[RITA] Storm in the Atlantic to Watch for Texans

Because he seems like the smartest, most coolest person in this thread. That's how...

:]

 

lol.. suck up.

 

I'm hearing Clear Creek and Pasadena ISD are going ahead and shutting down classes for the week...not sure about that yet, though.

 

he is smart and cool. but he lost his crystal ball.

the honest answer is that most likely houston will be affected by this thing this weekend. whether that means hurricane force winds or just a really, really wet weekend is yet to be seen. but it's starting to intensify pretty quickly, now.

 

if you find out, let me know.

i'm wondering about districts in houston, too. i'm betting if this thing keeps on its current path, they'll cancel school throughout Houston on Friday.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

Rita was upgraded to a hurricane this morning at 9:15 am, and is already a Category 2 hurricane after just four hours. The 1:30 EDT hurricane hunter mission found winds at 10,000 feet of 85 knots (98 mph), which corresponds to surface winds of 90 mph. The SFMR instrument on the NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft found surface winds of 100 mph, making Rita a Category 2 hurricane. The central pressure was 976 mb, down 9 mb in the past 6 hours. At this rate of intensification, Rita may be a Category 3 hurricane tomorrow. The Key West radar loop is most impressive the past three hours, showing a transformation from a disorganized, elliptical system to a more circular storm with much more intense spiral banding. An large eye with a 35 mile diameter has formed, but is still organizing and has gaps. Infrared satellite images now show a warm spot where the eye is forming, and the eye is now clearly showing on visible satellite images.

 

At this rate it will be a Cat 15 by landfall.

 

(If) When it hits Cat 3, residents of Galveston will be given a mandatory evacuation order. Friends, we may be in some trouble here.

 

if it keeps on its current track, Galveston will have mandatory evacuations tomorrow...no question about it.

 

Problem is Houston should have not hosted those people from New Orleans, Now Seno"RITA" is following them. We're just gonna be innocent victims.

 

I actually just heard the Galveston mayor on the tv...I'm pretty sure she said there could be a mandatory evacuation as early as 5:00 today.

 

Didn't I read "rapid intensification followed by gradual weakening" somewhere earlier in this thread?

The more north the storm goes, the cooler the water is, so therefore there will be not as much strengthening...at least I hope so...

 

Is this hurricane headed for Texas?

 

yeah you did...but it depends who you ask. read one blog that says there's a 20% chance this thing turns into a Cat 4 at some point. and there are warmer waters in the western gulf, where Katrina did not pass over. it may be getting stronger right before it makes landfall.

 

Yeah, you could say that.

 

it appears so. but it's still early.

 

that's tracking a little bit north and east of what we saw this morning...isn't it???

 

So is it going to hit Houston?

Yeah, I'm worried.

 

we dont' know yet. we can't be that precise. keep watching closely. we're talking late Friday night, early Saturday morning timeframe for landfall.

 

i just heard a client say that hotels in the woodlands and just north of town are booking up very quickly.