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
Guess Nagin hasn't heard. A good number of them WON'T be going back at all.
They've had a taste of how well they've been treated by other States & how Nagin has treated them like slaves.
If they have the gates up for an emergency release at the Livingston Dam, it means they are more afraid of the reservoir filling and topping the dam than they are of releasing the kind of flood in your picture on the residents downstream.
Dams that get topped usually don't last long afterward.
The fat lady hasn't left for the theater yet.
The weatherman on 13 said 2 inches in one place is not a big deal but an average of 2 inches over a large area is trouble because it's all got to go to the same place.
since the storm is moving due north.. the south winds have been piling water up all day..if the storm was moving at a different angle the winds would be changing directions and you wouldn't have that contact wind at the same angle...so to sum up..the huge surge that went inland can't get out because the wind is pushing against it
LOL! Excellent!
Thanks for that - it helps to start piecing together the total impact.
It's funny you say that - the silver lining here may very well be that these folks will have their eyes opened and will enjoy what life in the US has to offer outside the bayou. The may just feel inspired to work to have it.
I can understand running out of gas if you left with a full tank and containers. I don't understand why they have no food or water though. I think that is probably just anticipated thinking on the medias part . Have they never camped out or slept in their car for shelter.
I was here for Hugo (Summerville). One thing Daddy always said is that you don't run north and west you run south and west to avoid the hurricanes.
Hurricanes are nothing new to me, having spent the majority of my life on the coast but Hugo scared me. But what scared me the most was the civil defense alert saying this is not a drill...
If you are standing with us, er,,hmmm,,,can you swim dear?
I think the coastline of La may be changing for good. It has been slowly all along.
Wondering if we could just carve us up. The east side could go to Missippi, the west to Texas and Northern half to Missour, just skip Arkansas.
"YIKES!!! She dreams up some silly little job corps make-work project, (because Louisianians are too stupid to get their government handouts without help), while the hurricane still blows away the southwest corner of the state! This is beyond embarrassing! "
It benefits us to see that Blanco and Naggin are accustomed to patronizing their voting base and do no know how to alter their message for a wider audience. They are revealed for the greedy, incompetent and often emotionally out of control pols they are.
Nagin is a self serving pol trying to get people to return without due consideration for their safety, just as he handled their evacuation.
Blanco is so concerned about getting her hands on federal monies she disregards the plight of the people in the midst of an ongoing hurricane, not just in her state but other states.
Truly revealed as greedy, self serving pols at their worst.
Lake Charles is getting it from two sides, upstream and downstream. Water IS running back to the ocean. Problem is, its running IN from all around, faster.
contact wind=constant wind
Yup.
no kidding? I just google earthed those towns...that's almost the whole bottom of the LA boot.
Yes. They really need to review the policy of building below sea level. It is just asking for trouble. I grew up in NO and our house was 5 feet above sea level on the west bank. There are areas where people can live that are not below sea level.
I wonder how much cheaper it would be to just buy those houses in the 9th ward & other low areas and make them some sort of federal park/flood zone/fishing area. It just seems dumb and too expensive to fight Mother Nature for that patch of land. It's not good real estate, the houses are not expensive, yet we are going to spend a fortune to protect them. It's insanity.
When Bush said "we'll re-build, but we'll build higher" I don't think this is what he meant, but I can at least dream.
I was reading on hurricanes two nights ago and there was one that formed in Atlantic, crossed Florida, went up into Georgia, emerged into the Atlanta, reformed and went up the east coast!!
Hurricanes are like bad women, always changing their minds.
uhhhh...let's not get carried away...jeffers likes to keep as low a profile as is possible...
My dog didn't bite you.
He doesn't bite.
He was chained up that day.
His teeth were removed several years ago.
Besides....
...I don't even HAVE a dog.
Legal never bothered Louisiana politicians.
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