Hurricane Rita: The New Threat

[Myrsilus]

Hurricane Rita is now becoming a serious threat... This time for Texas it would seem. It is currently a category 2, but that jumped just this morning. Now it is expected to be a category 4 very soon.

I live on the Gulf of Mexico, right along the expected course. I will probably be leaving in order to evade the full wrath of this new storm. I am worried, however, about what damage it might bring to the area. We have dealt with amazingly powerful hurricanes before, but it is always a challenge no matter how one looks at it.

[Shamu]

I think it's gonna head over Dallas too, once it hits land. So it won't be as powerful, but we'll still get alot of rain and I guess people are worried about the Trinity flooding downtown (thank you to the corrupt politicians who decided not to use the federal money to build up the levey's on the river). But like I said Fujin, you and your fam are always welcome up here if you need a place to go! I mean that too!

[Myrsilus]

I appreciate that dearly... Who knows, with the conflicts in my family going on right now...

The places of interest are Galveston and Corpus Christi, my city. There is already a lot of preparing going on in Louisiana and our city to prepare for this rapidly intensifying storm.

[Shamu]

I feel bad for all the people from NO that are in Houston now. They might have to go through all of that again!
Like I said, Fujin, my door is always open for you!

[Stephy]

Shamu, you are so kind.

Fujin, I honestly hope no real damage will happen and all ends well. I hope for you and your families safety.

[Balain]

Shamu, you are so kind.



I so agree.

Stay safe Fujin

[Shamu]

Hey, I'd do the same for any of my friends! :D
And really Fujin, if you need to, we'll find a way to get you up here if it means you're gonna be safe!
I also have your family and everyone else in the path of this storm in my prayers.

[sharpie]

I hope this thing doesn't do horrible damage like Katrina did. My family already told me if there is an evacuation warning (I live in the Rio Grande Valley) that were getting the hell out of here. To where I don't know but just as long as we aren't in the way of the storm, then anywhere is fine.

[Myrsilus]

Oh yeah, you're in the area as well Sharpie... Supposedly Galveston is already evacuating, so I think I may go ahead and flee as well. Problem is my step-father refuses to go with me and my mother if we go to my father's house. Problems in the family... And I fear my mother may try to stay with my step-father, leaving me to go alone. I do not want this one bit...

[sharpie]

Yeah... gotta hate it when family problems pop up at the last minute. Saving a life is far more important than any family bickering because at the end of the day, it dosen't matter if so and so have this problem because we won't be alive to talk about it and see it through. Sometimes you have to let your voice be heard loud and clear whether they want to here it or not, let them know that we need to get the hell out of here now and fight later. Nothing gets resolved if (God forbid) one of your family members gets killed in the storm.

[renegade]

i found this on MSN news
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7845030
dont know how acuret this is though

[Myrsilus]

Yeah I know sharpie... I'm trying to get this through their heads. Both of them are pretty difficult mean to reason with.

i found this on MSN news
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7845030
dont know how acuret this is though
It's kind of early, but that is the currently projected path. I really hope it changes, even a little. I can manage staying if it hits us with the outer area, but definitely not a direct hit.

[Kos]

Courtesy of NHC / NOAA:

Hurricane Rita Strike Probabilities (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIASPFAT3+shtml/202048.shtml?)

[Firefly]

Fujin, Shamu, and all others in Texas, my thoughts are with you and I hope you all make it safely. And I know this isn't exactly what you need right now Fujin. *hugs*

[Myrsilus]

<hugs> You're right, it isn't... Well we've gotten prepared for whatever may come. We bought a lot of water and food that won't spoil. We plan to evacuate should the need truly arise so we should be safe... We're just worried of coming back to nothing.

Ugh maybe this storm will give me a chance to catch up on college work. Demanding bastards...

[kyaa the catlord]

Ooooh, my money's on Galveston.

Go Rita!

[renegade]

lets hope this storm wont pull an Emily

[kyaa the catlord]

Woo! Its hit Cat 3. Excellent.

I foresee an expansion to the Katrina Magic: The Gathering set coming soon. (I should start using my "Asshat Sniper" avatar.)

[PiccoloNamek]

000
WTNT33 KNHC 211137
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
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...

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.



:D :( Sounds kind of neat.

[Myrsilus]

It's not neat. This hurricane might just ante up the gas prices even more when it demolishes some rigs on the way to the coast.

[Maian]

nm...I can't read...

[4letterwords]

I hope you guys are safe. You're in my prayers-

[LJustus]

Here's something that was forwarded to me. It's pretty neat to use.

http://html.nbc5i.com/sh/idi/weather/hurricanes/hurricanetracker.html

[Shamu]

My family in Houston called and are going to come up and stay with us if they need to. My aunt said that phone lines are already getting tied up, she had to call us three times before finally getting through.
Fujin, again, I know you have other family around, but if you need a place to go, you are always welcome up here! It's pretty cheap to fly in to Love Field if you need alternate transportation :) .
It looks like Dallas is gonna get alot of rain and bad storms from this, but it'll be alot safer up here than on the coast!

[LJustus]

Yeah, we're projected to get 2" - 4" of rain from Rita - probably all in a very short period of time.

Fujin: I think it may be wise to come on up Fujin. We'll have a blast up here in the Big D.

[Myrsilus]

Thank you all... But my father has agreed to put this conflict on hold for now, so I'll be heading to Eagle Pass. I'll be safe there, I am sure.

Really, though. Thank you all for your concerns. I am leaving today and might be able to talk again soon if I can get to a computer...

Corpus is near announcing a mandatory evacuation of the city now that Rita is a cat. 4 now. I fear for my city...

[PiccoloNamek]

It has now reached Category 5 status with maximum sustained winds of 165mph, only just less than hurricane Katrina at its peak. :eek:

[Snake eyeS]

Holy shit, this sounds bad guys... brace for another impact :(

[KKF]

Houston is going to flood again. Im hoping most of my friends get out and a few of them that just built homes don't get screwed. Good luck to those in or near the area it hits. I know Austin was supposed to get 40 to 60 mph winds and that was at Cat 4. This is going to be one CRAZY weekend. :(

[Katiekoneko]

I heard its up to Cat. 5
has anyone else heard that?!

Mother Nature is crazy

[Pretentious]

There's a decent chance it won't hit as a category 5 though. Atmospheric conditions would have to remain near perfect over the next two days or so (whenever it gets to land) which is most likely a near impossibility. Granted it'll still be strong by the time it makes landfall, but I figure there's a good chance that category 5 is almost out of the question.

[Myrsilus]

The conditions are actually very in favor of keeping this hurricane pretty strong. Even if it does weaken, it'll still cause considerable damage. Lots of people think the last hurricane pretty much eased things up, but the conditions are now just as favorable as before.

I hope it weakens on the way over here.

[Kos]

From NHC / NOAA:

Hurricane Rita Update (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCUAT3+shtml/211955.shtml?)

... DATA FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS REACHED
CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SURFACE
WINDS OF 165 MPH. THIS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE 4 PM CDT ADVISORY.

[sharpie]

I pray for the saftey of Corpus Christi as well as that of other cities that are going to be impacted by Rita. I really hope that it looses strength before it makes landfall.

[p1c4z0]

I live on houston, its freaken crazy here right now, the highways are packed and gas has run out...I'm going to stay here along with my dad while my sis, bro, and mom go to my aunts house farther north, hopefully i can take pics. Right now the weather is calm, but thats just the calm before the storm...

[JustTooCrazy]

I live on houston, its freaken crazy here right now, the highways are packed and gas has run out...I'm going to stay here along with my dad while my sis, bro, and mom go to my aunts house farther north, hopefully i can take pics. Right now the weather is calm, but thats just the calm before the storm...
why dont you just leave? you shouldn't take the risk.

[p1c4z0]

Thats what I told my dad but he wants to stay so im staying with him

[KKF]

Houston won't be hit to hard more than anything else it will flood. Atleasts thats what im hoping. Houston is about a 1 hour away from the coast. Area's like Clear Lake will get the most damage. My friends just bought a 500+ thousand dollar house there though. :(

[KKF]

P.S. Take pictures and video record it. My uncle did a long time ago when a hurricane hit Puerto Rico. Amazing stuff.

[Shamu]

Well, looks like it's gonna be fun times people! Third most intense storm in the Atlantic basin ever...fun times indeed...
http://www.srh.weather.gov/fwd/specialwx.php

[JustTooCrazy]

Houston won't be hit to hard more than anything else it will flood. Atleasts thats what im hoping. Houston is about a 1 hour away from the coast. Area's like Clear Lake will get the most damage. My friends just bought a 500+ thousand dollar house there though. :(
yea, if your gunna be there you might as well. of course not soley for our entertainment, but it would be educational.

[Frankey-eh]

When I saw the title, I thought it was Hurricane Rika.
:p

[p1c4z0]

okay well i finally got my dad to consider leaving so now they're going to mexico and i'm going to dallas. took pix of everything and put all things important in the attic. signing off...laterz ppl.

[Shamu]

Woot Dallas! Might not wanna come up here anymore, our mayor said we can't take anymore evacuees, so we're sending them all up to OK...But if you need a place to stay, my door is always open...either way, stay safe and sign back on when you can to let us know you're ok!

[Myrsilus]

Hm... I haven't left Corpus yet. Why, you ask? Because my step-father can be a stubborn idiot...

Not going to get into details, but it took a lot of convincing to get him to be willing to leave tomorrow morning. And I'll kill anyone that tries to keep me from leaving. Third strongest hurricane to hit? Yeah, I'm staying through that. =\

[dama rei]

Hurricane Rita is now becoming a serious threat... This time for Texas it would seem. It is currently a category 2, but that jumped just this morning. Now it is expected to be a category 4 very soon.

I live on the Gulf of Mexico, right along the expected course. I will probably be leaving in order to evade the full wrath of this new storm. I am worried, however, about what damage it might bring to the area. We have dealt with amazingly powerful hurricanes before, but it is always a challenge no matter how one looks at it.

I'm getting out of here tomorrow man.

I think we're probably going west.


hopefully corpus won't swallow it, but hey...

[Myrsilus]

You better leave. People are freaking like hell, and for good reason.

Just don't go too north... Some people are heading up to San Antonio, right in the storm's path. =\

[kyaa the catlord]

Hi, I'm taking in hot chicks from Texas. Please PM with specs.

[kyaa the catlord]

Thats what I told my dad but he wants to stay so im staying with him

You have my nomination for the Darwin Award.

[Jay]

Tell them about your MSN SN, Mr Catlord sir.

[kyaa the catlord]

"Kyaa is causing Hurricane Rita"? :D

Its all my fault. Well, me and the aliens. And George Bush. And HAARP. And Global Warming.

[Praetorian]

I heard its up to Cat. 5
has anyone else heard that?!

Mother Nature is crazy


Mother Nature hates America. =(

[Pretentious]

It's weakened just a tiny bit (down to 170 mph). I figure that over the next day or two, it'll probably continue to do so. Maybe around 140 or 150 mph by the time it makes landfall which, while still strong, is a little more manageable than, say, a 175 mph behemoth.

[Trump]

The difference between 175 and 140 mph? That's the same difference between complete devistation and practically complete devistation. In my books, if the winds are blowing faster than I've ever driven (110), it doesn't matter any more.

[Katiekoneko]

Mother Nature hates America. =(

One reason why I didnt want to live in the USA.. hurricanes ,earthquakes tornadoes... so many things.
(obviously not everywhere..but still)

Its so scary..esp since it keeps happening in the same areas. (or close to)

[Pretentious]

Fuck, down to 145 mph in about six hours? Maybe somewhere between 110 and 135 mph would be more appropriate.

[Saitou Hajime]

There's no Category 6, but if there was, then Rita would supposedly belong in it... earlier in the day, at least.

[El Jasma]

Well once again we got real lucky down here in Miami. The keys ( a few miles away from me ) got most of it but it was barely a cat 1. This strom is crazy, even though it had everything it needed to get stronger it stayed a 70mph TS for like 16hr, but as soon as passed it expoled to a cat 5. Good luck to everyone in its projected path.

[Pete]

I want to say good luck to all those who'll be affected by this tonight and tomorrow. Take care of yourselves and your family and you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

[kyaa the catlord]

Welcome to stupid people standing outside in the Hurricane Night! YAY! May God please aim better, I'm sick of seeing Geraldo...

[renegade]

its down to 120 mph

[Bowling Pin]

I was expecting to shit to happen in Austin. They even closed down all University buildings today. Yet, nothing happened; blood has not rained on our streets.

It would've been interesting though.

[NERD]

I've been looking at the photos of Katrina/Rita. It's not as bad in terms of damage with Rita, but pretty severe nonetheless. Thank you Mr.Bush for not joining the Kyoto Protocol- if severe hurricanes become more of a trend, then you have the credit for not believing in Global Warming, but in the cash brought to you by oil.

With Katrina though, the damage is quite severe, and I'm astonished by the pictures I'm seeing. After the hurricane, Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama look more like a third world country after a war, not America.

The problem I have with the whole situation is, how most people unaffected by it seem unfazed by it. Yes, they all say it's quite horrible, they have their prayers with the victims, blah blah blah, but once the conversation shifts, they are more eager to complain about the gas prices, or how lucky that they are not in the area affected by the hurricanes. As if these areas were some other country. This is truly the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, except each state is a different country by itself.

In the end, the question is, if the Federal Government had more budget and bigger, more powerful, could they have gone through the steps to prevent the some of the damage suffered by the levees being destroyed? Or what if the State government of New Orleans had more money, power and authority?

Either way, this is something that is gonna affect our lives in many ways, just how 9/11 did.

[KKF]

I was expecting to shit to happen in Austin. They even closed down all University buildings today. Yet, nothing happened; blood has not rained on our streets.

It would've been interesting though.


ACL fest kept going! :) Barely any wind and NO rain.

[Trump]

Kobun, if you want to blame this on global warming, please continue ignoring almost every fact on the issue. Two major factors... There is a cyclical period of hurricane activity (50 years ago was another rough period). Global warming research shows that it mostly affects polar regions. Global warming can't explain the cycle 50 years ago or show how it affects the waters of the gulf of mexico. Even the weather forecasters on TV say it wasn't anything to do with global warming....

Regardless, I wish everyone the best in the recovery.

[NERD]

Kobun, if you want to blame this on global warming, please continue ignoring almost every fact on the issue. Two major factors... There is a cyclical period of hurricane activity (50 years ago was another rough period). Global warming research shows that it mostly affects polar regions. Global warming can't explain the cycle 50 years ago or show how it affects the waters of the gulf of mexico. Even the weather forecasters on TV say it wasn't anything to do with global warming....


No, I blame it on global warming and Dubya because that's the popular answer for today. Bush bashing is officially in season. Global warming may/may not have contributed to the double whammy of Rita/Katrina, but as a fact the polar ice caps are melting, sea level rising... It's some serious stuff. If this keeps going on, They might as well abandon many cities across the world that happen to be lower than sea level. Nonetheless, it's easier to convince the masses global warming is behind this hurricanes and perhaps stop them from driving their gas guzzling SUVs.

[kyaa the catlord]

Ok, I'm going to say something completely unscientific but fun...

Ok, so the ice caps are melting. When the ice melts in my soft drink, the temperature of my drink falls, it does not rise. Why doesn't this work on the oceans? If global warming = truth, why is my coke icy refreshment?

[NERD]

Educate yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming#Effects

Global warming refers to the general increase of the temperature in the atmosphere and the ocean. Compared to the total volume of the ocean, the ice from the polar regions are enough to cause change in sea level but not to drop the temperature of the ocean overall.

Back to your coke icy analogy, the temperature would drop depending on the temperature of the drink+the amount of ice dropped into it. That said, if we were to compare the total volume of the ocean vs. total volume of ice present on the surface of the Earth, it would be like putting in some a bucket of ice cubes onto a pool and wait for the temperature to drop.

[kyaa the catlord]

^Party pooper.

[NERD]

That's what I was born to do!