Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VIII

www.freerepublic.com | September 24, 2005

[Howlin]

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:

Hurricane Rita Freeper CHECK IN THREAD

FReeper Sign In Thread (LOCKED) 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 VII
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

[RoseofTexas]

WOW, Port Arthur got lots of damage....I wonder if the refineries were hit hard...anyone here know how the refineries faired??

[nuclady]

OK, I'll finally bite: I take it a sand boil is water percolating up, and producing visible sand?????? I have been wanting to ask that since yesterday. What exactly are sand boils? TIA

[lonestar]

I still don't know if I have a tree on my house. The trees are in the streets and nobody can get around to look.

[southLA_lady]

thanks! we really dodged a bullet, just sending up prayers of thanks this am, everyone south of us is in a bad way! (mostly flooding)

[CFC__VRWC]

Like I said, I'm only going on what I've been able to see. I've seen very little of the area on the east side of the storm - the media's not covering it much.

When Charley came through Florida last year, the areas south of me were very heavily damaged, especially Charlotte County (Punta Gorda). I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see similarly damaged areas in W. Louisiana as more media gets into the area.

Fox showing shots of Port Arthur now. Looking quite similar to areas around Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda last year, thought the flooding appears to be more significant.

[jeffers]

This shows the eyewall and expected surge.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/02J.jpg

Surge estimates may have been conservative.

[TXnMA]

Thanks! I thought that was the case when I went to bed ~@ 3AM CDT. But the back side of the eyewall (with reversed wind direction) had not hit Lake Charles at that time. Thought perhaps the reversed wind might have kicked it back into the channel..

Thanks again!

[RoseofTexas]

Wharold is saying Port Arthur refineries didn't fair too well, but not the disaster they were expecting...sheesh!

[ncpatriot]

radar.weather.gov

Thanks for telling me about this site. I will use it a lot!

[nwctwx]

The stories out so far are that the 'TX Patch of refineries' fared well. I'm not sure if the news is as good, as there still isn't much news, from places further east.

[janetjanet998]

CNN reporter..there is a small area in NO that wasn't flooded with Katrina but is now...how bad we don;t know she was qouting the army corp of engineers

[spycatcher]

Blanco-stein is on live now. Very scary!

[RoseofTexas]

Blanco speaking!

[southLA_lady]

no problem, anything to help a fellow Freeper!

[BlessedByLiberty]

Blanco the Pathetic is up. How long before she begs for money?

[Conservababe]

Ha, I was on the net before the mouse...just key stroking. LOL

[Deetes]

HOWLIN: I need to be on your PING list Please !!! Thank you !!! ;-)

[nwctwx]

Charley was powerful, but quite small. The damage should be much more extensive with this storm.

[laz]

Nice job on graphics, glock rocks. Laz, right on target.

I can take it even further, but then I'd have to get religious, and I am trying to keep that to a minimum on these hurricane threads. ;)

[BlessedByLiberty]

Lake Charles, wait at least 48 hours before returning.
Cameron Parish 5' of water to coast. Iberia, Vermilion Parishes have rising water.

St. Bernard, Terrebone Jefferson, concerned about the strength of levees.

Now on to praising self for prepardness. Cautioning citizen rescuers.