Hurricane Rita thread

[mysteriew]

Rita Could Be Strongest Storm to Hit Texas

GALVESTON, Texas - Gaining strength with frightening speed, Hurricane Rita swirled toward the Gulf Coast a Category 5, 165-mph monster Wednesday as more than 1.3 million people in Texas and Louisiana were sent packing on orders from authorities who learned a bitter lesson from Katrina. With Rita projected to hit Texas by Saturday, Gov. Rick Perry urged residents along the state's entire coast to begin evacuating. And New Orleans braced for the possibility that the storm could swamp the misery-stricken city all over again.

Galveston, low-lying parts of Corpus Christi and Houston, and mostly emptied-out New Orleans were under mandatory evacuation orders as Rita sideswiped the Florida Keys and began drawing energy with terrifying efficiency from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Between 2 a.m. and 4 p.m., it went from a 115-mph Category 2 to a 165-mph Category 5. Forecasters said Rita could be the most intense hurricane on record ever to hit Texas, and easily one of the most powerful ever to plow into the U.S. mainland. Category 5 is the highest on the scale, and only three Category 5 hurricanes are known to have hit the U.S. mainland — most recently, Andrew, which smashed South Florida in 1992.

http://tinyurl.com/dlc9v

I don't know about everybody else, but I am getting scared. And I don't even live down there.

 

[deanws]

we'll know a lot better over the next 36 hours. By that time we should be down to plus, or minus 75 miles

Even if it is not a direct hit...there is going to be damage, flooding, ect. It is just too big. This thing is covering a good portion of the Texas coastline.

 

[Shadow205]

This storm is bothering me so much that I am sitting here smoking a cigerette and I don't smoke inside my house!

 

[deanws]

This storm is bothering me so much that I am sitting here smoking a cigerette and I don't smoke inside my house!

I don't smoke at all....but could you pass me one? :chicken:

 

[Buzz Mills]

we'll know a lot better over the next 36 hours. By that time we should be down to plus, or minus 75 miles

The last advisory said:

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST
FROM PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS TO CAMERON LOUISIANA.

There's about 400 miles distance, as the crow flies, between those two locations. That covers a lot of territory. When Rita establishes a definite more Northerly track, it will mean the front, that is preventing Rita from really heading North, has moved, and a much better prediction can be made.

 

[Shadow205]

I don't smoke at all....but could you pass me one? :chicken:

LOL, blowing some smoke your way

 

[deanws]

I don't know about everybody else, but I am getting scared. And I don't even live down there.

We might not either after Sunday.:chicken:

 

[Shadow205]

We might not either after Sunday.:chicken:

How far inland are you?

 

[Buzz Mills]

We might not either after Sunday.:chicken:

Rita keeps getting uglier. Notice how the red center (indicating large amounts of moisture, and intensity) appears to be getting larger.

Hurricane Rita Satellite Imagery (Patience Required)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Shadow205]

Rita keeps getting uglier. Notice how the red center (indicating large amounts of moisture, and intensity) appears to be getting larger.

Hurricane Rita Satellite Imagery (Patience Required)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsyhttp://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

That is one helluva picture Buzz. You know it is so strang. It doesn't even seem like "weather". It is like it is a creature.

 

[deanws]

How far inland are you?

We live in Baytown. It is right on the ship channel.

 

[Buzz Mills]

That is one helluva picture Buzz. You know it is so strang. It doesn't even seem like "weather". It is like it is a creature.

I think the next 24 hours are going to tell us what Rita is going to be. If it continues to grow at all, I wouldn't want to be anywhere in South Texas, or even Loiusiana--just too risky.

 

[Buzz Mills]

We live in Baytown. It is right on the ship channel.

dd, I found your town

http://tinyurl.com/eytxa

Where is your farm??

 

[mysteriew]

We live in Baytown. It is right on the ship channel.

DD are you staying?

 

[deanws]

DD are you staying?

No...I am already at our farm in Kosse. My husband is loading up what he can and will set out about 4:00 am. He just emailed me a picture of our house that he took today. I would post it if I could figure out how to. I am sad at the moment.

 

[Buzz Mills]

No...I am already at our farm in Kosse. My husband is loading up what he can and will set out about 4:00 am. He just emailed me a picture of our house that he took today. I would post it if I could figure out how to. I am sad at the moment.

dd, your farm is in a much safer location.

http://tinyurl.com/7g33p

 

[mysteriew]

No...I am already at our farm in Kosse. My husband is loading up what he can and will set out about 4:00 am. He just emailed me a picture of our house that he took today. I would post it if I could figure out how to. I am sad at the moment.

Waiting and not knowing what will happen is hard. But you are doing the right thing in going somewhere safe. Whatever happens with the property isn't as important as coming out alive. And once Rita hits, your being there wouldn't make a difference anyway. My thoughts and prayers will be with you in the meantime.
My thought before Katerina, and my thoughts now are the same. It is like watching an accident just before it occurs. You see what is going to happen, and there is nothing you can do, except pray the damage will be minimal.
I am glad you and hubby decided not to ride it out.

 

[Dark Knight]

That eye is as defined as Katrina's was. Still lots of time to go one way or another, though, as far as strength.

This will likely affect gas prices, again, since it's the Gulf area, so might wanna fill up ASAP.

 

[Sassygerl]

We're in Austin - and all the stuff I'm seeing this evening, Rita is supposed to hit Matagorda Bay (which is 1/2 way between Galveston and Corpus Christi) and then come straight up through Austin. The good news is most predictors say it will calm down to a high 3 or a low 4 before it hits land.

My family is here from the Galveston area tonight - looks to me like they left a safer place than this! Oy vey.

I'm am right there with ya!! Did you see the news???...HEB is depleted!!!! The shelves are empty!!!!! Wowza!!!!! My DH ordered a handheld scanner that will come tomorrow....he needed it for work. I am glad. I have never been thru such a storm...and I love storms, but not Rita!!!! I must admit I am a bit skeeerrreeed......if it was just us I'd be fine, but I have 3 children, so of course I'm more anxious!!!! And tomorrow is the first day of Fall and is suppose to 102.....dropping to lower 80s Sat. when Rita arrives.

I have so much family too in the Houston area......my mom I wish would head this way. She's not in a good spot.....but the drive from Houston to even College Station is 10 hours my aunt tells me. OYYYYYY!

We have so much food, and have everthing we need.......I just need to clear out our closet under the stairs We'll be fine!

 

[Dark Knight]

Forecast Advisory

THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS 280/08. RITA HAS ACTUALLY MADE A
LARGE WOBBLE AND SLOWED TO A 285/06 KT MOTION THE PAST 6 HOURS.
HOWEVER...SUCH MOTION CHANGES...WHICH ARE NOT UNUSUAL FOR
EXPLOSIVELY DEEPENING TROPICAL CYCLONES AS THE INNER CORE WIND
FIELD AND CONVECTIVE PATTERN REORGANIZES...ARE CONSIDERED TEMPORARY
AND RITA IS EXPECTED TO SHORTLY RESUME A MORE WESTWARD MOTION. THE
18Z NHC MODEL GUIDANCE IS A LITTLE MORE CONVERGENT THAN PREVIOUS
MODEL RUNS... WITH THE GFS AND GFDL MODELS DOING THEIR USUAL
AFTERNOON EASTWARD SHIFT. THOSE MODELS NOW BRING RITA ACROSS THE
HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA IN ABOUT 72 HOURS. HOWEVER...THE OTHER
MODELS SEEM TO HAVE STABILIZED THEIR FORECAST TRACKS FARTHER WEST
WITH THE CONSENSUS HAVING SHIFTED A LITTLE MORE TO THE RIGHT. THE
OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK WAS ALSO SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT...BUT NOT AS
FAR AS THE GFS/GFDL MODELS...SINCE IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE GLOBAL
MODELS HAVE A REASONABLE HANDLE ON WEAKENING THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE
ACROSS TEXAS AND THE GULF COAST BASED 22/00Z UPPER-AIR DATA
INDICATING 40 METER HEIGHT FALLS ACROSS THIS REGION DURING THE PAST
24 HOURS.

Real hurricanes don't wobble! :snooty: