Remember to use this link for all the information about Hurricane Rita. It has all the advisories, discussions, local statements, the official track forecast, links to satellite pictures and radar.
http://www.abc3340.com/weather/tropics.html
But, we add this extra discussion and information:
Don't be fooled by the fluctuation in Rita's strength. Even though her sustained winds are down somewhat, she is still a very powerful and dangerous Category 4 hurricane. Late this afternoon she was centered near latitude 25.8 N, longtitude 89.5 W, which is about 405 miles SE of Galveston and about 390 miles SE of Port Arthur, Texas. Movement was WNW at 9 mph.
Highest sustained winds were 145 mph with higher gusts. She will fluctuate more before she eventually makes landfall late tomorrow night or very early Saturday.
And landfall? That's what we will have to watch very closely. The latest projection from the National Hurricane Center sends her inland between Galveston and Port Arthur. That is about midway between Galveston and the Louisiana border. Storm surge will be huge, especially along and to the right of the center. Rainfall is going to be extremely heavy with some areas getting 8 to 12 inches and even as much as 15 inches over SE Texas and SW Louisiana.
Even scarier is the fact that she may slow down or stall inland and produce some 25-inch rainfall amounts, which would cause enormous inland flooding. In recent years, more people have died because of inland flooding produced by hurricanes than any other way.
NEW ORLEANS
Rita may produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches over SE Louisiana, including New Orleans. That is very bad news for the Crescent City.
ALABAMA
This afternoon some showers spiraled inland from the SE due to the broad circulation around Rita. Late this afternoon some of those showers were producing heavy rain north of the Mobile area.
LATE AFTERNOON SPOT REPORTS
New Orleans Airport...rain, wind SE 15, gusts 28 mph
Beaumont...sunny, wind NE 12
Houston (Bush Airport)...mostly sunny, wind E 15, gusts 22
Galveston...mostly sunny, light and variable winds 5 mph
Port Arthur...sunny, wind NE 12, temperature 99!
Dallas (where a lot of people fled inland today)...sunny, 100 degrees, light wind
http://www.abc3340.com/weather/tropics.html
But, we add this extra discussion and information:
Don't be fooled by the fluctuation in Rita's strength. Even though her sustained winds are down somewhat, she is still a very powerful and dangerous Category 4 hurricane. Late this afternoon she was centered near latitude 25.8 N, longtitude 89.5 W, which is about 405 miles SE of Galveston and about 390 miles SE of Port Arthur, Texas. Movement was WNW at 9 mph.
Highest sustained winds were 145 mph with higher gusts. She will fluctuate more before she eventually makes landfall late tomorrow night or very early Saturday.
And landfall? That's what we will have to watch very closely. The latest projection from the National Hurricane Center sends her inland between Galveston and Port Arthur. That is about midway between Galveston and the Louisiana border. Storm surge will be huge, especially along and to the right of the center. Rainfall is going to be extremely heavy with some areas getting 8 to 12 inches and even as much as 15 inches over SE Texas and SW Louisiana.
Even scarier is the fact that she may slow down or stall inland and produce some 25-inch rainfall amounts, which would cause enormous inland flooding. In recent years, more people have died because of inland flooding produced by hurricanes than any other way.
NEW ORLEANS
Rita may produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches over SE Louisiana, including New Orleans. That is very bad news for the Crescent City.
ALABAMA
This afternoon some showers spiraled inland from the SE due to the broad circulation around Rita. Late this afternoon some of those showers were producing heavy rain north of the Mobile area.
LATE AFTERNOON SPOT REPORTS
New Orleans Airport...rain, wind SE 15, gusts 28 mph
Beaumont...sunny, wind NE 12
Houston (Bush Airport)...mostly sunny, wind E 15, gusts 22
Galveston...mostly sunny, light and variable winds 5 mph
Port Arthur...sunny, wind NE 12, temperature 99!
Dallas (where a lot of people fled inland today)...sunny, 100 degrees, light wind
on September 22, 2005, 5:18 pm
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