70 replies to this topic

[bluedolphin]

I have a guest room here in Raleigh....PM me if you need it

[DandyDon]

Great links Wench...

I'm watching live news feed: http://abclocal.go.c...anes&id=3464255

Bush has named this storm "Of National Interest" so he does not have to wait for the governor to ask for help. A formality, tho, as he picked the govornor...

[drdiver]

well, my niece got out of Friendswood--took her 9 hours to drive from there to San Antone. Sis is staying put for now.

[DandyDon]

Edited by DandyDon, 22 September 2005 - 02:01 PM.

[dustbowl diver]

I had a meeting here in DFW last night and this morning with some of my subordinates. My Kansas rep is in a solid line of traffic going north on I-35 through Oklahoma heading for Kansas.

A Walmart in my area looks like folks are preparing for Armageddon. What a mess!!

I hope that if you have the where with all to read this and are in the storms path, please get away as soon as you can!!

[Marvel]

Although still frightening & very dangerous, the 5 PM discussion holds out some hope. From the NOAA website: Rita Advisory

000
WTNT43 KNHC 222049
TCDAT3
HURRICANE RITA DISCUSSION NUMBER 21
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT THU SEP 22 2005

RITA IS GOING TROUGH THE WEAKENING PHASE OF AN EYEWALL REPLACEMENT
CYCLE AND DATA FROM THE NOAA RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATE THAT
WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO 125 KNOTS...AND THIS MAY BE GENEROUS.
HOWEVER...THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE HAS REMAINED AROUND 913
MB...WHICH IS A VERY LOW PRESSURE TO HAVE ONLY 125 KNOTS. IN
ADDITION TO THE EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLE...RITA IS CURRENTLY
MOVING OVER THE EDGE OF A COLD SST EDDY. THIS COULD HAVE ENHANCED
THE WEAKENING TODAY. THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST TO MOVE OVER ANOTHER
WARM EDDY DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS AND THERE IS SOME CHANCE
THAT RITA COULD REGAIN SOME INTENSITY. BECAUSE THE SHEAR IS
FORECAST TO INCREASE...THIS MAY COMPENSATE FOR THE STRENGTHENING
THAT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE EFFECTS OF THE HIGH HEAT CONTENT. THE
BEST OPTION AT THIS TIME IS TO KEEP RITA AS A 125 KT HURRICANE WITH
A SLIGHT WEAKENING BEFORE LANDFALL. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT RITA
IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE OF AT LEAST A
CATEGORY THREE INTENSITY.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR 300 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.
THE FORECAST TRACK HAS NOT CHANGED AND RITA IS EXPECTED TO BE
STEERED TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND NORTHWEST TOWARD THE
UPPER-TEXAS OR THE WESTERN LOUISIANA COASTS AS THE HIGH SHIFTS
EASTWARD. AFTER LANDFALL...STEERING CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN
AND THE CYCLONE COULD MEANDER FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE VICINITY
OF NORTHEASTERN TEXAS...PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS.

BASED ON THE FORECAST TRACK AND WIND RADII...THE TROPICAL STORM
WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED EASTWARD AND NORTHWARD ALONG THE
LOUISIANA COAST. ANY TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE NEW ORLEANS
AREA ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO A FEW SQUALLS ASSOCIATED WITH
QUICKLY MOVING RAINBANDS.

FORECASTER AVILA


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INITIAL 22/2100Z 25.8N 89.5W 125 KT
12HR VT 23/0600Z 26.5N 90.7W 125 KT
24HR VT 23/1800Z 27.8N 92.4W 125 KT
36HR VT 24/0600Z 29.2N 93.8W 120 KT
48HR VT 24/1800Z 30.5N 94.5W 75 KT...INLAND
72HR VT 25/1800Z 33.0N 95.0W 40 KT...INLAND
96HR VT 26/1800Z 33.0N 95.0W 25 KT...INLAND
120HR VT 27/1800Z 33.0N 95.0W 25 KT...INLAND

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[Mitch0129]

I had a meeting here in DFW last night and this morning with some of my subordinates. My Kansas rep is in a solid line of traffic going north on I-35 through Oklahoma heading for Kansas.

It was a solid line of traffic all the way from when I got on I-45 last night at 10:00 pm and was like that all the way to just before I got to Dallas. I stopped at a gas station/convenience store in Buffalo, about 100 miles south of Dallas, around Midnight and you would have thought it was the middle of the day as busy as it was.

Looking at the reports out of Houston today, I am glad I left when I did. I would probably still be stuck there now.

[Mermaid Lady]

Hi everyone!!

I made it to College Station this afternoon, after an 8 hour drive. <whew>

Luckily, I know the backroads or I wouldn't have made it at all. US 290 is all but impassable now. Most of my travel time was spent on the 20 mile section of it I had to traverse between FM 1960 and Hockley.

SH 6 was moving until stacking up around Navasota. FYI, they had the exit ramps barricaded with cops behind the barricades. IOW the town of Navasota has effectively said "screw you" to evacuees slammed the door in their faces. (Remind never to spend a penny of my money in that town ever again.)

The good part is that I was able to fill up at Wellborn and now have a full tank of gas in case I need to go further inland.

Que, please PM me with your phone number. Don't think I will need to take you up on your offer, but you never know.

Thanks to everyone. Glad to hear that others are safe.

SonnyBeaches and SassyRabbit, Please check in!!!

Edited by tuttt, 23 September 2005 - 06:28 AM.

[drdiver]

Teresa, glad you made it out. My niece took 9 hours to get from Friendswood to San Antonio. My sis still won't leave and doesn't plan to. Yer welcome here in Round Rock if you want to come--plenty of room now and we've got the Austin City Limits and Pecan Street Festival. Come on down!!!

[DandyDon]

Just heard on Houston live news that I-45 had opened up - perhaps because fewer people are leaving now that the forecast has shifted east a bit. Even had gas for sale at one place.

[Mitch0129]

I made it to College Station this afternoon, after an 8 hour drive. <whew>

Teresa, glad to hear you are safe. It looks like Houston/Galveston will get spared the worst of it.

Why don't you come up to the DFW area and go to the HH tommorrow night?

[drdiver]

13 foot waves in the Flower Gardens. No night diving tonight, I'll be bound.

[WreckWench]

I am leaving first thing in the morning for College Station (<120 miles inland on high ground). I will spend thursday and friday on campus (Tx A&M) working on my dissertation. Hopefully the storm will dissipate quickly once it comes ashore. If things get bad in College Station I may be asking for floor space in dallas.

I am still hoping the heaviest part of the storm comes ashore in Kenedy County (<500 people, easy to evac, and very little property to damage).

Glad you are out safely...and we have more than floor space here available if you need it! (And so do I!)

Come on in anytime you need too...I've got space too! kamala

[Brinybay]

Is the Dallas area relatively safe? I have a friend/dive buddy who was there this week on business, was supposed to leave Friday evening.

[Terri]

She shouldn't have any problems leaving this evening. We're not supposed to start getting anything until late late Saturday or Sunday.

I heard this morning that most of Dallas is out of gas, though. What little was left was expected to be depleted by noon today. Hopefully they've already fueled her plane!