Same thing happened in Baytown...where I was, and I was convinced it was the eye, until my dad told me it was just a break in the bands..... Look at the images above for clarity. DD
That must be it, b/c the satellite images definitely show the eye south of Houston. I've never even heard of a break in the bands before.
Does anyone else think this thing may continue moving more North, and hit just West of New Orleans? It just looks that way in the latest radar images, or I could be hoping it does that for my friends and families sake that live in Houston. I mean New Orleans would be a PERFECT spot to hit, empty already and we are going to have to rebuild it anyway. DD
That would be the hope. Which re-iterates my question. Even if it does move more east towards Louisiana, I still would like to leave central Houston, and am thinking the Rockport/Port Aransas area might actually be okay then...some smaller tropical storm winds potentially, but I don't think I can stomach 12 hours on I-10.
Compare the 10 pm with the 4 am prediction. And now at 4 a.m. I will post the OVERLAY with the cities at 10 am again.
So far, it took my parents 2 hours to get from the Woodlands to Magnoila. That's typically a 15 minute drive. They've told me that if they don't hit 290 by noon, they're going back home. My brother is also going to tough it out at his house in Cy-Fair. On another note, I now have 2 extra 3-day armbands for the ACL Festival in Austin this weekend. If anyone is interested, email me at ldoctoroff@conceptserv.com
Winds down to 165. The cone continues to shift more to the East. Looks like it may continue doing that. "This does not mean that the overall big picture changes..." Sincerely, Wes Owenstein
The new track just now came out...the center line is now moved even farther east. Thank you weakening high pressure system. I just hope this doesn't give people like me a false sense of security only to have Rita take a weird turn our way again. Memo to Rita: I hear Louisiana is very nice this time of year.
Every time my boyfriend and I have a planned trip (leaving Houston), some natural disaster occurs: Alison, the Snow this past Christmas, Cindy/Dennis, and now Rita. My best friend's wedding is in Illinois on Saturday, and our plane tickets are for this evening. While I'm flying in from Philly, he's a Hobby- his flight was booked at 8pm, and he got into hobby a couple of hours ago. After waiting in the security check line for over an hour, he's still over a quarter to a half mile from hitting the check... It wraps around itself so many times, and he's way down into Terminal A. He's hoping to get through in time to even make his scheduled flight.
Buffalo is on I45 just past and to the north of Centerville, Tx. Centerville is basically the halfway point between Houston and Dallas.
Fry Rd. feeding into i-10. NOTE: the congestion on the left is to go AWAY from the freeway... so they're either coming back or looking for a place to rest or get gas. Fry Rd. Home Depot. Lines going once across the parking lot and back again. We can't get out of KATY any way we try. I am staying home, since we have people who couldn't get out coming over.
my mother-in-law left sugarland around 8:30 last night to come and stay with us in austin. she decided to take 90 to rosenburg and then 36 up to I-10 (at sealy.) as of 10:00am today, she's not yet to I-freakin-10! that's insane...
One more time, with the cities, pirc1 posted the original one. It's moving EAST. Keep going, HIGH PRESSURE... push that baby UP, please.
Thanks for the pic Swoly.. I couldnt get out today also.. I'm gonna try to leave later when and if the traffic dies down, but if it doesnt I'll be here at home chillin.. Good luck bro..
ARW experimental model: New Computer Model Predicts Rita's Path and Intensity Robert Roy Britt LiveScience Managing Editor LiveScience.com Wed Sep 21, 9:00 PM ET As Hurricane Rita takes aim on Texas, a new computer model is being tested to see if it can more accurately forecast the storm's movement and intensity. ADVERTISEMENT Like the other half-dozen or so different computer models used by the National Hurricane Center, the new one relies on data from various sources. But the new model uses more data and therefore achieves higher resolution, scientists said Wednesday. The Names & Numbers Deadliest, costliest, busiest months, worst states, plus this year's storm names and more. How & Where Hurricanes Form The science of monster storms. They caution, however, that the new model is in a test phase and should not be used to make evacuation decisions. It generates a map and a curving line much like other prediction methods. The program is run by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). This and other agencies test new prediction models every few years, then pick those that work best and incorporate them into the suite of computer programs used to track future storms. Weather forecasting models work on grids of data. Because of the limitations of computer processing power and data-collection ability, the data points are typically miles apart. The new model, called ARW, works on a grid of data points about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) apart, closer than other models in use. It can project the location of fine-scale rain bands and structures in the hurricane's central eyewall 48 hours into the future. "ARW intensity predictions are very encouraging," says NCAR weather expert Chris Davis. "Five years ago, accurate intensity predictions weren't even possible." ARW is the daughter of a program called WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting, and pronounced "worf") that is already in use for daily weather forecasting. ARW stand for Advanced Research WRF. In a previous test, ARW captured in detail the collapse of Hurricane Katrina's eyewall at landfall and the shift of precipitation to the north side of the storm, Davis and colleagues say. The model's live predictions are displayed here. A separate study earlier this year revealed that tracking ozone in a hurricane could also improve forecasts. http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20050922/sc_space/newcomputermodelpredictsritaspathandintensity Forecast: http://www.livescience.com/php/mult...decisions,+scientists+cautioned.+Credit:+NCAR
Even though I'm up here in Lubbock, I lived in Houston for 18 years and I truly empathize with what everyone's going through. Lived in the FM 1960 area, Olde Oaks subdivision between Kuykendahl and Stuebner-Louetta and also in Sugar Land off Highway 6 and Settler's Way. For those in the FM 1960 area that still need to leave, you may want to consider taking 249 near Willowbrook Mall or even Stuebner-Airline north. Yes, you have to deal with the lights, but with the nature of the stop-and-go traffic on 1-45, you might even make better time. I know that there's a way to get all the way to the Woodlands from Stuebner, possibly even through Kuykendahl. I wish I remember the specifics- maybe someone else knows about the side roads? I'm sure you can take 2920, as well, out to 290 and hit it at a place where there might be less traffic. If traffic is as bad as everyone says it is, it's worth looking into taking some FMs- many have speed limits of 45-55 and you can probably make better time than sitting in traffic. Actually, Stuebner-Airline and Veteran's Memorial runs all the way down past Greenspoint to probably Airline or West Rd, so if you're in the Beltway 8 or Greens Rd. area, you could take Veteran's Memorial/Stuebner as a better route. If you can get to 290 from 2920, or if you're just taking 290 straight from Houston, taking 36 could be a quicker route if you need to go further than the closest outskirts of Houston. Although 36 goes through some small towns, the speed limit is mostly 70 MPH throughout and 36 would take you to I-35 to the Temple area- this would be convenient if you're going to Austin and 290 is too heavily backed up or if you're going even further to places like Abilene, Lubbock, or Amarillo. Point of all this is that taking the side roads that put you at 45-55 MPH might be a better option if you're running behind on getting out of the city. I'm just concerned, guys and gals. Houston is still my home, I can't get calls through to any family members, and there's just too much that can happen with the unpredictability of a hurricane. Play it safe and best wishes to everyone. For those that can keep the messages going here, please do so.
