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

[pamlet]

Laugh.... I can't imagine being out there in those winds. Shep was standing on wet grass... along came a gust and it looked like he was on a "slip and slide" water toy... hahaha

[topher]

Where is Capris Casino?

I believe it is just South of I-10 on the Northeast corner of the lake Lake Charles near downtown Lake Charles (the city).

You can see it (or where it used to be) from the tall I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River (the part of the river north of the lake Lake Charles).

Somewhat confusing post because there is a lake called Lake Charles and the city has the same name...

[jeffers]

If what you says is true, that will put Lake P none feet above normal. Storm surge is forecast at 6 to 8 feet, so this will make it worse. I think they will sum greater than either contributing factor, because water is slow draining from Lake P.

Hate to say it but I think downtown is going to flood again.

[Ellesu]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_KATRINA_PILFERED_DONATIONS_LAOL-?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

City official: relief supplies were to go to church

KENNER, La. (AP) -- The city official accused of diverting food and other supplies meant for hurricane victims says he was keeping them for a church, and only the minister's evacuation and the need to get his own sons to school in Natchitoches kept them at his house more than a day.

Cedric Floyd said Friday that he planned to go to the police station for booking on a felony malfeasance charge following a planned noon news conference with the Rev. Mark Mitchell.

Floyd said Mitchell has submitted an affidavit saying he asked the city to provide food and supplies to the New Hope Church drug ministry, and Floyd arranged to have him get them at his house, seven blocks from the church.

Mitchell had planned to pick up the supplies Monday, Sept. 19, but Floyd had to bring his twin sons to the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, and didn't return to Kenner until late Monday.



By then, Floyd said, Mitchell was at a shelter in Baton Rouge, and couldn't get the supplies until Wednesday - a day after police searched Floyd's house.

Mayor Phil Capitano, who defeated Police Chief Nick Congemi in the 2004 election for mayor, suspended Floyd without pay on Wednesday.

Until then, Floyd was paid $82,522 a year as one of Capitano's top two aides, managing daily operations for Louisiana's sixth-largest city and supervising all workers except those in the legal, fire and police departments.

Military officials who had been working at the distribution site filed a complaint against Floyd. State Attorney General Charles Foti's office is helping Kenner police in the investigation.

[Nita Nupress]

Thank you.

KLVI radio says they have live internet feed. Not sure it's true. Would be klvi.com, I think. Very interesting eyewitness reports on all the damage.

[frankjr]

For those of you who take delight in other's suffering (like me), here is a video of Shep falling (about 1/3 of way through clip)...

http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/iblog/C168863457/E20050923224240/

[janetjanet998]

New Orleans got very lucky last night...a train of very heavy rain band hit the same area over and over again last night dumping 1-3 inches per hut for several hours, it set up about 10 miles west up to baton rouge

[cajungirl]

I am having a hard time believing it is true. If those locks were stuck in open after Katrina, people driving down I10 from BR over the spilllway would have seen it and reported it.

It is a dramatic sight, I have seen them opened once a few years ago when the river was very high, up to the top of the levee almost, and I drove down to see them opened as I neveer had seen it. It is amazing, huge walls of locks.

I think people may be scared that is happening.

[dixie sass]

Morning.

[NautiNurse]

Thanks - looking forward to a few days without hurricanes!

[dixie sass]

Did you have a good birthday yesterday?

[NautiNurse]

Hiya Dixie...gotta grab the last of the laundry and toss it into the suitcase.

[cajungirl]

NO not out of woods. It is raining like hell right now and predicted to rain more and more.

[SE Mom]

We'll miss you- have a lovely trip:)

[jeffers]

Got it, thanks. That bridge (I-10 over Lake Charles) has been reported MIA too.

[dixie sass]

Good morning.

[Zacs Mom]

G'morning ~ hope all are okay.

NautiNurse, are you evac'ing?

[secret garden]

Any word from The Woodlands this morning?

[Bahbah]

the police caught some folks looting a Wal-Mart

How refreshing to know that it was not the police who were doing the looting. May God bless them and keep them safe.

[Zacs Mom]

Not yet - I'm fixin' to try to call them now. Hold on a sec, I'll let you know