all other LA politicians, think that they will get totally bailed out (literally, this time) again, and again.
I think it is time for them to learn the word "NO"...not totally no, but "no, you are going to do it OUR way now, and that means you get NO CONTROL over the money...the American taxpayers do"...
And we could do that by setting up a "line of credit" for LA...which would cause them to have to have an accountant from nowwhere near LA to audit every expenditure...and monitor all contracts...
Then, when one project is done...they will have to go back to Congress for another withdrawal from their "line of credit"...based on the results of the previous "contract".
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