Tropical Storm Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 18 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Tropical Storm Rita has developed from TD 18 in the Atlantic Ocean. TS Rita is currently located north of Hispaniola, the eastern tip of Cuba, and ESE of Nassau, Bahamas. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for portions of Florida. Check for local weather statements.

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
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only!
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - http://dayport.wm.llnwd.net/dayport_0025_live"
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - mms://216.242.118.141/broadband

Other Resources:

Florida East Coast Surf Reports Lots of great info here, including surf cams
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

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

[STFrancis]

Why would they have to purchase groceries when the relief orgs and .gov are giving them away for free??!!!

[RDTF]

For people like me that don't know the area too well

[2Jedismom]

And our church family...we should depend on ourselves and when we can't, on our church family. I feel like if I was in a disaster, I could pick up the phone and call the closest Southern Baptist Convention church and someone would help me.

I'd do it for them if the position was reversed.

Once, my parents had an accident in their truck... totaled their Dodge diesel 3500 pickup and their gooseneck camper trailer. They called me and told me where they were...just a small town in Georgia 12 hours from home. I called the local First Baptist Church and they went above and beyond helping my parents...it was fantastic. They helped them get their clothes clean, took them out to eat, picked them up for church. My parents were stuck in that town for about 36 hours but they had every need met.

That's who we should depend on...our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's why I volunteer for these guys...

[Types_with_Fist]

Correct. But, I certainly have no expertise on forecasting. Just thinking on the "bad luck" thing. Last year, Florida. This year, Louisiana.

[CajunConservative]

Jefferson Parish is open and there's a Walmart I know in Harvey and Boutte just a few miles from there. They were only allowing 20 people in at a time though. It took a couple of hours to get in. My niece's inlaws are from the area and I spoke with them at my little great nephew's birthday party Saturday.

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWL091605jprentry.61b4fd9e.html

[Gabz]

BTW, FRiend - welcome to the world of the 'cane threads :)

Just kidding - I know you were worried about me and XS when we both disappeared during Isabel.

[IamConservative]

Asman is on FOX now discussing who's in charge in NOLA

As(s)man - as in Nagin? First name Joran? :)

[humblegunner]

I'm all stocked up.

[Txsleuth]

Oh...great...MSNBC ---Chrissy is interviewing the crybaby lying Parish President now...ole Broussard.

Chrissy---to Broussard: "Who is right, the Fema people, Admiral Allen and the President---or Mayor Nagin?"

Broussard: It depends on what part of the elephant you are holding on to.

Said that President Bush's remarks are "scripted"...Nagin is thinking about his city (Chamber of Commerce)....

Chrissy: "Do you think President Bush is trying to FORCE Mayor Nagin to stop letting people back in"

Chrissy is trying get Broussard to bash Bush every which way...and Broussard is wanting to talk about the conditions in his parish...LOL

Chrissy: "Admiral Allen on Meet the Press said there wasn't any potable water...who is right"..."Why would Nagin say it is okay for 180,000 people to come back if Allen says there is NO water?"

Broussard: I don't know---I am taking care of my own business". LOL

Chrissy: Well we will return to this arguement of who is in charge, the Mayor or the federal government when Rita passes"

[dirtboy]

Umm...nothing like what you describe remotely happened.

Yeah, the opposite happened - they initially thought it would cross Florida and then turn north and hit the central Panhandle.

[girlscout]

We have property in Trinity that we'll head to if it gets to a category 3 or higher. We'll probably still experience some rain there and hope like heck there will be no tornados but it's better than 8 blocks from the bay!

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

FYI you fill your bathtub so you can use the water to flush toilets and other general purposes uses. I had a teacher once who move here right before Carla. She filled the tub, then emtied right it after the storm passed. No one had told her what it was for. She found out the hard way.

Yes and to take one pot at a time out to wash with. It's also good to have a neighbor with a pool!

[JFC]

I have grown up in tornado ally. I can handle them, but a hurricane or earthquake, I would like to live a lifetime with out.

[Jaded]

No. I'm not fond of vienna sausage. Or spam for that matter. Canned tuna and Ritz. Making a peanut butter run tonight.

Oh, yeah and the other stuff.

My mom already made a Wal-Mart run. She says the ice chests are picked over.

The thing is, about half of that list people should have on hand anyway just because 1)it's hurricane season 2) it's been a while since thunderstorms with tornados.

[Types_with_Fist]

It took a couple of hours to get in.

Tell them they might have better luck driving down to Houma. There's a Super Wal-Mart there and it is probably stocked fairly well. They can get there and back quicker than a few hours.

[Txsleuth]

Hey---I'm from NORTH Texas...and I saw the spam on the list!:)

[Carolinamom]

Silly me. I thought everyone paid for their groceries just as I do.

[dogbyte12]

We have well water with a pumping system. I don't know what we would have done in this household of 6 after Katrina if we didn't fill up the tubs.

Just filled up a ton of ziplocks with water again, and stuck em in the freezer. Now all I need is beer, and I am ready to go.

[Polybius]

The grocery stores are a mad house in Key West right now.

There are plenty of grocery stores in Miami.

If there is one thing that Katrina taught at New Orleans in 2005 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 taught at Islamorada is that you do not stay in a storm surge zone!

Forget the groceries and EVACUATE NOW!!!

[girlscout]

My folks live in League City, it's just down the road about 15 minutes away. Yes, Kemah has changed in a very good way (except for the traffic). It's no longer the dirty little fishing village it was back in the early 70's.