NEWS: Hurricane Rita Resources & Live Coverage Thread

This Thread will contain the latest updates about Hurricane Rita and the Aftermath
Latest: Port Arthur, TX projected target





Details & Forecast
Track Map
NOAA Live Radio
Downgrade To Category 3
Doppler Loop
Radar Loop
Latest Advisory

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. 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 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.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 205 MILES...335 KM. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD
INLAND AS FAR AS 100 MILES NEAR THE PATH OF RITA. AN ELEVATED
STATION AT MARSH ISLAND LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 59 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 78 MPH.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT WAS 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

Gulf Coast Evacuation Routes

DOPPLER RADAR
Port Arthur NBC Doppler
CBS Port Arthur Doppler
Dallas Doppler

Accuweather Satellite Loop



Webcam/Live News Webcast Links
ABC13 Eyewitness News Live Webcast
CBS KHOU Live Webcast
NBC Affiliate Live Webcast
Beaumont, TX Webcam
Port Arthur, TX Webcam
KTRK-TV Live Coverage


Port Arthur Media
NBC Affiliate: Port Arthur
CBS Affiliate: Port Arthur
CBS Affiliate Port Arthur: Message Board

Houston Media
ABC Affiliate
CBS Affiliate
NBC Affiliate


Relevant Other News:
New Orleans Levee Breach
24 People Dead As Bus Explodes on I54
www.cnn.com...

/WEATHER/09/23/rita/index.html?section=cnn_mostpopular" target="_blank" class="postlink">Rita Begins Texas Assault

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Nerdling]

[edit on 23-9-2005 by Nerdling]

[edit on 25-9-2005 by Nerdling]

CNN saying its going to take 8 hours to hit. Maybe less, she's picking up speed.

CNBC/Accuweather saying that the eye is tightening up again and may intensify to Category 4 before making land near High Island.

I feel the need to post a very simple reply.

God Bless The USA!

I have been watching the "LIVE" coverage by many TV, Online News stations, and various other agencies.

The only response I can make is simply . . .

"Thank You!"

Thank You! . . . to those that have given of themselves!

Thank You! . . . to those that have the better of the whole in mind . . . your actions clearly display this!

Thank You! . . . to any/all who have made an effort to help anyone needing assistance!

Thank You! . . . to all government agencies who are providing support services to the affected regions!

Overall.....

THANK YOU, AMERICA! We're all in this together!

Ongoing LIVE coverage from:
ABC13.com

Though there may be other coverages, this is the most "as-it happens" I have found so far.

If you are within the projected hurricane strike zone, PLEASE leave now!

Peace2All

WATS!

Nerdling!

[edit on 9/23/2005 by 12m8keall2c]

Does anyone know if they have cleared the highways yet??

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Does anyone know if they have cleared the highways yet??

Everything I've heard says that the freeway IS clear now. Many people got frustrated and turned around to go home, while the ones who waited it out eventually got moving.

Fox is showing a montage of pictures which show busy highways. I dont think Houstons going to be that hard hit.

forecasting 75-80mph constant winds for Houston

checking in from near downtown in the galleria, winds are very low in the city, no rain... cloudy skies, been able to see cloud movement in the last couple hours.

all the freeways are clear and everyone who is riding it out is here.

there is no gas in the city and with 2.8 million people gone its close to a ghost town.

my concern is when all these people tryt and come back, still no gas, it will rain for the better half of a week so are all these people gonna take to the road? plus Rita might stall out over some northern texan cities where many evacuated too.

Accuweather just floated the idea that winds will be around 150mph sustained on landfall.

I assume this is because of the warmer and wetter coastal waters.

It could go back up to Cat 5 :-s

ya i saw that, but the surface temperatures are colder than the water and shallower, the only way it gets faster is if the eye shrinks down and it speeds up but i personally dont expect that. it seems like the news will say anything to make it more of a catasprophe. of the 3 million people that evacuated prolly only have a third or less really should have the media, especially local media in the area has created a panic.

... Guess its a bad time to tell you that they also said that the eyewall is tightening up

The eye usually does tighten up when it makes landfall because it "wants" to stay over the water, therefore shrinks and the winds intensify.

[edit on 9/23/2005 by djohnsto77]

eh, i'm not concerend i'm on the south west side of houston and the storm is going to make landfall around 100 miles east of me. there might be hurricane winds but more likely it will all be tropical storm force winds, no joke, but no reason to evacuate 3 million people.

i think the 24 people who died on the road will be more than the storm kills.

Still waiting for it to come ashore.

Remaining at category 3.

Just got back in and I heard something about "fires in Galveston" any info on that as of yet??? a post office maybe or some historic houses??

Its on CNN now, large fires in the Eastern area of Galveston, firefighters are battling it now. Historical buildings.

There are brave firefighters out there trying to battle this fire now. All you can see is the embers swirling about like crazy. This is nuts, these guys can't fight this, they need to let it just burn, cut the losses and back off.

Building burning is an "Old Eagle's Lodge 48" oldest Eagles Lodge in Texas I believe the guy said. Also a large victorian house nearby and a smaller house is believed to have been burned.

A woman was pulled out from the lodge.. badly injured.

*Reports are that fire is mostly contained now. I guess these guys know what they are doing


[edit on 9-23-2005 by worldwatcher]

So its 11:30 and the first bands of rain are coming into the city of houston. went for a walk and got some pretty decent gusts but nothing too bad. i passed more people walking through my complex than ever before. its friday night and everyone has been watching this on TV for a week they are all sitting out there, most in chairs just watching the storm come.

fires in galveston are a concern but otherwise nothing too bad yet. expected to get the worst of it in 2 hours or so.

I hate to keep bringing up 9/11 ...Its just what I know...I know that the first responders were local...they were driven there...they volunteered themselves...in droves...in the first hours by the hundreds.... in the first days by the thousands.....We were stacked up watching the back of the departments the kept driving south and someone would pick up the rear and so forth and so on...the resources of volunteers were endless....They actually piled up on one another.....In the beginning it was tristate...then country wide people came to help...Volunteers 75 miles away were sheltered in holding stations for days just for a chance to relieve fireman, tinknockers, aux police.......truck after truck fire, police, citizens...no federal aid in the first few days! all local EMS and donatated materials from shoes and socks to acetalene torches...I hope this happens for our friends and neighbors in the South,,,,,
Our 2 man teams here were told they will be called upon when they put themselves on a list to volunteer...mandatory 2 weekss down there ...they were told to expect a war zone or worse...bring a sleeping bag and dont expect any luxuries...that it is hell, but just be thankful its not your home.

Kris