Sueshore said:
:clap_1: It's good to be together.
My 13 yr old daughter is in Wash. DC this week and they called today to discuss the potential for having to change her travel plans coming back into DFW on Sunday.
Hurricane Rita - Texas Posters
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:clap_1: It's good to be together.
My 13 yr old daughter is in Wash. DC this week and they called today to discuss the potential for having to change her travel plans coming back into DFW on Sunday.
Kimmi, we been over this and over this... There's what's right, and there' what's right, and never the 'tween shall meet:nono1:Kimmifunn said:How big is this bad girl? I am so out of the loop...guess I need to look to my boyfriends Mike Bettes and Jim Cantore for some answers....
TooFarTampa
SoWal Insider
Rita said::clap_1: It's good to be together.
My 13 yr old daughter is in Wash. DC this week and they called today to discuss the potential for having to change her travel plans coming back into DFW on Sunday.
Rita, I bet the next month or two (or six
) are going to be a bit surreal for you. I know someone named Katrina. I spoke to her about a week after the storm. She told me: "I'm not used to hearing my name. I'm tired of it." Kind of like those people named Monica a couple of years ago ...
destindreamin said:Sue, LOL. I might just have to hold off--looks like I'm going to work. I work in a nursing home and we're getting 15 evacuees in our building tonite, and just talked to a guy in Pasadena who's trying to get 91 of his patients placed TONIGHT! This is just crazy!! My cell phone is ringing off the hook--and we don't have any more beds!!
Wow. And nursing homes are usually short on staff anyway aren't they?
I must be getting my hurricane sizes confused. How does this thing compare to Katrina? Ivan?
Rita is already the 3rd most intense storm to date.
We can all count our blessings in SoWal.
Rita is already the 3rd most intense storm to date.
We can all count our blessings in SoWal.
Good points WW, however, be advised, even if it "weakens" to Cat 4wetwilly said:Dr. Lyons, reknowned Hurricane expert, was just on TWC and he said that Rita is an F-3 Tornado/Category 5 Hurricane. That is a monster storm the power of a major tornado, 360 miles wide, and a Category 5.
He said that anyone on the western Louisiana gulfcoast and all along the gulfcoast of Texas should watch this storm closely and evacuate the area. He said that it may weaken to Cat 4 or so but may not.
We pray for everyone in this storms path. All stay safe.
upon landfall, the storm surge of 20-25 feet will be in motion already and will not likely abate even as/if the storm weakens. Either way, see below from http://www.crownweather.com/tropical.html#AL18 :Category Four Hurricane: Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Barometric Pressure 920-945 mb (27.17-27.91 in) Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km).
Category Five Hurricane: Winds greater than 155 mph (greater than 135 kt or 249 km/hr). Barometric Pressure Below 920 mb (Below 27.17 in) Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required.
So... get out! Godspeed to TX coast... Stay safe and be smart.
Rita said:
Yes, Rita, they usually are...some facilities down there are sending some staff too to help, but we'll have to house the staff as well. It just keeps getting crazier!
Best wishes to all in Texas - godspeed & good luck...
I thought the blue bolded portion below was interesting and I had not heard this before (from the Weather Channel Online):
Tim Ballisty, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Hurricane Rita's rapid intensification cycle that began Tuesday afternoon continues. Top winds are up to 175 mph, now a category 5 hurricane. Rita's pressure has dramatically dropped to 897 millibars! Even as a large and extremely intense category 5 hurricane, further strengthening is possible as the atmosphere remains favorable for development over the next 24 hours.
Rita is forecast to continue on a westward track through the Gulf of Mexico over the next 24 hours. A gradual turn toward the northwest is anticipated Thursday night and Friday. If there is any good news at this point, it is the fact that it is very difficult for a hurricane to maintain category 5 status for an lengthy period of time. Near-perfect to perfect atmospheric conditions are necessary for a category 5 hurricane to exist and these "perfect" conditions are first - difficult to come by and second - do not remain in place for a long period of time. So although Rita is currently a category 5 hurricane, fluctuations in intensity is likely. [edit: now back to the bad news] That being said, it is almost a certainty that Rita will make landfall as a large, intense, major hurricane with impacts extending well away from the center. Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles away from the center and tropical storm force winds extend 175 miles from the center [wow]. Landfall is possible late Friday or early Saturday along the Texas coast. Residents and tourists in locations such as Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass, San Jose Island, Matagorda Island, Port Lavaca, Port O'Connor, Bay City, Lake Jackson, Freeport, Galveston, Texas City, Houston, and Port Author should ALL prepare for a very dangerous landfalling major hurricane.
Category 5 Hurricane Rita
10:51 p.m. ET 9/21/2005Tim Ballisty, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Hurricane Rita's rapid intensification cycle that began Tuesday afternoon continues. Top winds are up to 175 mph, now a category 5 hurricane. Rita's pressure has dramatically dropped to 897 millibars! Even as a large and extremely intense category 5 hurricane, further strengthening is possible as the atmosphere remains favorable for development over the next 24 hours.
Rita is forecast to continue on a westward track through the Gulf of Mexico over the next 24 hours. A gradual turn toward the northwest is anticipated Thursday night and Friday. If there is any good news at this point, it is the fact that it is very difficult for a hurricane to maintain category 5 status for an lengthy period of time. Near-perfect to perfect atmospheric conditions are necessary for a category 5 hurricane to exist and these "perfect" conditions are first - difficult to come by and second - do not remain in place for a long period of time. So although Rita is currently a category 5 hurricane, fluctuations in intensity is likely. [edit: now back to the bad news] That being said, it is almost a certainty that Rita will make landfall as a large, intense, major hurricane with impacts extending well away from the center. Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles away from the center and tropical storm force winds extend 175 miles from the center [wow]. Landfall is possible late Friday or early Saturday along the Texas coast. Residents and tourists in locations such as Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass, San Jose Island, Matagorda Island, Port Lavaca, Port O'Connor, Bay City, Lake Jackson, Freeport, Galveston, Texas City, Houston, and Port Author should ALL prepare for a very dangerous landfalling major hurricane.