September 21, 2005

Midweek Catastrophic Hurricane Update

UPDATE These posts are no longer operative, go to the top for the newest info.

Please note the repeated use of the adverb "currently;" I'm not the National Weather Service. This is all Wednesday morning information; I'll try to update the above graphic as it becomes available (or, you could just go to this omnibus National Hurricane Center page).

Currently, Hurricane Rita is a category 4 about 60-72 hours from landfall (predicted for Saturday, early morning, somewhere near Port Lavaca, or about halfway between Galveston Island and Corpus Christi). The "cone of possibility" has Brownsville and Lake Charles, LA as the most outside possibilities; most of the prediction models seem to have converged on the middle Texas coast.

On a personal note, most of my relatives in Northern Galveston / Southern Harris counties are evacuating today; you can get the full story at Charles' place and the special section of the Houston Chronicle devoted to the storm.

I don't want to be a storm pornographer, but I have in the area of 30 relatives and a good number of friends (real and internet) that live in the projected path of this thing. In fact, it may pass over/near Austin as a strong tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane during the day on Saturday, with tornadoes and such (during Hurricane Alicia in 1983, tornadoes were reported as far north as Tyler, in Northeast Texas). Hope you like playing in gale force winds, Oasis!

In terms of the steps you need to best protect your residence, this article has some good advice. However, I was informed by my father this morning that there was no plywood to be had for the purpose of window-boarding, at least in the southern Houston suburbs. If you need the most up to date info, use the National Hurricane center page or The Storm Track website.




Posted by Norbizness at September 21, 2005 06:55 AM
Comments

Interestingly, if you track the projected line up and through, it almost exactly intersects Crawford, Texas.

Make of this what you will.

Posted by: HWRNMNBSOL at September 21, 2005 12:07 PM

I went to that there Stormfront website, but it didn't seem to have much to do with Hurricane Rita.

Posted by: Cameron at September 21, 2005 12:15 PM

It does, however, have a lot to do with Katrina. They have a similar take on it as John Derbyshire. Maybe they just haven't updated their National Weather Service maps?

Posted by: Alex at September 21, 2005 12:59 PM

Something about that map reminds me of the sex-ed films from junior high school.

Posted by: Otto Man at September 21, 2005 01:18 PM

Best wishes and all good thoughts to you, your family, your friends, and all the good people of Texas. Also, the residents of Crawford.

Posted by: rod at September 21, 2005 01:34 PM

RE: I'm not the National Weather Service.

What?

Damn! That explains a LOT.

Sorry about all those nasty letters I sent you.

Posted by: just john at September 21, 2005 02:06 PM

The obliteration of those Gallagher homonculi would be no loss, but I hope your family fares well. Good luck and best wishes, Norb.

Posted by: Paris Motorlodge at September 21, 2005 02:07 PM

Hoping the best for your friends and family in the storm areas.

Posted by: JenM at September 21, 2005 03:55 PM

What Jen said. And Paris. And the rest.

Posted by: Vestal Vespa at September 21, 2005 05:28 PM

All the more reason to move to Cleveland.

Posted by: Abraisivist at September 21, 2005 06:12 PM

That makes 5,395 Cleveland reasons! And say a little prayer for Oasis, naturally. Liam and Noel have been through enough.

Posted by: norbizness at September 21, 2005 07:03 PM

Cleveland? Really?

If it comes to it, mi casa es su casa.

Posted by: vachon at September 21, 2005 07:15 PM

Norb, honey, you take care. I'm not as worried about Liam and Noel, though ... they won't even notice.

Posted by: Pepper at September 21, 2005 08:12 PM

So I saw this the other day (part of a safety talk). It's a slide show of predicted consequences of a big (category 4 or so) hurricane hitting Galveston and Houston, including renderings of where the floodwater would be at several storm surge levels.

Warning, big (15 MB!) honkin' powerpoint file.

http://www.ci.la-porte.tx.us/Lepc/Doc's%20&%20PDF's/Houston-Galveston%20Hurricane%20Presentation.ppt

Good luck to all out there, my folks are getting out of town tonight. If you know anyone who needs persuading to get out, this might help.

Posted by: Phred at September 21, 2005 09:41 PM

Using adhesive tape or even glueing paper over the windows with a simple flour and water paste can help stop glass flying everywhere when the window shatters. Looking around my apartment I see cuboard doors, internal doors, tables and old furniture that could be used to board up windows. I reccommend not using internal doors or furniture (strong table to hide under etc) for where you'll need to shelter if the roof comes off.

Posted by: Brak at September 21, 2005 11:19 PM