Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VII

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

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:

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
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 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

[CindyDawg]

Prayers

[Howlin]

Take that somewhere else, please.

[BurbankKarl]

2 Structure fires...

20th and Post Office Street...

Galveston

[shield]

Dr. Neil Frank, says that part of the eye wall if not all of the eye wall has collapsed. He says when this happens it's losing lots of wind speed.

[No Truce With Kings]

"I think so too. I am getting a sick feeling now."

Think of it as evolution in action. What do you have if you have 50 hurricane reporters at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico? A good start.

[Soul Seeker]

They are trying to predict the weather.

the first one that admits they can't predict the weather will get the Truth Alert, but also be out of a job.

[steveegg]

Thanks for shepherding the threads. I'll echo the Godspeed to everybody in the path.

[Deetes]

@ 20th and Post Office St.

FIRE

[commish]

Well looks like my call last night of Cameron Parrish turns out to be correct. Missed on the winds though (thankfully), Much happier to see 120 instead of 140.

[Palladin]

Lyons on TWC said that the stall will drench a corridor from Texarkana south to the coast with 24 " of rain! The days after the hurricane are going to be just as dangerous as tonight and tomorrow a.m.

[spycatcher]

A casino on water in Lake Charles is going to be in trouble.

[freeperfromnj]

how would CNN know?

Good question.

[RDTF]

You deserve the utmost praise. Thank you!

[Gabz]

fyi - this is the last thread I will be posting for Hurricane Rita. Gabz and Howlin will be posting threads going forward.

And NN's rules will continue to apply.

Check in when you can, NN - we'll be watching for you.

[LikeLight]

Thank you, NN!!! You ROCK!

[Eaker]

Thanks for the updates.

I hope to make the NASCAR thread!

[Aggie Mama]

Allow him a simple pleasure, would ya'? We've been under incredible stress for the past 3 days here in Houston.

[LikeLight]

Tornado WARNING - Allen Parish, LA

[LibertyRocks]

TORNADO WARNING in Alan Parish till about 11pm.

[NautiNurse]

I feel so lonely. :-)

LOL - 87% of FReepers are on the hurricane ping list. You won't be lonely for long...