NEWS: Hurricane Rita - Category 5, page 1

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 07:55 PM

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Hurricane Rita has been upgraded to a category 5 and residents of southeast Taxas and Louisiana are rushing to flee from it's path. Houston is gridlocked as the mayor Bill White urges residents in low lying areas and mobile home parks to evacuate. A state of emergency has been declared in both Texas and Louisiana, which clears the path for FEMA to take control of the relief efforts. Hurricane Rita is packing winds of up to 265 kilometres per hour and the storm is moving west at 21 kilometres per hour.

www.cnn.com
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Residents in southeast Texas and coastal Louisiana scurried to get out of the way of Hurricane Rita, a Category 5 hurricane expected to hit the Lone Star State this weekend.

The storm's center was about 600 miles (966 kilometers) east-southeast of Galveston, Texas, and the storm was moving west at 13 mph (21 kph), according to a hurricane center advisory.

The warm Gulf waters were fueling the storm, which is about 350 miles wide.

About 50 miles from Houston, Galveston Island was under a state of emergency.

Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas ordered mandatory evacuations of nursing homes, assisted-living centers and similar facilities across Galveston County starting Wednesday morning.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday urged residents living in coastal communities from Corpus Christi to Port Arthur to begin their evacuation plans.

"It is quite likely it will be a devastating storm," he said. "Now is the time to leave." (Watch Gov. Perry discuss Texas' preparations)

Texas welcomed thousands of evacuees after Hurricane Katrina hit, and many are now having to flee again.

To avoid damage from the hurricane, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and the amphibious transport ship USS Shreveport will steam out of New Orleans Wednesday, according to officials at the U.S. Northern Command.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This storm is huge and seems at present to be much larger than Katrina was. It fills the whole gulf of Mexico and the eye is almost perfectly formed.

Disaster Center - Hurricane Rita
www.nhc.noaa.gov...

[edit on 21-9-2005 by Mayet]

hatchedcross

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 08:17 PM

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Originally posted by Mayet

That is strangely beautiful and yet terrifying....

All I can say is, god help the gulf.

Conspicuouz

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 08:28 PM

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man i hope we don't get pounded with northeasters this winter

The_Final

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 08:35 PM

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Yea how long has it been since Katrina? A week or two....the gulf is really going through hell right now. Hopefully they can endure

Astronomer68

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 08:38 PM

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Mayet I think this thread should be merged with Valhall's thread on the same subject.

DYepes

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 08:39 PM

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I wonder if these storms will become an annual event now? It was just earlier this year that it was reported that the north atlantic current was at least 50% weaker compared to past years. Perhaps it is this weakening of that current that has allowed these storms to travel into the gulf where warmer waters fuel them into monsters. I do remember that in years past these hurricanes typically would be carried northwards and dissipate in the north atlantic without ever reaching very high strength. If that current becomes so weak then these monster storms will become an annual event leaving most of the gulf coast uninhabitable due to annual massive destruction. Where will everyone go?

[edit on 9/21/2005 by DYepes]

Vitchilo

posted on Sep, 21 2005 @ 09:16 PM

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Next year it will be hell!

rancid1

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 02:15 AM

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You know what's funny about all this??
According to the headlines (msn) Texas is not playing around they're evacuating and getting the hell outta dodge where as New Orleans is taking the "wait and see attitude".

Hmmm lets see... there's a catagory 5 (with potential of a 6) sitting a couple 100 miles off my coast that basically takes up the entire Gulf and I live 9 feet below sea level. Should I stay or should I go???

Can I submit the people of NO for the Darwin Award?
Perhaps a little cleansing of gene pool at work?

rancid1

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 02:34 AM

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Yea, I know there's no catagory 6 but it makes sound even more fearsome don't you think?

orionthehunter

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 02:38 AM

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Originally posted by rancid1
Hmmm lets see... there's a catagory 5 (with potential of a 6) sitting a couple 100 miles off my coast that basically takes up the entire Gulf and I live 9 feet below sea level. Should I stay or should I go???

Can I submit the people of NO for the Darwin Award?

I'll agree that a cat 5 storm is no laughing matter and everyone should leave who can leave. These storms can flatten the whole area where they hit since they are basically an F3 tornado that is as big as the eye wall of say 23 or so miles wide. Then, these storms can generate huge storm surges and waves on top of that I believe. Tornadoes can spin off and take out any structures still left standing. It's not something I think sensible people would want to stay and see if they can survive.

After saying that I believe New Orleans was actually spared the worst of hurricane Katrina and the fact is simply that the levees needed repairs and they broke as I just heard recently. This is why a relatively slow flood occurred after Katrina already left. A direct hit would have broken the levees wide open and wiped out and flattened all those buildings we saw on the news a week or so ago. I don't believe all those thousands of people would have made it out alive if Katrina had directly hit New Orleans full force.

I've also heard that Rita may not be able to keep up it's cat 5 status. I wouldn't want to bet my life on that. I heard that Rita is more powerful than Katrina was.

[edit on 22-9-2005 by orionthehunter]

[edit on 22-9-2005 by orionthehunter]

aryaputhra

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 09:08 AM

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This hurricane will not be dangerous as a lot of people think it would. It would fly by, wreck a bit of trees and that will be it.

atlscribe

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 09:13 AM

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Originally posted by aryaputhra
This hurricane will not be dangerous as a lot of people think it would. It would fly by, wreck a bit of trees and that will be it.

"better safe than sorry"

SpittinCobra

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 09:14 AM

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Does the stupid storm need a new thread of any kind, whenever she gets stronger. I don't understand WHY it cant be in the first news report of her.

[edit on 22-9-2005 by SpittinCobra]

futuretense

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 10:32 AM

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Have you seen what is coming behind Rita developing out in the Atlantic??

Look!!

weather.charlotte.com...

Is this being driven by more than just a cyclical pattern?...........Is global warming getting the best of us now??

That storm could drawf Rita and destroy the Whole southeast!

TrueAmerican

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 10:37 AM

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Isn't that a bit too far out and unformed to call yet? But yeah that is not looking good. AT ALL.

SpittinCobra

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 10:39 AM

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Anymore storms that come into the gulf, will get no bigger than a 3, which is still big.

New york will be hit in the next two years, my prediction.

[edit on 22-9-2005 by SpittinCobra]

Relentless

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 10:40 AM

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No, isn't that Phillipe, the one that formed before Rita and is not coming to the east coast? (As oppossed to a new one forming)

Essan

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 10:43 AM

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Don't worry - that's not a hurricane

Correction: It is the remnants of Phillipe - heading up the Atlantic towards iceland

[edit on 22-9-2005 by Essan]

Djarums

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 11:44 AM

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Wow... THANK YOU to those of you who clarified that the other system is remnants of a hurricane, not a newly forming one.

That would be one of the scariest things I can imagine. That thing is longer than the distance between NYC and Miami.

bodrul

posted on Sep, 22 2005 @ 12:53 PM

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i wounder if these will get worst in the future looking at how global worming is changing climents