Nicky and Stephen, Met June 8, 1998, Married June 8, 2000

ZCZC MIATCEAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE POSITION ESTIMATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
3 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

AT 3 AM CDT...0800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.8 WEST...OR JUST NORTHEAST OF
SABINE PASS ALONG THE COAST AT THE BORDER BETWEEN TEXAS AND
LOUISIANA.

THE CENTER OF RITA MADE LANDFALL AT 230 AM CDT ON THE EXTREME
SOUTHWEST COAST OF LOUISIANA BETWEEN SABINE PASS AND JOHNSON'S
BAYOU.

FORECASTER BEVEN

$$
NNNN

 

...CORE OF DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL NEAR
DAYBREAK SATURDAY...

AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING SOUTH OF SARGENT TEXAS
HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM WARNING. A HURRICANE WARNING
IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM SARGENT TEXAS TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. A
HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN
COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL
RIVER INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
...AND FROM SOUTH OF SARGENT TO PORT ARKANSAS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN
THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.6 WEST OR ABOUT 155 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE
CORE OF HURRICANE RITA WILL MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS NEAR DAYBREAK SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA IS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE
BEFORE LANDFALL...BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME ASHORE AS A
DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 205 MILES...335 KM. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD
INLAND AS FAR AS 100 MILES NEAR THE PATH OF RITA. AN ELEVATED
STATION AT MARSH ISLAND LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 59 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 78 MPH.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT WAS 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
LOCALLY UP TO 20 FEET AT HEAD OF BAYS AND NEARBY RIVERS...WITH
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. TIDES ARE CURRENTLY
RUNNING ABOUT 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE LOUISIANA...MISSISSIPPI
AND ALABAMA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE
AREAS WILL INCREASE TO 4 TO 6 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE
WAVES...AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE COASTAL FLOODING.
LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY RITA WILL LIKELY AFFECT MOST PORTIONS OF
THE GULF COAST.

RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12
INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES OVER
SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AS IT MOVES INLAND.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS WITH ISOLATED HEAVIER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. SINCE RITA IS FORECAST TO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY
AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS LOCALLY IN EXCESS OF 25
INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS
INTO WESTERN LOUISIANA.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
TEXAS...SOUTHERN LOUISIANA INCLUDING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND
ALABAMA.

REPEATING THE 4 PM CDT POSITION...28.2 N... 92.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 930 MB.

 

A slowly weakening Hurricane Rita is making her way northwest towards the Texas/Louisiana coast. Her winds are down to 135 mph, still a category 4.

In New Orleans, the lower ninth ward is flooded after a levee along the industrial canal was overtopped as a result of storm surge.

 

Hurricane Rita is down now to a category 4 storm. At her peak winds were measured at over 200 mph and her pressure was down to 897 mb. Rita's circulation is so large that we're still getting rain from her. Even though New Orleans isn't in the direct path, they will still get a lot of rain and possible storm surge.

 

Hurricane Rita is now a category 5 storm with winds of 165 mph. The latest air recon has found a pressure of 914 mb and flight level winds of 161 knots. That's 185 mph! Rita doesn't show any signs of weakening at this point. The inner core is very symmetrical.

 

Hurricane Rita blew right past us. She also spared Key West her full potential. We got zero damage. Our power is still on. There is minor flooding in some areas and power is out sporadically. The Fort Lauderdale Police Dispatch was struck by lightning. Parts of U.S. 1 in the Keys were under water during high tide and from the storm surge.

Rita is now a category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph. Her pressure keeps dropping indicating that she is getting stronger. You folks on the Gulf coast need to keep watch.

 

Hurricane Rita is still heading for Key West. Her winds are up to 85mph and is now moving towards the west at 15mph.

FPL is reporting that 7,000 customers are without power in Miami-Dade and 3,200 in Broward. A nasty looking squall moved through a little while ago, but it didn't give us much more than a typical thunderstorm.

 

It's official.

ZCZC MIATCUAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
915 AM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

DOPPLER RADAR DATA...SATELLITE PRESENTATION AND PRESSURE FALLS FROM
THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS REACHED CATEGORY
ONE HURRICANE STRENGTH ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THIS
WILL BE REFLECTED ON THE 11 AM...1500Z ADVISORY.

FORECASTER AVILA


$$
NNNN


It looks like we have a nasty squall line coming.

 

Rita is still a tropical storm. The latest air recon had a max flight wind of 69 kts, open eyewall, and a pressure of 985 mb. Technically it is a hurricane at this point. Maybe the next advisory will have her reclassified.

We got a few pretty good squalls overnight. The power only flickered out a couple times, but nothing long-term.

It's pretty obvious that we aren't getting a direct hit. Key West is getting it this time. There won't be much intereference from land so Rita has the potential to strengthen before it gets to the Gulf coast.

 

Rita is still a tropical storm for now. She is strengthening and probably will be a hurricane overnight. They are still saying Rita will go south of us, between Key West and Cuba, then move into the Gulf of Mexico.

We are under a hurricane watch. Miami-Dade and the Keys are under a hurricane warning. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for everyone in the Keys. Miami International Airport is closing tonight. Government offices and schools in Broward are closed tomorrow. Mobile home residents are under a voluntary evacuation. Some shelters are open.

The news stations are on 24 hour hurricane mode. Gas stations have long lines and some are running out of fuel. Our local grocery store was running out of water and other food items.

 

Here is Rita. She is forecast to become a hurricane sometime in the next 24 hours.

We are under a Tropical Storm watch. Gov. Bush put Florida under a state of emergency. The Keys are under a mandatory evacuation for visitors and non-residents.

 

Magic Kingdom sunset.

» http://www.pxite.com

 

Flutterby love.

» http://www.pxite.com

 

Taco-Man talks about Katrina. Weather of mass destruction... funny!

 

"Five days in this motherfucking attic
I can't use the cellphone I keep getting static
Dying 'cause they lying instead of telling us the truth (...)
Screwed 'cause they say they're coming back for us, too
but that was three days ago and I don't see no rescue(...)

Swam to the store, tryin' to look for food
Corner store's kinda flooded so I broke my way through
Got what I could but before I got through
News say the police shot a black man trying to loot "

Gotta love the internet. Go here. Scroll down, you'll see it.

 

Massive cruiseship.

» http://www.photofriday.com

 

Air traffic control.

» http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

 

1) Go to google.com

2) Type "failure"

3) Press "I'm feeling lucky"

 

"All that sleeping, eating, and doing nothing sure makes me exhausted!"

» http://www.godamonginsects.com/tuesday/index.php

 

 

Blogrolling.com is acting funky lately. I'm going to install a plugin for Nucleus that does the same thing but without going to another site to get the list. This should make things go faster.

 

"President Bush on Monday nominated John Roberts to succeed William H. Rehnquist as chief justice, and called on the Senate to confirm him before the Supreme Court opens its fall term on Oct. 3."

I see Bush is wasting no time in appointing another inexperienced, incompetent fool to a high ranking post.

 

» http://www.pxite.com

 

"11:55 P.M. - (AP): At one point, the Superdome evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line -- much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking Superdome since Sunday.

"How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?" exclaimed Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line. The National Guard blocked him as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests with their luggage."

Yeah. That's how this country works now. If you're rich, you get everything. If you're poor, you get nothing.

Do you think this country will change after this? No. Look at 9/11. Things only got worse after that. Our economy tanked. Gas/oil prices skyrocketed. Taxes keep going up. All of our money goes to Iraq. Our soldiers keep dying for no reason in a "war" with no purpose. Corporations keep making money while the little person starves. Our basic human rights disappear on a daily basis. Oil still drives this country. People still buy gas-guzzling road-hogging SUV's.

I heard this from another source and I firmly believe it: "It's going to take something much larger than 9/11 to make people change."

The situation with Katrina and FEMA reminds me of when Andrew blew through South Florida 13 years ago. It took an angry local politician to get the government to get off their asses and do something. We obviously haven't learned anything.

The majority votes idiots into office and then they wonder why things fall apart.

 

Stars.

» http://www.photofriday.com