Hurricane Rita ( Bad News For Gulf )

Just heard that its been down graded to category 3 hurricane,

No links yet just broke on skynews TV

Was noted on the recent update, good news.

REPEATING THE 1 PM CDT POSITION...27.8 N... 92.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD... NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 931 MB.
www.nhc.noaa.gov...


Category Three Hurricane:
Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr).


[edit on 23-9-2005 by Regenmacher]

That's still really low pressure....go figure...
This is still a dangerous hurricane folks, no bones about it. It may "technically" be a 3, but it's a Cat 4 is far as how it's power should be viewed.... Well, off to check the tropics to see if I need to do some more shopping....

Pardon me for posting this bit of FYI on a few threads, but I want to make sure every one who needs to reads it.

If you are in the area that is getting hit and you find yourself out of water, please remember that your hot water heater holds a lot of water. It is just fine for drinking. Just be sure to shut off your circut breaker first so you dont fry it. I believe the average one holds about 30 gal.

Good luck!

EDIT: also remember to shut the water off that goes to the hot water tank so none of it gets contaminated.

[edit on 23-9-2005 by mrsdudara]

Be sure to check the Hurricane Tips thread here in this forum (it's a stickied thread). Many who've posted there, myself included, are no stranger to these storms, and we've learned a lot of tips that you won't find in your average guide. Also, lots of odds and ends that'll make you say, "yeah, why didn't I think of that!???"

www.intellicast.com...
From this it looks to me like a new eye is starting to form again so it may increase in strength.

It's pressure is that of a strong Cat 4, so I hope the designation of Cat 3 doesn't fool anyone...

As of 3:15pm on Accuweather:




Not looking good for Houston or Galveston:




[edit on 23-9-2005 by Mirlin11]

They just said that lightning has been observed in the eye wall, which usually doesn't happen over water............... unless the storm is strengthening. The IR satellite image looks more substantial now too.

As of 3:28pm:

Color Rita Sat Pics Time!


Higher resolution and more of the above (click)



Higher resolution and more of the above (click)



Higher resolution and more of the above(click)

Port Arthur's refinery is saying they could be down for one to two months.

There's a TON of refineries in both LA and TX by the border... Not to mention a TON of oil rigs off the coasts there too...no telling what's happening to them right now... No doubt, a few are likely floating towards the coast...

The gas hike could be a very real reality....

Even if not destroyed, repairs alone are going to take a while...and that means a dip in the supply... And the national reserve won't help much, because the problem isn't just oil supply, it's the capacity to refine it to gas!

I can't believe the NHC's last update was so damn long ago... Why is it that when these things get CLOSER, the NHC gets SLOWER???

If I was in Lake Charles right now, I'd be pissed!!! (or likely dead soon I suppose...)

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Gazrok]

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Gazrok]

according to engineers the rivers along the coast are going to literaly stop. Since the storm surges are coming from the ocean, and rivers feed into the ocean, the surges are going to over power the river currents and flood over the banks in the surrounding areas. All people near rivers in any of the surrounding areas are told to be on guard for their local water ways.

5 pm est disscussion NOAA

HURRICANE RITA DISCUSSION NUMBER 25
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT FRI SEP 23 2005

THE WEAKENING TREND APPEARS TO HAVE LEVELED OFF. IT APPEARS THAT THE
EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLES HAVE BEEN THE DOMINANT FACTOR...AS
USUAL...IN CONTROLLING THE INTENSITY FLUCTUATIONS OF RITA. FLIGHT
LEVEL WIND DATA FROM THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT
MAXIMUM WINDS ARE ABOUT 110 KNOTS. OBJECTIVE T-NUMBERS HAVE
INCREASED A LITTLE SUGGESTING STRONGER WINDS BUT I RATHER WAIT FOR
THESE NUMBERS TO PERSIST. ONLY A SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST
BEFORE LANDFALL DUE TO SHEAR AND COOLER OCEAN. THIS IS NOT A VERY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND IN FACT...RITA IS STILL FORECAST TO MAKE
LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.



This will still be bad for where Rita hits.

Sorry about not being here to help. Had family emergency everything fine now.

Ritas 5 day projected tract from Noaa.


[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

7 pm Discussion from Accu Weather

Tropical Storm-Force Winds Overspreading Texas, Louisiana Coasts as
Category 3 Hurricane Rita Approaches

As of 6:00 P.M. CDT Friday, Rita was centered near 28.5 north and 92.9 west, or 100 miles southeast of Sabine Pass near the Louisiana/Texas border. The minimum central pressure was 931 millibars (27.49 inches of mercury). At its peak, this storm was the third most intense Atlantic Basin hurricane ever recorded, with only Hurricane Gilbert and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 having lower pressure. Rita is moving to the northwest at a slightly faster rate of 13 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 85 miles, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles from the center of circulation. The storm has ended its current weakening trend, and will likely make landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane overnight. Tropical storm-force winds in rain squalls continue to spread inland across southern Louisiana along the northern side of Rita, and wind gusts to near hurricane force are arriving just off the coast of southwest and south-central Louisiana. Lake Charles reported a wind gust of 54 mph, and New Iberia reported a wind gust of 51 mph Friday afternoon. A wind gust to 71 mph was recently reported just southwest of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Galveston, Texas, recently reported a wind gust of 47 mph. Hurricane-force winds will overspread the southwestern and south-central Louisiana coast early Friday evening, and the upper Texas coast later Friday evening in advance of the hurricane's center.

Rita has speeded up and may cause lamdfall sooner than expected.

7 PM EST UPDATE NOAA

AT 6 PM CDT...2300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.9 WEST OR ABOUT 100 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS ALONG THE COAST AT THE BORDER BETWEEN
TEXAS AND LOUISIANA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA IS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE
BEFORE LANDFALL... BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME ASHORE AS A
DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
LOCALLY UP TO 20 FEET AT HEAD OF BAYS AND NEARBY RIVERS...WITH
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

Still a very dangerous Hurricane I hope and pray everyone is out of its way.

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

Latest Water Vapor Imagery From Rita


The heavy rain is about to reach the coast. Rita is expected to make landfall in about 6 to 8 hours.

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

UPDATE Acuu Weather

DANGEROUS RITA NOW LASHING THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND LOUISIANA
TOP NEWS STORY -The main rainbands associated with dangerous hurricane Rita are now lashing the Louisiana and upper Texas coast. Winds are already over 60 mph and they will continue to increase this evening. Winds over 100 mph are expected after midnight local time along the upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana coast. The eastern eye wall will pound the Louisiana coast while the western eye wall will go over Galveston later tonight. Massive damage will occur when the eye wall with winds over 100 mph hit. Check out the Houston and Lake Charles radars below to track the eye.




According to Accu Weather this is going to get worse.