Hurricane Rita - what would you do if ...

[Leon Roskilly]

This video shows what will happen.

 

Galveston Island disappears beneath the sea!

 

http://www.click2houston.com/video/4998700/detail.html

 

 

 

 

TL - leon

[Leon Roskilly]

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

 

"Storm surge heights will peak at 20 - 25 feet in some bays, and bring the ocean inland up to 50 miles from the coast. Large sections of I-10 between Houston and Beaumont will be inundated, and the flood waters will reach the cities of Beaumont, Orange, and Lake Charles"

 

 

"NOAA buoy 42001 measured sustained winds of 52 mph, gusting to 64 mph, and 31 foot waves at 8am CDT. At the time, the buoy was located 80 miles WNW of Rita. This evening at 5pm CDT, Rita should make a very close pass by this buoy. I expect waves of 50 - 70 feet will impact the buoy, and huge swells from Rita are already starting to pound the Gulf Coast."

 

 

TL - leon

[Steve Burke]

Some (relatively) good news at last. Rita is now expected to make landfall as a Category 3.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Well I guess it's a case of run like hell, or if your stubborn go through the motions of kissing ones nether regions good bye.

 

With wind you can batten down the hatches but as we have already seen it does not pan out well in storm surges.

 

I was pleased to see thousands making the right choice and would hope those who are unable to do it for themselves get some REAL help this time before it is to late.

[Chris Plumb]

From the latest Advisory - issued at 1000 CDT (is that 1600BST??)

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 165 MPH...270 KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING

THE NEXT 24 HOURS BUT RITA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE.

 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM.

 

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 907 MB...26.78 INCHES.

 

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

 

TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA.TIDES IN THOSE AREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO 3 TO 4 FEET AND BE

ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING.

 

RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM 15 INCH TOTAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF RITA PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA. IN ADDITION...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS. BASED ON THE FORECAST TRACK...

RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AFTER RITA MOVES INLAND.

 

 

25 INCHES of Rain!!!!! That's the same as the some of the UK gets in a year.....

 

 

C.

[Newt]

Note re: Beaumont - as the track prediction shifts to the right, Beaumont gets closer to the landfall point. Not a direct hit but well within the high wind and storm surge segment.

 

Note re: storm surge - think tsunami and then the waves will be added on top of the base storm surge heights.

 

n4lly:

Galveston's sea wall is 17' tall and in some places only 7'

 

[ 22. September 2005, 04:52 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Zigs]

bugger

[Leon Roskilly]

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/SteveGreg...egory/show.html

 

"Beyond the issue of the actual landfall point -- for the past 2 days, the global models have been forecasting the re-development/intensification of the high pressure ridge over the central U.S. -- and then expands it towards the Gulf coast.

 

What this means, is that after Rita moves inland Saturday morning, it will gradually slow down, then stall out over west central Louisiana - and then is forecast to drift SOUTHWESTWARD towards Houston by Monday.

 

This type of motion would lead to extreme rainfall totals across much of Louisiana and the east-southeast areas of Texas following landfall.

 

Tremendous, life threatening flooding could result from portions of Louisiana southwestward to the Houston area.

 

Storm rainfall totals could easily exceed 20" in some locations."

 

Usually hurricanes move inland and rapidly lose strength, taking its wind and rain with it.

 

Rita however may have a different idea.

 

TL - leon

[Newt]

At this point, if you are on the Texas coast and haven't already evacuated, you probably can't.

 

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticl...ITA-TRAFFIC.xml

[RED HILLBILLY]

Originally posted by Newt:

[QB] At this point, if you are on the Texas coast and haven't already evacuated, you probably can't.

 

Hi guys, Hillbilly here. I haven't posted for a while but at the moment I'm a little bit worried. My daughter and family (2 daughters and 1 son) live in a town called Katy which is about 20 miles due west of Houston along Interstate 10 (you can find it on Mapqwest but I don't no how to post it, can you help, Newt?). My wife spoke to her last night and she said all the roads were jammed and they would not take the risk of being caught by the hurricane stuck in a car so they have decided to ride it out. We tried to get them to try and find a way out using the backroads but they said there's nowhere to stay anyway. She's got a stubborn streak just like her dad. They live in a new brick bungalow so that's something. Don't know about the flooding though. The land where they live is as flat as Lincolnshire for about 100 miles towards San Antonio.

 

Although she and her husband were divorced a few weeks ago they still love each other but can't get along but he will be staying with them when the storm hits. They are going to hunker down in a walk-in closet attached to the main bedroom. We tried to phone her tonight but she was at work (nurses have to work no matter what, don't they?).

 

There's not much we can do here in West Virgina but hope for the best, The latest news said the storm was turning to the north. I don't want to wish this storm on some other people but all I care about at the moment is my family. If there are any religeous persons among you I would appreciate your prayers for my family at this troubling time.

 

Hillbilly.

 

[ 23. September 2005, 02:57 AM: Message edited by: RED HILLBILLY ]