Hurricane Rita ( Bad News For Gulf )

here in downtown houston starting to get a little bit more wind and a light intermitent drizzle around 8pm local time (central)


my concern is with 2.8 million people trying to get back into the city and with still no gas and it could be tough for them to get back, plus weather reports have it raining for most of next week meaning nearly 3 million on the road in bad weather coming back.

Update 9 pm EST fromNOAA

AT 8 PM CDT...0100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.0 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS ALONG THE COAST AT THE BORDER BETWEEN
TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 11 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE RITA WILL MAKE LANDFALL ALONG
THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS NEAR DAYBREAK
SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...195 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.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 931 MB...27.49 INCHES

I think because Rita was a Cat 5 and now a Cat 3 folks are under estimating the damage this storm can still do. If folks are starting to come back like you say I feel this is to early. They do not realize the danger that could come.
[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]

people arn't coming back yet, but in a couple days they will. I think houston got very lucky... its gonna get off easy compared to what we were looking at 48 hours ago.

Here's some uncommon doppler radar links for Rita:

Extra-large images:
www.duats.com...
www.atmo.arizona.edu...

Dopper with relief map background:
www.srh.noaa.gov...

USAF secured weather server-public access:
26ows.barksdale.af.mil

They are announcing on all the networks that this is still going to be a lot worse than we are assuming. I guess time will tell

Regenmacher, Thanks for the links. Sorry I was not here today but had family emergencey that is OK now. Glad to have your help. I think even though Rita has weakened this is still going to be worse than everyone expects. Hope not but who knows?

Originally posted by Harry55
They are announcing on all the networks that this is still going to be a lot worse than we are assuming. I guess time will tell

Even though they're classing her as a 3, that's only wind speed. The pressure is still in the 4 range and pressure is one of the big factors in surge. Katrina landed as a 4 yet had a lower pressure than Andrew and Camile and ultimately did more damage.

dangermouse
Good point you made . Thought for a while Rita had got everyone. Glad to see your still around and well.

Originally posted by Harry55
dangermouse
Good point you made . Thought for a while Rita had got everyone. Glad to see your still around and well.

I've been following it as much as I have time for, but many of the members, you especially, have been contributing the updates pretty timely so I've mostly been reading the posts

Without your help Dangermouse it would not have been the same .

Denton county..getting the first band..no rain yet, clouds and a good wind!
Will keep ya posted

Originally posted by Harry55
Without your help Dangermouse it would not have been the same .

Thanks Harry! BTW, Shepard Smith just about got blown on his arse! (I'm not a FOX news junkie if your wondering, I check them all)

Originally posted by Harry55
Regenmacher, Thanks for the links. Sorry I was not here today but had family emergencey that is OK now. Glad to have your help. I think even though Rita has weakened this is still going to be worse than everyone expects. Hope not but who knows?

Yes Cat 3 is far better than a Cat 5, but they are forecasting 25-30 inches of total rain since she may stall over the region. Katrina moved out fast, so it's not over yet in the least bit.

Hope there are no people stranded on the southern Texas roads tonight.

The great Houston Flood of 2001 brought to you by Tropical Storm Allison





www.srh.noaa.gov...
www.chron.com...

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Regenmacher]

Hey the latest Dvorak IR seems to show the eye closed for the first time in a while.

Did any ATS members just watch the Weather Channel Update on TV ? Exactly what Dangermouse just said. Folks are not considering the pressure which I feel is more damaging than wind speed.

The Rita eye appears to be reforming.

As I posted in the news thread, as it makes landfall, the eye tends to shrink in an attempt to remain over the water.

If that happens here, the pressure certainly could sustain much higher winds with a smaller eye.

djohnsto77
Good to see you still around. You helped start this thread. Lets all finish it in a way we all can be proud of later. As we report on this historical storm Rita which will be talked about the rest of our lives.

10 pm EST NOAA

Latest Location Of Rita

ZCZC MIATCEAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE POSITION ESTIMATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
9 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

AT 9 PM CDT...0200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.1 WEST...OR ABOUT 70 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS ALONG THE COAST AT THE BORDER BETWEEN TEXAS
AND LOUISIANA.

FORECASTER KNABB


Rita is getting closer to showing what she still has.

Almost there. Rita latest satelite imagery. 10:35 pm


sirocco.accuweather.com...

11 PM UPDATE NOAA

AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH... LONGITUDE 93.2 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES... 90
KM... SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS ALONG THE GULF COAST AT THE
TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH... 19 KM/HR. THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL. A GRADUAL
TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED PRIOR
TO LANDFALL. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER RITA MOVES
INLAND.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 931 MB...27.49 INCHES.



[edit on 23-9-2005 by Harry55]