Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part IV

NHC - NOAA ^ | 22 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Category 5 Hurricane Rita continues to threaten the Greater Houston Metropolitan area. The forecast track has shifted slightly to the northeast, increasing the risk to Southwest Louisiana, and a significant portion of the oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas Governor Perry is urging all coastal residents between Beaumont and Corpus Christi to evacuate as soon as possible.

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
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:

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)

KPRC-TV/DT Houston - KPRC-TV/DT Houston - http://mfile.akamai.com/12944/live/reflector:38616.asx
KHOU-TV/DT Houston: mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_khou
WWLTV NOLA

Additional Resources:

FReeper Sign In Thread 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
Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
Beaumont TX evac Routes
Lake Charles/Southwest LA Evacuation Map
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 III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[RoseofTexas]

Did you hear that remarkable statement? Ships are following behind Rita with food and medical supplies. BOY, we're ROLLING now!!

[mtbopfuyn]

Whew, he was lucky. At 7 AM this morning, we called friends from UTMB in Galveston. Had offered them a bed but they finally found one in San Antonio. They'd left home in the middle of the night and said it had taken them 4 hours to get from the south side of Houston to the Galleria. Also, called family in Conroe who are hunkering down to tell them Mr. M took the week off in case they needed help. They said not to come because there's no gas. Others in Shiner said gas and grocery were already shut down.

Mr. M said the prison was already evacuating inmates from Sugarland. All 800 inmates from Galveston area (UTMB and Ramsey Unit) were already being housed in at Hughes Unit in Gatesville (near Ft. Hood). 200 inmates in each gym - any bets on riots soon?

[Jrabbit]

When we lived in Nevada...Boulder City....we always had water and an empty ice chest to get frozen food home from the store without it thawing.....

[fanfan]

I'm in Ottawa. It was only $4.62 on the way to work today.

Prices confirmed by CTV news.

Link

[silentknight]

Canada doesn't sell by the gallon :) heh

[Darlin']

"Here's a composite I just did which combines both of the dynamic data layers listed above and overlays them on Google Earth. "

Thats great, Spiff. You do some of the very best stuff on the storm threads. :) Thank you so much.

[sheikdetailfeather]

I LOVE your profile page! hahahahaha!

[Moose4]

Shep will be hunkering down with Anderson, not Stephanie.

Meeeee-OWWWW.

For that slam, I can forgive you for the "SUV-driving bubba" remark upthread! :)

}:-)4

[AliVeritas]

I just sent that a**hat an email for that crap yesterday...
Let me tell him what his momma looks like this time.

[jacquej]

you are right.

In the winter, woodstoves are the way to go for cooking, if you get a model you can set a cast-iron dutch oven on...

in the summer, charcoal OUTSIDE only, or camp stove DITTO.

And always have aCO detector in your house, no matter what.

[SGCOS]

What's coming up next?

[johnb838]

What goes out has to come back in.

[RoseofTexas]

Things are getting nasty on the highway, source by FOX! Folk are taking the opposite driving lanes into their own hands. Yikes!

[Howlin]

Did he really say that?

[AliVeritas]

I like that even more.

[John Jamieson]

SUV, good car to drive after a ......

after Dylan

[IamConservative]

So many dangers. Do you know if it is dangerous to use a camping Coleman stove (propane) in house. I'm thinking about when power goes out.

1) It is an open flame. If you or your kids are not used to that, it could be a new danger. 2) The stove will put off carbon monioxide, which is deadly in a non-ventilated room. I would recommend cooking on your (open air) porch or patio, or make sure you have a window open inside.

[Spktyr]

I had a friend in Houston at the time, he told me about it.

The rest of Texas took one collective look at the situation, said "Holy F***!!!!!" and started the upgrades if they hadn't already. The state construction codes have also been amended.

Texans can make some enormous blunders, starting with Col. Fannin, but we usually don't make the same mistake twice, and we try to learn from others' experience.

[humblegunner]

The question is do I add chow chow to the chicken salad that already has chopped black olives, walnuts and celery knowing my son will not eat it if I do?

Is it the mustard chicken salad or the mayonaisse chicken salad?

[Nachoman]

What would happen if we used about a thousand planes filled with ice to bombard a hurricane? Would it have any effect?

The exhaust from the ice making machines would melt the polar ice cap.