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

[johnb838]

I kept telling people that we flooded damn near as bad as NOLA in Allison but they wouldn't believe me.

[steveegg]

I don't have "hardly".

Expect Jungle Jim Cantore to go east soon.

[stopem]

My daughter left last at 3am this morning to head here for Dallas God I pray they make it here!!!!

[Double Tap]

Ugh. I will stay away from that today. The Walmart that is near there was empty of most groceries yesterday, so no need.

[spycatcher]

Fox news reported hearing from a 'gridlocked evac'......said they had moved only 30 miles since last night @ 8:30 PM. Adding to the trouble some cars now running out of gas, adding more gridlock.

Where is FEMA??? They failed to deploy freeway clearing machines and Bush failed to deploy C130's and helicopters dropping gas in giant bladders.

[Flyer]

You're nuts. DO NOT GO. You will never get there.

[Bahbah]

Nine hours later, they had logged forty miles

Oh, dear. How do you not run out of gas in a situation like that?

[NautiNurse]

Have you checked to see if your class has been canceled?

[Zacs Mom]

My husband left Galveston yesterday at about 1:30 in the afternoon.....it has taken him almost 17 hours to travel about 125 miles.

[mtbopfuyn]

Why does the weather people have this storm turning north? Why couldn't it go straight into Mexico or southern Tx? I can't understand how they figure it will turn north.

Because these things "usually" turn north. However, Austin tv is showing it's going to go west. There had been a high pressure system over Texas that would have enabled the turn north, but yesterday the system separated. A large portion of the system is moving east and another portion is moving southwest, thus leaving nice clear empty space right through the Galveston/Houston area to "pull" the storm into.

[Bahbah]

Donald Trump is going to be on Fox shortly to give us his thoughts on how we can prepare for hurricanes

Trump does not believe that mere water can break down levees and seawalls. I don't think we should give him the contract.

[Double Tap]

Yeah, Houston will flood in all the usual spots. But the difference is it will run off.

[NautiNurse]

OMG - FNC reporting that flooding could occur up to 35 miles inland. Rita has wind gusts to 212 mph.

[AntiGuv]

Well, no one would've been surprised to see this image out of NOLA last week. But it's another Houstan - TS Allison pic.

[don-o]

With landfall still being called for Saturday morning, there seems to still be time to get it straight. Surely they can get gasoline to the pumps.

[humblegunner]

Have you checked to see if your class has been canceled?

As of noon yesterday it was still a go.. maybe I'll call and wake someone up.

[Elderberry]

The wife checked the traffic at 3:00 at I45 and Airport and it was gridlocked too.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Last night our local weather guy said a couple of models had it jogging northwest then back to the west, northwest again then due west coming in just north of Corpus Christi. Also showed gulf thermal and depth imaging. It is over the warmest, deepest part of the gulf now. Will be heading to less warm, more shallow water soon. Remains to be seen how much impact that will have.

[trillabodilla]

Good morning, NN.

Thanks for being there.

[Alia]

Your dad loves you. I'm glad you listened to him, too! :)