Hurricane Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 20 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Rita is in the Florida Straits, impacting the Florida Keys and South Florida Peninsula. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for numerous portions of South Florida. Check local weather statements for updates.

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 SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only
Extra Large Miami Radar Broadband only
Extra Large Key West Radar Broadband only
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

WTVJ-TV/DT Miami (NBC6)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (CBS 4)
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (Fox)

Other Resources:

Florida East Coast Surf Reports Lots of great info here, including surf cams
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

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:
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[Coldwater Creek]

I am originally from the Lubbock area. I remember my father telling about a flash flood in the fourties.Water was up to the hood on the car. After that storm we nearly starved to death as he was a dry land farmer.

[dfwgator]

Just waiting for the nutbags to comment on how President Bush responded so quickly for Texas.

[Pebcak]

Thanks alot.

[Xenalyte]

Trade you some of it for oh, maybe one of those big damn tarantulas y'all have out there!

[steveegg]

Damn, but Rita is booking. Why couldn't she make a left turn into Havana? :-)

[samiam1972]

We filled up for $2.39 this morning! Big cheers here. Funny how we've been conditioned to think that it's such a bargain! I remember in the last 7 years filling up for $0.89 per gallon!!!! Crazy!

[RoseyT]

"um, hcoem.com i think takes them to Lufkin"

Are y'all talking about people from Pasadena coming to Lufkin? I just spoke to my friend at the Red Cross shelter here and she said they're getting conflicting info. She heard some talk about people being sent to San Antonio but she feels we'll likely end up with some Gulf coast Texans here as the shelter is set up and ready to go and we don't have that many Katrina evacuees left on site.

The shelter is at the United Pentecostal Campgrounds on Hwy 59S. There are 8 dorm buildings and everything else is in a separate building. Not home, but better than cots in a stadium, IMHO, and having volunteered out there week before last I can tell you I worked with some VERY kind and caring people. (I realize the Red Cross organization doesn't seem to be that well liked as a whole but this was my first experience working with them and the people in my community impressed the heck out of me.) The number to the shelter here is (936) 637-0911, in case anyone needs it. If anyone needs any other local Lufkin info, feel free to Freepmail me or post here. I'll be checking in off and on.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

No water huh? Wish you had told me that Aug 13 or so when my car drown out at the corner of University and 82nd.......... ;^)

[nwctwx]

I'd say somewhere between Corpus Christi and Houston at this point.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Oh, I'm truly sorry - I can't dance so it didn't work.......... ;^)

[Michael Goldsberry]

"Beltway and I-10 have that hideous intersection"

... I know exactly what you're talking about...

;)

[Sally'sConcerns]

If in fact there are no room in Texas, here's a link to a town in Ok with accomodations:

http://www.duncanok.org/html/accomodations.html

It's large enough to have a Holiday Inn as well as a couple of other hotels along with a SuperWalmart and the regional hospital. It's off the beaten path but Halliburton and Schlumberger have a presence here. It's 25 miles due east of Lawton, Ok.

I offer the info as a just in case and because I live 10 miles north so I know the area. It takes about 8 hours to get to from Houston. When we lived in Houston we wouldn't take the I-35 route but would go through Decatur, then to Bowie, take a right at 81 in Bowie and then a straight shot.

http://www.cityofduncan.com/

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-478703-duncan_ok_vacations-i

[numberonepal]

Also remember Katrina was up to 175MPH before that puff of dry air.

The Finger of G_d. However, 174 sustained winds with 210 gusts were recorded in Slidell before the gage broke (lost the link, but it was in the Mobile Press Register if you wish to verify). Some believe there were 200 mph sustained winds in Venice, LA. We'll never know for sure.

[nwctwx]

She's not going to slow down too much. They usually slow when they are rounding the ridge... she is at the base of the ridge, and the ridge will slowly shift east. I think it will be cat 3 by 8 or 11pm tonight. Cat 4 by tomorrow night.

[Rebelbase]

The last fairly readable Rutgers sea surface temp. map for the gulf was on Sept. 16. You can see the Katrina wake at about 83-85 degrees. Beyond that this storm will have 2 days of travel over waters 87-90 degrees before hitting the Texas coast.

http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/show/?file=../regions/gulfmexico/sst/noaa/2005/img/050916.259.1623.n17.jpg

[jpsb]

Thanks, guess tomorrow we will know enough to make intelligent decisions.

[SE Mom]

Pouring rain now in Central FL- very windy with squalls.

[Xenalyte]

Worst interchange EVER. And they keep constructing on it and making it even worse!

[tarheelswamprat]

From the Chronicle article:

"FEMA has already been part of this. They have offered whatever support we need,'' Walt said. "Texas is not Louisiana. You won't see that breakdown occurring here.''

[mercy]

If Rita finished of NO it would save us bankrupting ourselves 'fixing' something that will always be a disaster waiting to happen. The Louisianna Delta will keep sinking as long as there is a city sitting on it.