Here We Go Again

000<br />nWTNT33 KNHC 220855<br />nTCPAT3<br />nBULLETIN<br />nHURRICANE RITA ADVISORY NUMBER 19…CORRECTED<br />nNWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL<br />n4 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005<br />n<br />n…CORRECTED BREAKPOINTS IN TROPICAL STORM WATCH SECTION…<br />n <br />n…POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE RITA MOVING<br />nWEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO…<br />n<br />nAT 4 AM CDT…0900Z…THE HURRICANE WATCH IS EXTENDED EASTWARD ALONG<br />nTHE LOUISIANA COAST TO INTRACOASTAL CITY. A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW<br />nIN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST FROM PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS TO<br />nINTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE<br />nREQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA LATER TODAY.<br />n <br />nAT 4 AM CDT…A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE<br />nSOUTHEASTERN COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF<br />nTHE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT<br />nTROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA DURING<br />nTHE NEXT 24 HOURS.<br />n <br />nA TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE<br />nHURRICANE WATCH AREA…FROM EAST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY TO MORGAN CITY<br />nLOUISIANA…AND FROM SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.<br />n <br />nA TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST<br />nOF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.<br />n <br />nA HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE<br />nWITHIN THE WATCH AREA…GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM<br />nWATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE<br />nWATCH AREA…GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.<br />n <br />nINTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE<br />nPROGRESS OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE RITA.<br />n <br />nFOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA…INCLUDING POSSIBLE<br />nINLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED<br />nBY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.<br />n <br />nAT 4 AM CDT…0900Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR<br />nLATITUDE 24.9 NORTH…LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST OR ABOUT 515 MILES…<br />n830 KM…SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 615 MILES… 990<br />nKM…EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS.<br />n <br />nRITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH…15 KM/HR…<br />nAND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24<br />nHOURS.<br />n <br />nREPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE<br />nTHAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 175 MPH…280 KM/HR…WITH<br />nHIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES RITA A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY<br />nFIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN<br />nINTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.<br />n <br />nHURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES…110 KM…<br />nFROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP<br />nTO 185 MILES…295 KM.<br />n <br />nTHE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM REPORTS BY THE<br />nHURRICANE HUNTER IS 897 MB…26.49 INCHES. THIS MEANS RITA IS THE<br />nTHIRD MOST INTENSE HURRICANE IN TERMS OF PRESSURE IN THE ATLANTIC<br />nBASIN.<br />n <br />nTIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING NEAR NORMAL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND<br />nLOUISIANA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE<br />nAREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO 3 TO 4 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE<br />nWAVES OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS… AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD<br />nEXPERIENCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING.<br />n<br />nHEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH RITA ARE FORECAST TO BEGIN TO AFFECT THE<br />nWESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL AREAS THURSDAY NIGHT<br />nINTO FRIDAY. RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL<br />nACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF<br />n15 INCHES FROM THE CENTRAL TEXAS COAST TO SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA.<br />nRAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE ACROSS<br />nSOUTHERN LOUISIANA…INCLUDING THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA.<br />nAFTER RITA MOVES INLAND…TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10<br />nINCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN TEXAS… AND CENTRAL AND<br />nEASTERN OKLAHOMA DURING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.<br />n <br />nREPEATING THE 4 AM CDT POSITION…24.9 N… 88.0 W. MOVEMENT<br />nTOWARD…WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED<br />nWINDS…175 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE… 897 MB.<br />n <br />nAN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL<br />nHURRICANE CENTER AT 7 AM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT<br />nCOMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 AM CDT.<br />n <br />nFORECASTER BEVEN<br />n<br />n<b>Pray. To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. Ambrose Bierce</b>