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]

Is this the area someone mentioned this morning who said there were folks trapped in homes?? In Lousiana...again?? I thought they were warned to get out?! Did blanco drop the ball again?? Sorry, but I've been concentrating on Texas that I don't really know what's going on in LA! HEY, blanco just said they were WELL PREPARED FOR KATRINA...what a lair!!! GRRR!

[CFC__VRWC]

Doubt we'll have any really reliable info on the refineries for a few days.

[Cboldt]

Do you know levee heights besides the River ones?

Here is a partial list. There is a big graphic somewhere, but I haven't found the link yet.

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/response/MAPS/LAKEVIEW.GIF

[CedarDave]

Trying to read from notes or prepared statement, and doing a poor job, composure isn't the best. Alternately talking in stuttering or like a school teacher to youngsters.

Now saying want to combine Rita and Katrina relief efforts to avoid bureaucratic problems. Has compounded need for immediate relief and benefits, etc.

[Miss Marple]

I make note that she wants Rita and Katrina treated as one event. I am betting there is a financial reason for this.

Housing solution needed more quickly. Again, concerned about getting "our people" home.

[VirginiaMom]

The crazy b*tch is actually reading from a script! I have never seen another Governor read from a script like she is during a disaster. What a pathetic life form she is.

[jeffers]

All the levees, all the heigths:

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf?/washingaway/nolalevees.html

[BlessedByLiberty]

Nagin invited people back and some refused to leave before, after Katrina.

I think more leaders, police, shseriff, fire departments, tc., need to stand up and say, if you don't get out when the getting's good, we are not putting anyone else in harm's way to save you.

Here comes the Blanco list of "we need..." and the gathering tears. Stop making women look ineffectual!

[Miss Marple]

"One thing we are trying to do is to alleviate confusion." Creation of the "Family Recovery Corops" to help people access benefits. (I bet no one gets help unless they return to Louisiana.)

[tarheelswamprat]

The river is higher than the city. It would. It'd be like pouring water from a pitcher. And there's no end of water to see...and it would be tearing up everything in its wake. Lots of current, lots of pressure behind it. Impossible to empty. The lake is lower than the river. It wouldn't equalize.

I believe New Orleans will turn out to be America's equivalent of Pompeii. There were several "minor" eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius which damaged the city and gave the Romans ample warning before the city was completely buried in the cataclysmic one of A.D. 79. Hard-headed realists that they were, the Romans figured-out that they should relocate elswhere.

[pollyg107]

Many of the gas stations in Ridgeland, Mississippi were either closed or had bags over the pumps this morning. Other stations, however, were open and there were no lines. Mine & hubby's tanks are full, and so are the three motorcycles, so we have enough gas to go to work for a month. I really feel for those in Texas and Louisiana who are suffering from a fuel shortage on top of everything else.

[TomGuy]

So, Gov. Blanco solves the situation by ---- creating a new level of bureaucracy during the crisis.


Wonderful !!!!



lol

[txdoda]

we really dodged a bullet, just sending up prayers of thanks this am,

we did too (30 miles so. of Tyler,TX), only some wind & a 'steady' rain.......& we sure needed the rain.

everyone south of us is in a bad way! (mostly flooding)

Yes, I know.......breaks my heart to see all the recent damage to So. LA, lived in Houma 3/4 yrs, & traveled much of the state.

[VirginiaMom]

there's the bonus money round! make all monies available thru her "family recovery corps". she's saying show us the money and give it all to us. very, very scary.

[Major_Risktaker]

Blanko stuttered out these words: "The Family Recover Core." She is a mess.

[CFC__VRWC]

I make note that she wants Rita and Katrina treated as one event. I am betting there is a financial reason for this.

My guess is she's trying to cut Texas out of the aid loop - all the pie for her and her cronies, and nothing but noisy screeching from them if any goes west. Now she's calling out President Bush.

[jeffers]

Ok thanks.

[CedarDave]

Reading the whole thing. "All working together as a team; just need to make our team more efficient." She is pathetic (I know already said).

I bet Honore and Allen wish they were in Texas!

[golas1964]

This DOE website is a good place to start:
http://www.electricity.doe.gov/about/about.cfm?section=about&level2=home

Look for the 'Gulf Coast Hurricane Situation Report' PDF links in the upper-right corner.

[spotbust1]

This keeps her from having to think.