Hurricane Rita

astanley

astanley

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Andrew Stanley
Well, here it comes again. Cat 5 (according to 2:00 CDT update) and looks like she has her sights on Coastal Texas. A high pressure area over the central US should keep Rita on her projected track, however, if she moves ever so slightly to the North . . .

http://gom.rigzone.com/rita.asp

You can see that she would plow through one of the areas of highest oil rig density.

All you on the Texas gulf coast stay safe now, get to higher ground.

Let's hope the Local, State, and Federal authorities can handle this one...

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
Well, here it comes again. Cat 5 (according to 2:00 CDT update) and looks like she has her sights on Coastal Texas. A high pressure area over the central US should keep Rita on her projected track, however, if she moves ever so slightly to the North . . .

http://gom.rigzone.com/rita.asp

You can see that she would plow through one of the areas of highest oil rig density.

All you on the Texas gulf coast stay safe now, get to higher ground.

Let's hope the Local, State, and Federal authorities can handle this one...

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

OK, everybody on the board that thinks they might get some of Rita, chime in.

I'm in Fort Worth, so we're expecting 70mph winds and lots of rain Saturday night/Sunday, 80 degrees.

Today is 100 degrees, tomorrow is forecast to be 104, both record highs for this late in September.

Rita's already a Cat 5, and it's got two more days to feed off that warm Caribbean water. It's gonna be a doozy. Those people that evacuated from New Orleans to Houston's Astrodome have to be feeling like they are a hurricane magnet right about now... they have to relocate AGAIN.
 
We'll get part of it in San Antonio.

Looks like we'll be on the west side. 40-50 kt winds on Saturday.

Maybe I should go fly and practice some really short landings.
 
wsuffa said:
We'll get part of it in San Antonio.

Looks like we'll be on the west side. 40-50 kt winds on Saturday.

Maybe I should go fly and practice some really short landings.
Click to expand...

After the last few weeks of others' hell and havoc I'm fast beginning to think I don't mind shoveling whatever white stuff, seasonally, comes our way up here in the Northeast. I've never seen reports of snowstorms moving houses off their foundations; just covering cars, without moving them into the next town. Not that I'm looking forward to same, but I'll only be grumpy as opposed to destroyed. Hang on, Southies; thoughts are with you.

HR
 
We'll keep y'all in Texas in our prayers.
Keep your head down if you decide to stay.
 
Spoke to my in-laws in Houston; they are staying.

Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."

Utterly, stunningly ludicrous!

===========================

I sat through Alicia in '83, a stiff breeze compared to this beastie. If I were there now, I'd be outathere tomorrow.
 
SCCutler said:
Spoke to my in-laws in Houston; they are staying.

Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."

Utterly, stunningly ludicrous!
Click to expand...
Why is it only in-laws say stuff like this? That is so absurd it has to be true.
 
SCCutler said:
Spoke to my in-laws in Houston; they are staying.

Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."

Utterly, stunningly ludicrous!

===========================

I sat through Alicia in '83, a stiff breeze compared to this beastie. If I were there now, I'd be outathere tomorrow.
Click to expand...


Um....get a cooler and take the stuff with you? Just a thought.

Florida native. I don't mess around with hurricanes.
 
I now know that my in-laws are planning to stay (as noted above), and in addition, my sister-in-law, bro-law and 14 year-old niece. According to their son (who now lives here), they figure that they made it through Alicia in '83, so they can ride this one out.

I hope they are right. Problem is (1) different- way different- storm; and (2) if they turn out to be wrong, by the time they know it, it will be too late to do anything about it, or even to let anyone know.

Nuts.
 
SCCutler said:
Spoke to my in-laws in Houston; they are staying.

Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."

Utterly, stunningly ludicrous!
Click to expand...
As a veteran of Andrew, I wholeheartedly urge you to MAKE THEM LEAVE!

Cat 2, no problem. Cat 3, board the windows, hunker down and ride it out. Cat 4, get out. Cat 5, get the hell out NOW.

Although I was listening to an interview with the national hurricane center guy last night and he said conditions were ripe for it to weaken slightly before landfall, perhaps to a low 4, very slim chance of even a strong 3. Cat 5 requires a delicate balance of conditions that typically don't last very long before something upsets the apple cart.
 
National talking head this morning said (paraphrase) if they had a level 6 Rita would be a level 6 (doom and gloom, death and destruction always increases ratings).

I think I heard sustained winds 175 mph gusts to 212....based on hurricane hunter trip inside the storm. How would you like to be the PIC on that ride? Or maybe worse, the guy in back (ie "Never ride in a plane with a pilot braver than you.").

Len
 
Lawreston said:
. . . S N I P . . . I've never seen reports of snowstorms moving houses off their foundations; just covering cars, without moving them into the next town.
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Don't say that to some of the 1978 blizzard survivors. A few of them found their houses in the ocean.
A super storm Rita is. The local weather blamed it on the gulf water being about 1 1/2 degrees warmer than normal. So, it this global warming or just another strange weather cycle?
Good luck Texas. Our thoughts are with you.
 
SCCutler said:
Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."
Click to expand...
They could always just throw away the food ahead of time, since the power WILL go off.

But there's no arguing with some folks once they make up their minds.
 
Ken Ibold said:
As a veteran of Andrew, I wholeheartedly urge you to MAKE THEM LEAVE!

Cat 2, no problem. Cat 3, board the windows, hunker down and ride it out. Cat 4, get out. Cat 5, get the hell out NOW.

Although I was listening to an interview with the national hurricane center guy last night and he said conditions were ripe for it to weaken slightly before landfall, perhaps to a low 4, very slim chance of even a strong 3. Cat 5 requires a delicate balance of conditions that typically don't last very long before something upsets the apple cart.
Click to expand...

It's way up in the air. You have an anti cyclone (that some models are predicting) that may introduce a 12kt shear; a new eyewall replacement / concentric convection cycle has begun (Rita is still over very warm water), you have a H ridge over north central Texas that may change the steerage (like we saw with the WNW turn overnight); and Rita's new track should keep her over the loop current longer which means warmer water. so basically, there is little concensus except that this storm is OH MY GOD big and that she will make landfall as a horrific storm. Just how horrific is TBD.

It's safe to say this: She has a crapload of energy within her, and conditions are right for a major strike. Cat 5, Cat 4, it's going to be ugly. Lots of storm surge in the least.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
silver-eagle said:
The local weather blamed it on the gulf water being about 1 1/2 degrees warmer than normal. So, it this global warming or just another strange weather cycle?
Click to expand...

Jeez...1.5 degrees warmer...I'd have to ask this guy about the accuracy range of the measuring equipment and methodology.

Len
 
astanley said:
It's way up in the air. You have an anti cyclone (that some models are predicting) that may introduce a 12kt shear; a new eyewall replacement / concentric convection cycle has begun (Rita is still over very warm water), you have a H ridge over north central Texas that may change the steerage (like we saw with the WNW turn overnight); and Rita's new track should keep her over the loop current longer which means warmer water. so basically, there is little concensus except that this storm is OH MY GOD big and that she will make landfall as a horrific storm. Just how horrific is TBD.

It's safe to say this: She has a crapload of energy within her, and conditions are right for a major strike. Cat 5, Cat 4, it's going to be ugly. Lots of storm surge in the least.
Click to expand...

Caveman says: BIGWIND:RUN!

A friend of mine has relatives in Biloxi MS that got nuked and spent a week down there doing rescue operations.
She lives in Dallas. No hurricanes there...yea right...
Today she informs me she has relatives in NE Houston. :target: So after the TS hits DAL, it'll be another roadtrip to HOU to do the Biloxi routine all over again. At least she has practice this time... :goofy:
 
Have y'all noticed how the cone of the projected path keeps shifting to the NNE? It nows includes more of the LA coast then a few days ago. So far, none of the tv channels have mentioned this shift of the projected path.

This makes me wonder if those who evacuated early (Katrina effect) will next week think they did so needlessly. Such is the case in predictions of natural catastrophes. But seeing how this again could be politically charged I could see blame for needless evac being cast about. What I'm saying is the shift in projected path would also shift people's perceptions whereas previously they had thought they were the target but with a shift they are now thinking it wouldn't be as bad as they thought, hence, in their minds their evac was needless. Of course, someone is to blame.

BTW: I thought early on that Rita would make landfall centered around Lake Charles or Lafayette.
 
SCCutler said:
Spoke to my in-laws in Houston; they are staying.

Reason (and I quote): "If the power fails, we need to be there to throw away the food in the refrigerator."

Utterly, stunningly ludicrous!
Click to expand...
Two thoughts come to mind....

1. Assumes the refrigerator is actually staying inside the house

and

2. ...."IF" the power fails???
 
Well, here we go again. Hurricane Rita is coming ashore and I have some folks I'm in contact with that may need to get out of the Houston area.

We're watching the storm track and waiting to see if they can ride it out or if I need to fly down and retrieve them. (They tried to leave at 5:00 A.M. this morning and turned back after not going 25 miles in over 2 hours in the car.)

Now, we are being told a TFR will be placed around the Dallas area due to a visit from President Bush tomorrow. Don't know exactly when or where, but there will be one. This is CRAP!! At a time with a natural disaster approaching, GA needs to be free to assist people as much as possible. Never thought I'd say it, but if I need to go for pull family or close friends out from the path of this storm, a TFR conflict that would restrict me departing or bringing exacuees back here will not sit well.

I wouldn't mind short periods for landing and departing, but if GA is closed down all day while the Pres. is here, it's going to make a lot of folks hopping mad.
Dave



 
My sister and family are in Victoria. They boarded up and she & son went up to their daughter's in College Station. Hope that is far enough. BIL took his Aztec to Las Vegas, had to be there anyway (or so he told my sister!!).
 
Yeah... Crazy. Especially when they say "Oh, I'd never live in California... you have EARTHQUAKES."

Oh well, hopefully Katrina was enough of a warning of Rita...
 
Spoke to my mother-in-law who lives in Austin. My wife has family in the Houston and Beaumont areas One got out early this morning and the other is hold up due to the monster traffic jam on I-45. People have run out of gas trying to get out. Another relative is fortunately further up the road near Palestine. The Beaumont folks were told to go out to the east but they felt north was the way to go. I-10 now has a bad traffic jam I took a long look at Flight Brief tonight and this Rita is going to make a real mess when it comes. The eye is so defined and gosh the storm is so huge. My wife and I are keeping all the relatives together via internet and phone. My heart to all who are facing such an overwhelming ordeal and future.

John J
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Well, here we go again. Hurricane Rita is coming ashore and I have some folks I'm in contact with that may need to get out of the Houston area.

We're watching the storm track and waiting to see if they can ride it out or if I need to fly down and retrieve them. (They tried to leave at 5:00 A.M. this morning and turned back after not going 25 miles in over 2 hours in the car.)
Click to expand...

Dave,

I got a call from my sister at 2:15 AM this morning. She lives in Clear Lake, had left at 5:30 PM yesterday (they closed NASA JSC at 2) and was in "a five-lane parking lot" wondering if I could get her any additional info on traffic. She ended up stopping at The Woodlands, TX at 5:30 AM today - 12 hours to go 46 miles! :hairraise: She's traveling in a two-car convoy with a friend of hers, and her friend's husband and four children. Friend's parents live in Dallas, that is their final destination.

I have not ruled out the possibility of taking the 182 down there and plucking her out of that mess... KCLL if the traffic has moved any, and 60R if it has not.
 
Dave,

I've been told they're repaving in front of my T-Hangar today and tomorrow. If you need someone to go get them (and the weight isn't above my limits), let me know and I'll go do battle with the airport folks to get the plane out.

You might have to fetch them from here, but at least they'd be out.

You might also call USSS at the number provided and see if they'll let you get clearance to go out with a security check.

bill
 
silver-eagle said:
Don't say that to some of the 1978 blizzard survivors. A few of them found their houses in the ocean.
Click to expand...

Right, you are! I remember it, very well. Retailers got no UPS service for almost a week because UPS HQ(Watertown, Massachusetts) was unable to access any highways. One of my camera store customers had a home on Bailey Island(Lands End, right on the shoreline) and ocean came in one window and out the other end. But little damage. But the original Lands End Gift Shop, not to be confused with the large retailer of the same name, was swept off the ledges of Lands End. It was later rebuilt, higher and bigger.

http://travel.mainetoday.com/postcards/sue_jernigan.shtml

HR
 
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