Yet Another Hurricane

dduardo

It has been one right after the other this hurricane season. Classes are cancelled tomorrow, there are really long lines at the gasoline station and FPL is cutting down trees that could potentially down power lines.

Personally, I'm not so worried about this one making a big impact in my area. The biggest issue would be flooding since the ground is already staturated with water.

After this hurricane passes Florida where will it go? New Orleans? Texas?

zoobyshoe

They are evacuating the Florida Keys for this one. They're not sure where it will hit after that, but are worried.

Entropy

Now it's Louisiana's turn to get hit by four storms in a row. I live in Florida and went through all four of the storms and they weren't fun at all. The worst part, for my family at least, was having no AC. It SUCKS beyond all belief. Your totally bored with no electricity and you can't sleep through it because it's too DAMN HOT! Normally I can sleep twenty hours in a row, but with the heat it's almost impossible to sleep at all and if you do manage to sleep you still wake up every 30 mins to discover a pool of sweat under you.

zoobyshoe

Yeah, no AC would suck bigtime.

Astronuc

From NHC/NOAA
Tropical Storm Rita Advisory Number 7
Nws Tpc/national Hurricane Center Miami Fl
11 Am Edt Mon Sep 19 2005

This definitely could be a Cat 1 hurricane by the time it gets to Florida. But watch out if it gets to the Gulf. It definitely could get up to a Cat 3.

Check out this years trends, and Rita might follow the path Katrina took! Or Rita could split the difference of the paths of Katrina and Emily and hit Houston. But based on the more northerly track, it would seem likely Rita is headed for somewhere between New Orleans and Pensacola, unless it takes a sharp right turn over Florida.
http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/images/at2005.gif

honestrosewater

Oops, I haven't even been watching the news the last week or so. They're on R already? Anyway, I'm glad I saw this. I'm not in the track I've seen, but still...

I hope it doesn't hit any Katrina evacuees in Texas.

cefarix

Most houses (and my dorm btw) don't have AC here. In the summer temperatures can reach 40 to 50 C (thats 104 F to 122 F). But we have high-speed ceiling fans, and people usually keep what are called 'desert coolers' in their living rooms. Desert coolers have water dripping through some material, dry grass usually, over which air is made to pass by a very powerful fan. Evaporation cools the air and makes it much like a cool pleasant day at the beach. But that doesn't work much if the humidity is 100%, like it is during the extreme summer days of Karachi (which thankfully don't last for a long time, and the night always has a pleasant cool sea breeze), which is a coastal city...you feel like you are breathing through a straw with that much humidity

zoobyshoe

Oh! I don't have Air Conditioning either. I thought he meant Alternating Current. Usually hurricanes knock all the power out.

Evo

It looks like Florida won't have much to worry about, but if it gains strength in the warm Gulf waters, and keeps on the projected path, looks like it will hit near Houston from the map dduardo posted.

Astronuc

Hurricane Rita has done some serious strengthening this morning!

HURRICANE RITA SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 12
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 PM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...RITA REACHES 100 MPH WINDS...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND
FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY ON THE FLORIDA SOUTHEAST COAST SOUTHWARD
TO EAST CAPE SABLE...THEN NORTHWARD TO CHOKOLOSKEE ON THE SOUTHWEST
COAST.

Warnings have been deleted - see http://www.nhc.noaa.gov for actual advisories and warnings.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.7 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES... 80
KM...SOUTH OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 65 MILES...105 KM...
NORTHEAST OF HAVANA CUBA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 15 MPH ...24 KM/HR...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON
THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER
THE FLORIDA STRAITS BETWEEN THE CITY OF HAVANA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY. HOWEVER...STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHERN EYEWALL
ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS DIRECTLY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE REACHED 100 MPH...160 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 120 MILES...195 KM.

LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE
WAS 978 MB...28.88 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG
WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
FLORIDA KEYS IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW. COASTAL STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN
FLORIDA COAST.

RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6
TO 8 INCHES OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS..CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN CUBA...
WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES. RAINFALLAMOUNTS OF 3 TO
5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENNISULA. RAINS
ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DIMINISH ACROSS THE BAHAMAS.

THERE IS POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOS OVER SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE
FLORIDA KEYS.

Since Rita's eye is moving over water, it will not diminsh, but rather strengthen. Even though water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico may have cooled slightly (a few degrees C) due to Katrina, the waters are still warm and Rita will likely continue to strengthen. This hurricane should be considered extremely dangerous!

Take all warnings to evacuate seriously!

See GOES animated loop (10 images animated) -
Visible - http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA...-vis-loop.html

Infrared - http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA...-ir4-loop.html

As a side note, as Rita heads across the Gulf, oil platforms will be taken off-line again. Oil prices will necessarily increase again. Also, if Rita follows Katrina it will likely damage refineries that recently came back on-line. If Rita heads to Houston/Galveston, it may take out additional refining capacity and fuel prices will again increase - perhaps to near $4.00/gal or more.

rachmaninoff

How prepared is Houston for a direct hurricane hit? It's almost a coastal city, and very flood-prone (refer to t.s. Allison) - and now there's a potentially cat. 4-5 storm approaching that general area.

djeipa

I also hear a lot of news on tv and radio to later be able to save hundreds of people with my posts on boards.

Kakarot

man thats bad they evacuated people from louisiane and now they will be hit again in texas

rachmaninoff

If anyone's up this early in the morning, it's at category 4 now.

http://maps.wunderground.com/data/images/at200518.gif

hypatia

Its another giant! Anywhere it hits, will be hit hard.

Evo

Right now it appears it will miss Houston, but hurricanes can be very erratic.

Astronuc

HURRICANE RITA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 15A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM EDT WED SEP 21 2005

...SATELLITE SUGGESTS THAT RITA HAS BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE...

INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF RITA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT 195 MILES...
WEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 790 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF
CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD
BRING THE CENTER OF RITA FARTHER AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS OVER
THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY.

SATELLITE IMAGERY SUGGESTS THAT RITA HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGHTEN AND
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 135 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA IS NOW A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. A NOAA PLANE WILL CHECK THE INTENSITY LATER THIS MORNING.
SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...28.00 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS
IS POSSIBLE IN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA. STORM SURGE
FLOODING ELSEWHERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND SOUTH FLORIDA SHOULD
SUBSIDE TODAY.

RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1
TO 3 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND THE
FLORIDA KEYS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES...WITH MAXIMUM
AMOUNTS OF 10 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...ARE POSSIBLE OVER
NORTHWEST CUBA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
OVER THE NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA.

Hurricane Rita could strengthen to Cat 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

In the last 6 hrs, Hurricane Rita has moved essentially due west. That path would put it in line with Brownsville, TX and the Rio Grande Valley (border between Mexico and US. However, as Evo pointed out hurricanes can be erratic and difficult to predict. It certainly could veer toward the NW or NNW and threaten the Texas Gulf Coast from Brownsville and Corpus Christi to Galveston/Houston area.

High pressure systems over Colorado and the Ohio Valley just migh keep Rita going west.