Hurricane Rita ( Bad News For Gulf )

This could be bad for Florida and New Orleans.

Hurricane forecasters are casting a wary eye on a new tropical depression in the Caicos Islands. The disturbance is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm (Rita) within the next 24 hours. And, with a west or WNW movement likely, it's quite possible we'll have an intensifying tropical storm swirling through the Florida Staits tomorrow (Monday) night. In the meantime, tropical storm warnings are posted for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast and central Bahamas. Farther north, a hurricane watch is in effect for the northwest Bahamas.

Hurrican Central

(title edit to reflect hurricane status)

[edit on 20-9-2005 by pantha]

I heard it's supposed to be at least a Cat 2 by the time it gets into the Gulf.

I'm going to go check out the weather sites.

11 AM UPDATE:

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS FROM OCEAN REEF SOUTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO DRY
TORTUGAS...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS

UPDATE

Right now it looks like a hit to Southern Texas, but who knows...these things seem to have a mind of their own.



edit:

BTW, there's only 4 names left:

Stan
Tammy
Vince
Wilma

I think it's pretty clear they'll run out this year, I don't think I've ever seen that happen before...

[edit on 9/18/2005 by djohnsto77]

They can have Xavier, Yvonne, and Zachary...that would keep up the male/female pattern.

Why they skip over Q is beyond me. You could have Queenie or Quentin.

Originally posted by Amethyst
They can have Xavier, Yvonne, and Zachary...that would keep up the male/female pattern.

Why they skip over Q is beyond me. You could have Queenie or Quentin.

I don't think there are enough possible names to use those letters, you have to have a six-year cycle of names and retire and replace names of storms that cause a lot of death and/or damage (there'll never be another Katrina).

[edit on 9/18/2005 by djohnsto77]

Rita has now officially formed as a tropical storm:

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 22.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 72.7 WEST OR ABOUT 355
MILES... 570 KM... EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR. A WEST TO
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON
THIS TRACK...RITA WILL BE MOVING OVER THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL
BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH... 65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES... 110
KM... MAINLY TO THE NORTH FROM THE CENTER.

www.nhc.noaa.gov...

[edit on 9/18/2005 by djohnsto77]

The Latest From The Weather Channel:

A hurricane watch has been posted for the Florida Keys and a tropical storm watch has been added for the extreme southeastern Florida Peninsula as Tropical Storm Rita (formerly Tropical Depression Eighteen) in the Caicos Islands continues to become better organized. With further intensification and a west or WNW movement of the system likely, it's quite possible there will be a category 1 hurricane swirling through the Straits of Florida Tuesday. In the meantime, tropical storm warnings remain posted for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast and central Bahamas. Farther north, a hurricane watch remains in effect for the northwest Bahamas. A hurricane watch has been issued for western Cuba and a tropical storm watch is now in effect for central Cuba.

They have already began evacuations in the Keys.

This is very interesting, if the path of the new storm is to be somewhere in the Texas coast line and let say its intensity is very high this is going to be bad news for the ports in the areas.

We have already the devastation from the last hurricane on the ports in MI, Louisiana, what will happened if Texas get devastated in the coast?

There goes the prices for gas again.

How about the next hurricane after Rita, Phillipe I think is the name.

He will be next.

Rita better stay south of me, I spent my whole weekend replanting my garden that Katrina tore up...and I'm not in the mood to do it again.

Originally posted by djohnsto77

BTW, there's only 4 names left:

Stan
Tammy
Vince
Wilma

I think it's pretty clear they'll run out this year, I don't think I've ever seen that happen before...

It has been really busy this year and the season doesn't end until Nov 30th.

If they run out of English names they are going to use Greek letters like Hurricane Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc.

fox21

State of emergency for Florida as Rita heads to west

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), Rita had top sustained winds of about 40 mph, and was centred about 355 miles (570 kilometres) east-southeast of Nassau, Bahamas, and about 600 miles (965 kilometres) east-southeast of Key West. It was moving to the west near 10 mph.

In Tallahassee, Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency for Florida, which gives the state authority to oversee evacuations and activate the National Guard, among other powers.

and

Tropical storm watch issued for Broward, Miami-Dade

A tropical storm watch has been issued for South Florida from Deerfield Beach southward to Florida City, and continuing around the peninsula westward to Cape Sable.

A hurricane watch remains in effect for the Florida Keys.

A watch means those conditions are possible, not necessarily expected, within the next 36 hours.

8pm Advisory from NHC has TS Rita getting her act together:

Tropical Storm RITA Public Advisory

...RITA GETTING MUCH BETTER ORGANIZED AND STRENGTHENING AS IT NEARS
THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM
OCEAN REEF SOUTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO DRY TORTUGAS...INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY. THE WATCH AREA WILL LIKELY BE UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE
WARNING LATER TONIGHT.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
PORTIONS OF THIS WATCH AREA MAY BE UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE WARNING
LATER TONIGHT.

A HURRICANE WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA
CLARA...MATANZAS...CIUDAD DE HABANA...LA HABANA...AND PINAR DEL
RIO...AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE PROVINCES OF CIEGO DE
AVILA...SANCTI SPIRITUS...AND CIENFUEGOS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS...AND FOR THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA PENINSULA FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD TO
FLORIDA CITY AND CONTINUING WESTWARD TO EAST CAPE SABLE. THE WATCH
AREA WILL LIKELY BE UPGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND
POSSIBLY A HURRICANE WATCH LATER TONIGHT.

I might be under that Hurricane Watch by 11pm oh my poor poor garden

Everyone stay safe. As for me...

Im ready :




I wont be leaving. If it comes near tampa and anyone tries to loot me its their loss.

11pm Advisory now in

Tropical Storm RITA Public Advisory

...RITA MOVING CLOSER TO THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...
...NEW WATCHES AND WARNINGS ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN FLORIDA...

AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z... THE HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS HAS
BEEN UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE WARNING. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN
EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA BAY FROM OCEAN REEF
SOUTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO DRY TORTUGAS.

AT 11 PM EDT... THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA PENINSULA HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A
HURRICANE WATCH ARE NOW IN EFFECT FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD TO
FLORIDA CITY AND CONTINUING WESTWARD TO EAST CAPE SABLE.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA
CLARA...MATANZAS...CIUDAD DE HABANA...LA HABANA...AND PINAR DEL
RIO...AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE PROVINCES OF CIEGO DE
AVILA...SANCTI SPIRITUS...AND CIENFUEGOS.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. A
HURRICANE WARNING IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...
EXCLUDING GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO ISLAND.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS...AND FOR THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.

darn it

Weatherunderground meteorologist Dr. Masters, urges Keys Residents to evacuate asap, Rita might strengthen to more than a Cat 1 and possibly be a very strong CAT 2 as it crosses somewhere over the Keys.

I don't know if you guys know what the Keys are like, but one main road, very near the water and conditions rapidly deteriorating means that Keys Residents should be up right now, preparing property and leaving as soon as they are finished.

HERE IS THE LATEST

AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 22.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 73.3 WEST OR ABOUT 295
MILES... 480 KM... EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR. A
GENERAL WEST-NORTHWEST TO WESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FOR
THE NEXT A 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...RITA WILL BE MOVING OVER THE
SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH... 85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS... AND RITA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE BY LATE
MONDAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES
...110 KM... MAINLY NORTH THROUGH EAST OF THE CENTER.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1002 MB...29.59 INCHES.

RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6
INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND THE SOUTHEAST AND
CENTRAL BAHAMAS...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8
INCHES. STORM TOTALS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS
OF 15 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS...WITH 3 TO 5
INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG
WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR IN
THE FLORIDA KEYS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET WILL
BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA COAST...AND IN
THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.

This storm is one to watch. Everyone in its path needs to get out.

This looks like it'll be another Katrina, cat 4 or 5 when it hits land after travelling through the gulf...everyone in its possible path needs to really pay attention to what it's doing.

What just happened to Rita?

Check out this loop ("floater")
It requires Java.

Satellite Services Division - GOES Water Vapor Floater Loop

Originally posted by Hellmutt
What just happened to Rita?

Check out this loop ("floater")
It requires Java.

Satellite Services Division - GOES Water Vapor Floater Loop

Looks like it merged with another low and bumping more north.

You guys think about NO? IF that area got a double whammy they would be screwed for eternity. Especially with people starting to go back home (if their home was left). I dont think that would be very pretty!