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
La was a one party state untl relatively recently. It is a very poor state and has a big black population. Corruption is like in a third world country.
Hard to change. Plus, and this is difficult, everyone benefits from the corruption in one way or another, small and large. It is embedded in the every day life of people.
DISCUSSION DOWNGRADED TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST LOUISIANA CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. OFF AND ON TROPICAL BANDS OF RAIN ALONG WITH A PERSISTENT ONSHORE COMPONENT ARE CAUSING SOME STORM SURGE ISSUES ACROSS AREAS NEAR BODIES OF WATER AND WITH LITTLE MOVEMENT EXPECTED WITH RITA THROUGH TONIGHT...THIS PATTERN UNFORTUNATELY LOOKS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS.
IN ADDITION...NORTHWARD MOVING BANDS OF RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH RITA WILL PROVIDE A SLIGHT RISK OF ISOLATED TORNADOES INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK OF RITA STILL SHOWS THE SYSTEM MEANDERING NORTH AND EAST ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LIKELY SET THE STAGE FOR A GOOD RAIN EVENT ACROSS THE REGION AS TROPICAL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SURGE NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM.
I used the Katrina model for the surge estimates before the storm. Two outer eyewall diameters, measured right from halfway between the eye center track and the left outer eyewall.
Coming in at an angle like that turned x storm relative lateral distance into 2x coastline distance. NWS said surge into Lake P was expected at 6 to 8 feet.
I see Livingston handled 110,000 cfs in 1994.
Thats a LOT of water. So it can surely handle this.
I reckon they'll all have a difficult time
trying to get elected to dog catcher.
I haven't heard one person interviewed, praise
any local or State officials since Katrina.
P.S. any word from Port Arthur yet?
beaumont, since after when they said "knee deep here, we dodged a bullet"?
They are in the worst areas for surge and it's been a while since new news came out.
She started that twitching thing last Sunday and then she would try to turn it into that vapid smile of hers, but it looked more like a grimace.
Cajungirl, I am very sympathetic to all you are going through. My heart aches for all of those who have lost everything.
BUT, I will vigorously oppose re-building New Orleans below sea level, and I will vigorously oppose money to levee boards or letting Blanco and her crew control the money.
The United States cannot have a state run like a third-world dictatorship. It is unacceptable.
The gages in #537 are in order downstream from the dam. The Houston Chronicle article says it takes days for the water to reach Liberty from the dam, under usual circumstances.
I would say this assessment is correct. GOM stretches about 20 miles further north today than it did yesterday.
Yep, that was tried, nineteen-hundred years ago. It didn't work!
Somewhere in a dark and hidden corner of his engineer's mind, you know the gate controller on that dam just loves telling his boys, "Open 'em up...all of 'em. Gimme thunder."
I can believe how calculating and sneaky her handlers are.
Flying J facilities in Houston and New Caney, TX escaped damage from Hurricane Rita and are currently being refueled by Flying J tankers. Flying J's facility in Orange, TX sustained some damage from the storm and remains closed currently. A team of electricians has been dispatched to assess the extent of the damages...
more to come as it is released
"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
Joseph Stalin
Saw Shep in Beaumont a little while ago, and it looked like ordinary storm damage to me. Of course, he was still in that same area from last night.
No, no, no, no....
FIRST we see the rain stop and the radar go blank.
THEN we celebrate the dam holding up.
Put DOWN the beer and step AWAY from the keg.
;-)
She IS trying
:)
I don't think NO ought to be rebuilt either except for a port and an historic district. Let private money do it if they want. And people just ought to start over with what they have and slog thru it, that is what people do.
Fema is handing out checks like water, I don't think that is a good idea.
already two parishes have refused the trailor parks they are planning and people are up in arms. But those parishes know what those trailor parks will be like.
I have no intention of wanting to see accuweather destroyed. Besies, I like the idea of a private company competing with the government. Keeps government honest, although I do like the professionals they have in the NHC. Do you work for the NHC?
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