Detective Sergeant Jeff Smith of the Port Arthur Police Department takes a boat through the streets on the east side of town to survey damage and search for people in need of rescue following Hurricane Rita Saturday in Port Arthur, Texas.
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
Detective Sergeant Jeff Smith of the Port Arthur Police Department takes a boat through the streets on the east side of town to survey damage and search for people in need of rescue following Hurricane Rita Saturday in Port Arthur, Texas.
No No No!
The projected flood stage is all downstream of the dam.
Do you think she's holding her shirt over her mouth because of smoke - or stink?
Same thing with my 7 year old computer. Would be worse if I did not have a hi-speed cable modem.
Ok well...the good news (I had to work pretty hard to find some) is that right now...all the water is pushing up to the north side of Lake P, not against NO....and all the water south of there can't push past the Mississippi river levees, assuming they hold....rosy outlook, no?
A woman sits on her porch as floodwater continues to rise Saturday in Jean Lafitte, La. about 20 miles south of New Orleans. many homes in this community have been flooded.
Got a source on that?
(yes, the Mississippi is certainly flowing backward, water always flows downhill...if sealevel was above the river it never would flow south on normal days...and since the sea is flwoing north right now, the river is too...question is, how far...because where it isn't flowing at all...it is piling up)
This is good news. Once the trucks roll again, everything will return to normal.
msnbc live report for lafayette said that..
So striking - she's wearin' a flag T-shirt.
Two more months of hurricane season to go?
There's an awful lot of water in southern Louisiana right now, and there promises to be a lot more. Airboat is gonna become the standard method of travel.
Arlington (between Ft. Worth and Dallas) issued disaster warning yesterday due to expected rainfall.
In northern part of Arlington, the Trinity River floods if you spit in it.
Went to daughters this afternoon and intentionally went in a big loop. I'd say about 2% of those boarded up have taken them down. What's it look like down your way?
K, that's what I thought I saw, but I have so many windows open here, I'm not sure what day it is. So...damaged dam, no major inflow to the reservior, damage is not from high water, unless....unless the lake itself absorbed all the rain....and....they know that the inflow isn't going to be high and yet....they are evacuating downstream....that indicates something about the extent of the damage...
I know! This is pathetic. Martha and the newly planted sapling DESTROYed in Houston. Give us news or give us the Beltway Boys. I love to hear their take on Sheehan in DC or the Roberts vote, etc.
also another training raiband has set up just north of lafayette...1-2 inches last hour...also a weaker band has set up over lacke charles.. about 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch last hour over the city
That happens....there was an earthen dam failure out in...montana....nevada....can't remember the name... a big one....but search it up if anyone here remembers it...the pics are stunning.
That happens....there was an earthen dam failure out in...montana....nevada....can't remember the name... a big one....but search it up if anyone here remembers it...the pics are stunning.
Better, but not for Covington. http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lix&gage=cvel1&view=1,1,1,0,1,1
Also coastal flooding from Gulfport to Biloxi.
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