Hurricane Rita thread

[kato]

My goofy boss is walking around with a hard hat on which probably is not a bad idea.

I know it's a major storm but the whole of Houston cannot evacuate. There are 4.5 mil people here.

 

[JBean]

Ok guys, I am so worried about this hurricane. My son is stationed at the coast guard in houston. He cannot leave, he is on the rescue heli's. I am worried sick. He can't even take his apt. belongings or his car anywhere. No where to take it. He can't leave... I am worried sick about him. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am. He's twenty four and single. I am so upset. Worried horribly about him. I can't help it. I am just sitting here crying and can't stop. I am sorry I just needed to talk.

Sorry LP..I'm sure he is highly trained and will be in good shape. hang in there mama I know it's hard :blowkiss:

 

[amandab]

My goofy boss is walking around with a hard hat on which probably is not a bad idea.

I know it's a major storm but the whole of Houston cannot evacuate. There are 4.5 mil people here.

That scares the beejeebers out of me, truly.

Kato, even if you don't leave, please do what you can to keep safe. I think I speak for all of us here at WS when I say we are very concerned for you right now.

 

[kato]

My goofy boss is walking around with a hard hat on which probably is not a bad idea.

I know it's a major storm but the whole of Houston cannot evacuate. There are 4.5 mil people here.[/QUOTE]

That scares the beejeebers out of me, truly.

Kato, even if you don't leave, please do what you can to keep safe. I think I speak for all of us here at WS when I say we are very concerned for you right now.

Thank you and I'll be fine. I'm don't mean to sound like a holy roller but I put everything in God's hands. My BF has been making hurricane preparations even before Katrina hit. We have a closet under our stairwell that we and our kitties can go in. He probably has the whole 1st floor of our townhouse moved upstairs. I just tried to call him and he didn't answer so he must be a bsuy bee.

 

[Details]

Same old thing, some people won't leave until they are absolutely certain the hurricane is going to make landfall where they are. Then it will be the last minute highway traffic parking lot.

The more people who leave early, the less of a parking lot there is - but it's still tough to convince people that they should go now rather than wait for the cat 5 to hit them. It's not just about the flood damage, it's about the hurricane damage - houses and buildings are blown completely down - unless you have an underground storm shelter, you aren't safe.

 

[kato]

I better call my GM who lives in the northwest part of town to see if she evacuating with my aunt who has MS and is wheelchair bound. They are probably going to one of my uncles houses in College Station.

 

[kato]

They say the eye is 30 miles wide and very clean which is not a good sign.

 

[Buzz Mills]

The more people who leave early, the less of a parking lot there is - but it's still tough to convince people that they should go now rather than wait for the cat 5 to hit them. It's not just about the flood damage, it's about the hurricane damage - houses and buildings are blown completely down - unless you have an underground storm shelter, you aren't safe.

I wouldn't have an underground storm shelter (for hurricanes) unless I was on a hill somewhere. With all of the rain, there will be lots of flooding. Hopefully by the time it reaches kato's home, the winds will have slowed substantially.

 

[kato]

I wouldn't have an underground storm shelter (for hurricanes) unless I was on a hill somewhere. With all of the rain, there will be lots of flooding. Hopefully by the time it reaches kato's home, the winds will have slowed substantially.

I hope you are right buzz. Undergrounds are only good for tornados. Reporters in Galveston have said they haven't run into anyone who is staying.

 

[Sandy247]

I pray for everyone who is in the path of this monster. Please be safe and take care of yourselves! Isabel came up the Chesapeake Bay and hit us two years ago and she was a CAT2. Thanks to all who are keeping us updated.

 

[Buzz Mills]

They say the eye is 30 miles wide and very clean which is not a good sign.

Hurricane Rita's eye looks almost the same as Katrina's did. Rita isn't as tightly wrapped/symetrical as Katrina was, but there are still two days to go before landfall begins for Rita.

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

 

[Shadow205]

Thank you and I'll be fine. I'm don't mean to sound like a holy roller but I put everything in God's hands. My BF has been making hurricane preparations even before Katrina hit. We have a closet under our stairwell that we and our kitties can go in. He probably has the whole 1st floor of our townhouse moved upstairs. I just tried to call him and he didn't answer so he must be a bsuy bee.

Kato, that is fine unless the whole Townhouse falls down on you. I'll pray for your safety.

 

[kato]

Well, I'm going to leave so I'll check into tomorrow.

 

[Shadow205]

The seawall is 18ft in Galveston and they are expecting a storm surge of 20ft. Do the math, not good.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Thank you and I'll be fine. I'm don't mean to sound like a holy roller but I put everything in God's hands. My BF has been making hurricane preparations even before Katrina hit. We have a closet under our stairwell that we and our kitties can go in. He probably has the whole 1st floor of our townhouse moved upstairs. I just tried to call him and he didn't answer so he must be a bsuy bee.

So BF has all the supplies ready for several days worth of "camping" upstairs? What about vehicles - they might get flooded/ruined unless they're on high ground. Don't forget to go to an ATM or something today or tomorrow - they say people should have extra cash on hand in case banks are closed, etc.

We've got employees who work up here, but have property down in Houston/Huntsville areas, and many are down there today boarding up homes, moving family, etc. They're all taking it seriously and getting out of Dodge. If I had family down there, I would not stay.

If you elect to stay, I wish you well.

 

[Buzz Mills]

HURRICANE RITA DISCUSSION NUMBER 17
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005

AND YET ANOTHER CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE THIS SEASON. DATA FROM BOTH
NOAA AND AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT
PRESSURE DROP TODAY AND WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 145 KNOTS. THIS IS
BASED ON A 700 MB WIND OF 161 KNOTS RECENTLY MEASURED BY AN AIR
FORCE PLANE AND A RECALIBRATED SFMR SURFACE WIND OF 146 KNOTS.
SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES WERE UNANIMOUSLY 140 KNOTS FROM ALL
AGENCIES. BECAUSE RITA WILL BE CROSSING AN AREA OF HIGH HEAT
CONTENT DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS...IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE
HURRICANE WILL MAINTAIN ITS STRENGTH. THEREAFTER...THE OCEAN HEAT
CONTENT IS NOT AS HIGH AND THE INTENSITY CHANGES WILL BE CONTROLLED
MAINLY BY EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLES AND DECREASING HEAT CONTENT.
SOME WEAKENING IS ANTICIPATED BUT RITA IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL
AS A MAJOR HURRICANE...AT LEAST CATEGORY THREE.

THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE STEERING PATTERN AND RITA IS MOVING
WESTWARD OR 275 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT
HAS BEEN FORCING RITA WESTWARD IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AND SHIFT
EASTWARD. THIS WILL ALLOW THE HURRICANE TO TURN GRADUALLY TOWARD
THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND NORTHWEST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THE
CORE OF RITA IS BASICALLY MOVING TOWARD THE TEXAS COAST AND THIS IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE TRACK MODEL CONSENSUS.

THE WIND FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH THE HURRICANE HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND
AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALREADY EXTEND ABOUT 150 N MI IN THE
NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE. BECAUSE ADDITIONAL EXPANSION OF THE WIND
FIELD IS ANTICIPATED...A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH
HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST.

FORECASTER AVILA


Hurricane Rita Position
http://tinyurl.com/7ju9l

Hurricane Rita Projected Path
http://tinyurl.com/c4fym

Hurricane Rita Strike Probabilities (Scroll Down)
http://tinyurl.com/8hqt6

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

The above links will update automatically, so if someone wants to include them in their future posts, they will be valid for that time.

Category Five Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Andrew of 1992 made landfall over southern Miami-Dade County, Florida causing 26.5 billion dollars in losses--the costliest hurricane on record. In addition, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 888 mb.

 

[Dark Knight]

Rita Swirls Into 165-Mph Monster in Gulf

By PAM EASTON, Associated Press Writer


As many as 1 million people were ordered to clear out along the Gulf Coast, and hospital and nursing home patients were evacuated Wednesday as Hurricane Rita turned into a Category-5, 165-mph monster that could slam Texas by the weekend and inflict more misery on New Orleans.

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.

All of Galveston, low-lying sections of Houston and Corpus Christi, and a mostly emptied-out New Orleans were under mandatory evacuation orders, one day after Rita sideswiped the Florida Keys as a far weaker storm and caused minor damage.

Having seen what 145-mph Hurricane Katrina did three weeks ago, many people were taking no chances as Rita swirled across the Gulf of Mexico.

"After this killer in New Orleans, Katrina, I just cannot fathom staying," 59-year-old Ldyyan Jean Jocque said before sunrise as she waited for an evacuation bus outside the Galveston Community Center. She had packed her Bible, some music and clothes into plastic bags and loaded her dog into a pet carrier.

"I really think it is going to be bad. That's really why I'm running. All these years I've stayed here, but I've got to go this time," said 65-year-old Barbara Anders. "I don't have but one life, and it is time for me to go."

The federal government was eager to show it, too, had learned its lesson after being criticized for its sluggish response to Katrina. It rushed hundreds of truckloads of water, ice and ready-made meals to the Gulf Coast and put rescue and medical teams on standby.

"You can't play around with this storm," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on ABC's "Good Morning America." He added: "The lesson is that when the storm hits, the best place to be is to be out of the path of the storm."

By early afternoon, Rita was centered more than 700 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, drawing strength from the warm waters of the gulf. Forecasters predicted it would come ashore Saturday along the central Texas coast between Galveston and Corpus Christi. But even a slight rightward turn could prove devastating to New Orleans.

 

[poco]

So BF has all the supplies ready for several days worth of "camping" upstairs? What about vehicles - they might get flooded/ruined unless they're on high ground. Don't forget to go to an ATM or something today or tomorrow - they say people should have extra cash on hand in case banks are closed, etc.

What the heck do you need cash for - everything will be FREE after a Cat 4 or 5 - like it was in New Orleans........

 

[poco]

Thank you and I'll be fine. I'm don't mean to sound like a holy roller but I put everything in God's hands. My BF has been making hurricane preparations even before Katrina hit. We have a closet under our stairwell that we and our kitties can go in. He probably has the whole 1st floor of our townhouse moved upstairs. I just tried to call him and he didn't answer so he must be a bsuy bee.

That, or he has already evacuated - lol!!!

 

[Buzz Mills]

What the heck do you need cash for - everything will be FREE after a Cat 4 or 5 - like it was in New Orleans........

and as much as you can carry. In New Orleans, there were so many stores looted, and most anything of value was stripped from the shelves. I'm sure there are gangs who accumulated a substantial amount of stuff, guns and ammo, included, so they can defend themselves from looters..