Here comes "Rita"!

[danmand]

It's amazing. My review gets deleted because I said ugly.People and children have died in N.O and people are making jokes.

You don't understand anything; you have taken too many hard balls to the head. The poor people of New Orleans are not advertizing on Terb.

 

[dj1470]

In a word, they're fucked.

 

[baltimoron]

There was a Hurricane Ivan last year. I think there's some kind of rule regarding whether to give it a male or female name.

 

[Asterix]

always wondering who the hell named those hurricanes? why there is no hurricane 'Mike' or hurricane 'Paul' for gods sake?

Certain names get retired, and there are also others that probably aren't even considered. Hurricane Buffy, for instance, probably wouldn't be taken too seriously. The link is a short history of how they pick the names.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics/naming.shtml

 

[Gentle Ben]

Hurricane names

an exerpt taken from http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/hurricanes/010524naming.html

Using only women's names for hurricanes became the fashion after a 1941 novel by George R. Stewart called Storm. In 1979, names of both genders were used for Atlantic hurricanes after eastern Pacific storms began to use male and female names. An international committee at a meeting of the World Meteorological Organization came up with six separate name lists for hurricanes. Each list is reused every six years, with the exception of the names of storms that have resulted in major damage or death. Those names are "retired," just like the number of a hockey or basketball player whose accomplishments are so far above the rest

 

[the rusty tromb]

They should have named the hurricane Rasheed.

 

[goodtime]

Traffic jam

Not another one.

Gas station out of petro since 1st forcast. Everywhere traffic jam. People burning fuel, not getting anywhere.

Cat 5 @ between 165-175mph. Worst than the 1900 Hurricane. Lord have mercy. And I'm not religous. So tempted to go down...

 

[Esco!]

She made a slight turn and is now headed straight for Houston

 

[Esco!]

Farking Rita!!!!!!

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Is it just me, or is Rita turning north faster than forecasted?

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-vis-loop.html

Click on the Trop Fcst Pts checkbox...

Could it hit NOLA?

 

[Esco!]

Is it just me, or is Rita turning north faster than forecasted?

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-vis-loop.html

Click on the Trop Fcst Pts checkbox...

Could it hit NOLA?

I've noticed that it seems to be going East also.
Towards New Orleans again

 

[Esco!]

Is it just me, or is Rita turning north faster than forecasted?

Goober, stop doing so much Acid

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Goober, stop doing so much Acid

No way.

 

[Asterix]

I've noticed that it seems to be going East also.
Towards New Orleans again

It would have to hook pretty radically to the east to get that far. The good news is that it will likely land somewhere at the Texas/Louisiana border, missing Houston and hopefully Galveston. Also as I had hoped, it's been downgraded to a category 4. Still a hell of a storm though.

 

[Esco!]

It would have to hook pretty radically to the east to get that far.

You never know with women

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Bad news for NOLA, though...

From http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/SteveGregory/show.html

Beyond this cycling phase, the new GFS 12Z model run continues to show landfall further east - now along the TX./LA border. This dramatically increases the potential storm surge threat for southwest LA, while reducing the threat to Galveston. Whether or not this is just a 'flip-flop' in the track evolution is simply unknowable -- but the initialization data shows the high pressure ridge to the north weakening as forecast by the GFS, and I'm inclined to believe it. Accordingly, from my perspective, the highest probability; for landfall, lies from near High Island, Texas (about midway between Galveston and Port Arthur) eastward to Cameron, LA. If landfall reaches Port Arthur or a bit east - hurricane force winds will reach eastward to Grand Isle, LA. -- and the storm surge would shift accordingly -- with a 7-10ft storm surge over to Grand Isle, and 5-8 feet across the Mississippi Delta.

Before accepting this further east scenario we will at least need to see all the 18Z model runs show this change, and then confirm it with the evening, 00Z run. Special upper air surveillance missions are planned for the evening model runs -- and this should add greatly to the accuracy of the track forecast.

Beyond the issue of the actual landfall point -- for the past 2 days, the global models have been forecasting the re-development/intensification of the high pressure ridge over the central U.S. -- and then expands it towards the Gulf coast. What this means, is that after Rita moves inland Saturday morning, it will gradually slow down, then stall out over west central Louisiana - and then is forecast to drift SOUTHWESTWARD towards Houston by Monday. This type of motion would lead to extreme rainfall totals across much of Louisiana and the east-southeast areas of Texas following landfall. Tremendous, life threatening flooding could result from portions of Louisiana southwestward to the Houston area. Storm rainfall totals could easily exceed 20" in some locations.

Oy.

 

[dj1470]

It would have to hook pretty radically to the east to get that far. The good news is that it will likely land somewhere at the Texas/Louisiana border, missing Houston and hopefully Galveston. Also as I had hoped, it's been downgraded to a category 4. Still a hell of a storm though.

Unless, of course, if you live in the area between Galveston and Houston. Yikes

 

[Asterix]

This is the real risk to New Orleans. If they get even a partial hit by the storm surge, the already weakened levee/canal wall system could breach. It would only take one major breach to fill the bowl of New Orleans again.

 

[great bear]

I understand Goober is heading for the Texas coast. It's the only way he can get a "blow" job from a woman named Rita.

 

[Asterix]

Unless, of course, if you live in the area between Galveston and Houston. Yikes

Unfortunately, it's gotta fall somewhere.