Rita strengthens to Category 2

[Gunit_Sangh]

Keys residents told to 'hunker down'

Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Posted: 1:36 p.m. EDT (17:36 GMT)

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Rita strengthened to a Category 2 storm Tuesday as it pounded the Florida Keys with heavy rain and strong wind.

A reconnaissance aircraft measured maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. Category 2 storms have winds of 96-110 mph (154-177 kph).

At 11 a.m. ET, the storm was centered 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of Key West and 100 miles east-northeast of Havana, Cuba.

Rita was moving to the west at 15 mph (24 kph) , with hurricane-force winds extending out 30 miles (48 kilometers) from its center. The storm had been moving to the north-northwest.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/20/rita/index.html

[ncrainbowgrrl]

1. oh no.

:cry:

[barb162]

2. I think I am not going to watch the tube the next few days

[whatever4]

13. that's where my head's been at too nm

[XNASA]

3. Now expected to make landfall near Matagorda.

I have friends who have a beachhouse on the bay there. :cry:

[hippiechick]

4. Yeah, I liked that comment from Jeb ...

... to the effect of "if you haven't left already ... it's too late. Stay where you are" <and die ?>


Love that compassionate conservatism. :eyes:

[iamjoy]

8. Sensible Advice, Actually

it sounds insenstive, but really it isn't.

They know at a certain point there is not enough time to make it to a secure location. Most houses will hold up to a Category 2 storm. There is more danger to being on the roads - the wind can blow your car into others, debris can hit it, trees can fall on you, etc.

[demo dutch]

22. Not to mention drown, since the one road out of the Keys will be flooded,

very unsafe. That's has always been the worst fear that thousands will die in their cars because they evacuated out of the Keys too late.

[RPM_BU]

14. That would be correct

The storm is basically almost at Key West and to be in a vehicle trying to evacuate the area would be more dangerous than staying put.

[QC]

27. Would you want to ride out a hurricane on a bridge?

I certainly wouldn't.

[Pirate Smile]

5. I just posted this in LBN a little while ago but they moved it to GD for

some reason. :shrug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4828579

[dhinojosa]

6. Recommending for info.

Scary stuff how these things increase in strength in the gulf.

[hobbit709]

7. 90+° water to a hurricane

is like gasoline on a fire.

[ananda]

10. possibilities

http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/
What will happen if Rita hits Galveston? How about Matagorda Island?

Let's take a look at what the Houston area might be in for, depending on where Rita strikes...

Port Lavaca, and points south: Houston would probably get some much-needed rain showers and light winds, but nothing unmanageable. As a likely category-3 storm, Rita simply wouldn't have the oomph to cause widespread damage or flooding. One area of concern: Galveston's beaches. When Claudette struck near Matagorda Bay in 2003 as a category-1 hurricane, it destroyed 60 percent of some recently completed beach renourishment projects.

Matagorda County: Houston would see heavy rain and high winds. The rain probably will be less of a concern, as it takes a good 10 inches to cause appreciable flooding in most parts of the city. The winds, perhaps has high as 75 mph, would be more of a concern. Such winds could damage unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and smaller or older trees. Most power poles would probably survive. Tornadoes spawned by the storm could also cause havoc.

Galveston Island: Think Hurricane Alicia, which came ashore Galveston as a category-3 storm in 1983, with gusts up to 126 mph. The storm killed 21 people, destroyed 2,300 homes. The Red Cross sheltered 63,000 people. All told, in an era when there was considerably less coastal development, Alicia caused $2 billion in damage. Enough trees were blown down to fill a football field 1,200 feet high. The storm pushed the beach on Galveston's West End back by 150 feet in some places. Rita, if coming ashore in Galveston, could have winds near 100 mph over downtown Houston, enough to cause roofing and window damage to even well constructed homes. That's enough about Alicia, I think. It wouldn't be any fun.

Upper Texas Coast: Barrier islands here are already receding, and Rita would accelerate the process. Houston would be on the storm's drier side, although strong winds and rain would still be present in force. The scenario for this strike point is similar to Matagorda County.

[Boomer]

9. Key West Webcam

A few hours ago, someone on DU posted a link to a webcam in Key West which had a view of a marina and the increasing wind gusts. The camera went dead about five minutes ago (2:20pm EST).

http://www.schoonerwharf.com/webcam.htm

[Boomer]

15. Found another Key West cam

Still working... for now at least:

http://www.casamarinakeywest.com/webcam.html

[Rainscents]

11. Boy, that was fast, it was in matter of few hours from Tropical to CAT2.

[geomon666]

12. It became a CAT 1 shortly after 11am.

And a CAT 2 around 1:30pm.

[demo dutch]

20. Nothing to slow it down, Keys aren't considered land. Cat 4 or 5 next

[Boomer]

16. Kick

:kick:

[Ilsa]

17. I live in the middle of the Texas Gulf Coast.

We're gtting ready for an indirect hit or a hit. If it's a direct hit, we'll be leaving. If it veers north, we'll stay put.

[K8-EEE]

24. How SCARY!

Stay safe Ilsa...

[demo dutch]

18. It will become a Cat 4 or stronger, heading straight for Crawford, TX

Maybe the idiot will "get" the global warming thing!!!!!

[RPM_BU]

19. George Bush must not like white people either

n/t

[Toots]

25. We'll see as to how quickly he responds to white people in trouble

We already know how he responded in regards to katrina.

[krkaufman]

21. Big brother to the rescue....!

From the article...

President Bush, the governor's older brother, issued a federal emergency declaration for the state of Florida, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts there.

[demo dutch]

23. NOAA forcasting Rita to strenghten to Cat 4 in next 24-36 hrs

[Megahurtz]

26. YIKES!

:scared:

[thecodewarrior]

28. MSNBC

Predicts a Cat 4 by the time it hits Texas.

[rainbow4321]

29. Houston closing some schools this week

Preparing for Rita:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/rita/3362458

These Houston area schools have announced that they will be closed on Thursday through at least the end of the week due to Hurricane Rita.

Alvin
Anahuac
Angleton
Brazosport
Brazoria
Columbia-Brazoria
Danbury
Deer Park
Dickinson
Galveston
Hitchcock
La Porte
Pasadena
Santa Fe
Sweeny

[Laelth]

30. Gulf Temperatures very warm.

Here we have it folks! Global warming in action. As long as these water temperatures remain so high, every tropical depression that comes along has a chance to grow into a whopper of a hurricane and whack us for our hubris.

Who needs Godzilla? We have Chimpzilla!



-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--coding error corrected.

[Phoonzang]

31. In Houston

We're probably boarding up the house leaving tomorrow night if things stay as they are. I live in an 60 year old, large brick house so it'll probably hold up better than most, but you never know.

The problem won't be the water, it'll be the wind. It probbably won't be to bad where I am, but better safe that sorry...

[Wordie]

32. Recommended...with hopes that Rita won't be another Katrina.