Hurricane Rita.

[Texsox]

It still has plenty of time, by the way, to go through a full cycle of this before it slams ashore.

 

This one is a f***ing Monster.

 

When the evacuation order was given for Key West, only 50% of the residents left.  Hopefully the people in Texas are looking towards Louisiana and seeing what it did there.

 

The maddening thing to me is, people will die. There is no way anyone should die in this, yet they will. :headshake

[DonkeyKongerko]

MSNBC was saying it's something like the 5th largest storm ever recorded. I'm not sure if that was the exact statistic, maybe the 5th largest storm ever to hit the US.

[Texsox]

MSNBC was saying it's something like the 5th largest storm ever recorded. I'm not sure if that was the exact statistic, maybe the 5th largest storm ever to hit the US.

 

5th strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

[Texsox]

In 1900 Galveston was hit by a huge hurricane and over 6,000 people died. Amazing how far we have come.http://www.1900storm.com/

[KipWellsFan]

I'm pretty sure 2 Hurricanes of this size hitting in one season is some kind of record.

[Balta1701]

I'm pretty sure 2 Hurricanes of this size hitting in one season is some kind of record.

Just remember, as we warm up this planet via greenhouse gases, these size storms will only become more abundant.

 

Realclimate

[southsider2k5]

For those who love reading blogs and are intrigued or concerned about Hurricane Rita:

 

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

 

Dr. Jeff Masters has provided a great breakdown of the hurricane thusfar and gives some interesting historical and meteorological facts along the way.

 

Great site

 

This is one of the latest posts, if this happens we are talking about a worst case scenario here.

 

The latest runs of two key computer models, the GFS and GFDL, now indicate that the trough of low pressure that was expected to pick up Rita and pull her rapidly northward through Texas will not be strong enough to do so. Instead, these models forecast that Rita will make landfall near Galveston, penetrate inland between 50 and 200 miles, then slowly drift southwestward for nearly two days, as a high pressure ridge will build in to her north. Finally, a second trough is forecast to lift Rita out of Texas on Tuesday. If this scenario develops, not only will the coast receive catastrophic damage from the storm surge, but interior Texas, including the Dallas/Fort Worth area, might see a deluge of 15 - 30 inches of rain. A huge portion of Texas would be a disaster area. The models are not suggesting this at all, but is also possible that Rita may not make landfall on Saturday as expected, but pull up just short of the Texas coast and pound it for days as it waits for the next trough to pick her up. We'll have to wait for the next set of model runs due out by tomorrow morning to know better.

[KipWellsFan]

Just remember, as we warm up this planet via greenhouse gases, these size storms will only become more abundant.

 

Realclimate

 

Are you attempting to play the blame game, because I'm not going to get into the blame game with you.

[DonkeyKongerko]

Are you attempting to play the blame game, because I'm not going to get into the blame game with you.

 

I'm not convinced by that either and I ain't gonna be by another frickin blog.

[KipWellsFan]

I'm not convinced by that either and I ain't gonna be by another frickin blog.

 

[Balta1701]

5th strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

I believe it's now the 3rd strongest.

[Balta1701]

I'm not convinced by that either and I ain't gonna be by another frickin blog.

Actually RealClimate is pretty amazing of a site in that it's actually run by, and all of its posts are written by actual climate scientists. They include links to their biographies at the page. They're actually some fairly good names on the list too.

[Texsox]

Wanna help the victims of Katrina while also honoring the spirit of New Orleans? Check out boobs4bourbonst.com, where a donation earns you access to galleries of women and men flashing their boobs Mardi Gras– style. "All donations are made directly to your charity of choice," says Jason Hord, a member of the Boobs Team. "We only ask for your confirmation e-mail showing that you donated." The Boobs Team raised $7,000 in a week, but Jason says they need more boobs to keep raising money. "Without boobs," says Jason, "there is nothing to donate for." Go to the site for info about donating your boob shots. They need more pictures from men. So come on, gym queens! Do your part

[FlaSoxxJim]

I'm not convinced by that either and I ain't gonna be by another frickin blog.

Smoke up, those cigarettes are good for you.

 

Fact: S. Fred Singer, a "space scientist," who got his Ph.D. in 1948 (when we knew sooo darn much about space), is one of the leading climate change naysayers. He has the letters behind his name so people think he must have something important to say. Above and beyond the fact that his efforts have been funded by Big Energy is the interesting 'coincidence' that the man was also one of the leading Big Tobacco defenders (paid handsomely by Big Tobacco of course), using the so-called 'uncertainty of statistics' to fight the wrongful death and injury suits brought against them. The man is living proof that you can indeed sell your soul twice.

 

Fact: Roy Spencer of University of Alabama and NASA/Marshall is a bright guy and a respected scientist, and the climate change naysayers were perhaps correct in latching onto his troposphere temperature measurement data as the last credible evidence that there is no warming of the upper atmosphere. But a pair of landmark papers published two weeks ago in Science indicate that Spencer's analysis - and hence the entire arsenal of ammo he gave the naysayers - was fatally flawed. Turns out temperature measurements that he thought were being taken in the early afternoon were actually being taken in the evening. Hmmm, do you think this might have obscured real evidence of warming in the upper atmosphere?? You're damn right it did. he also f***ed up teh algebra in his original papers, but the authors of the refuting papers were kind enough to communicate that to him personally rather than publishing it for everyone to see.

 

Sure, people can do all the statistical sleight of hand with anthropogenic climate change that they did with tobacco -- no single death can be unwquivocally traced to cigarettes, and no single climatological anomally can be pinned to climate change. And if those fact-twisters sitting in the pockets of Big Tobacco and Big Energy are going to be your champions, then smoke 'em if you got 'em and smile while the world belches another 25 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases into the system this year.

 

Scientists are finding evidence of pollution-induced environmental degradation in cores taken from polar ice that no human has ever visited.

 

Reduced atmospereic pH (recall COv2 is acidic) has actually shifted the carbonate chemistry equilibrium state in tropical oceans such that it is approaching the point of energetic impossibility for living coral reefs to continue to lay down carbonate skeletons.

 

The current majority opinion is that one of the largest and most valuable biological systems on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef, will essentially crash by 2050 because of human-induced climate change.

 

But, by all means, get indignant at the bloggers who thought you should know what's going on. :rolly

[Balta1701]

The latest tracks are starting to narrow it down...the best guess path has moved a bit back to the north as opposed to earlier today...right now it's back over Galveston and Houston.

 

NOAA

[Mercy!]

For those who love reading blogs and are intrigued or concerned about Hurricane Rita:

 

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

 

Dr. Jeff Masters has provided a great breakdown of the hurricane thusfar and gives some interesting historical and meteorological facts along the way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for that link! I read his chilling account of Hunting Hugo. It had me on the edge all the way through, even though, of course, I knew he survived. I'd like to read the story turned in by that hapless reporter who accompanied them.

[Mercy!]

Jim - I'm having trouble following the conversation. To what site or previous discussion or whatever do your references to Singer and Spencer pertain? The search function here is disabled right now. Thanks.

[YASNY]

Thanks Yas. I didn't put in the detail 2x4s to strengthen the plywood covering and creating a place to screw to. It is sooo much faster and easier than cutting to fit. I only worry about the posts pulling out of the ground. But I figure by then I have bigger problems than that. Is there a best angle for the brace? I was about at a 45 degree. My house is brick and I have a couple great rooms away from the wind, and without really big windows for riding the storm out.

 

We're sitting here wondering what it's going to do like everyone else. The last one hooked south and missed us, but that one was coming from the south, not the east. The longer the high pressure ridge stays intact, the worse for me. I haven't seen Jim Cantori yet, so I guess we're going to be fine.

 

45 degrees should be fine. Suggestion. Nail the angle brace to the plywood, then let the other end rest on the ground. Drive your stake at an angle that puts pressure on the brace and snugs the plywood up to your building, then tack the brace in place with a nail or two so the wind (and flopping plywood) doesn't work the brace up the slightly angled stake.

[Texsox]

45 degrees should be fine.  Suggestion.  Nail the angle brace to the plywood, then let the other end rest on the ground.  Drive your stake at an angle that puts pressure on the brace and snugs the plywood up to your building, then tack the brace in place with a nail or two so the wind (and flopping plywood) doesn't work the brace up the slightly angled stake.

 

I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned flapping plywood, there is probably some value in cutting the plywood to fit the window frame instead of on the brick. Being "inset" would reduce the flapping. I was trying to avoid having five different size boards to deal with.

[kapkomet]

Well, everything has shifted away from us. Watching the weather right now and now they are saying for Dallas we might not get ANYTHING. NO rain! I'll be shocked if that happens.

 

Rita is weakening, you can see it. It's not as symetrical.

 

Now, they are saying even EAST of Houston/Galveston.

[southsider2k5]

Well, everything has shifted away from us.  Watching the weather right now and now they are saying for Dallas we might not get ANYTHING.  NO rain!  I'll be shocked if that happens.

 

Rita is weakening, you can see it.  It's not as symetrical.

 

Now, they are saying even EAST of Houston/Galveston.

 

 

Which would put it on course for the biggest concentration of oil rigs in the country.

 

Last I heard was sustained winds now at 170 mph.

 

Not good, not good at all.

[Texsox]

Why doesn't Bush just ask her to leave us alone? That's what Reagan would have done.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I saw a pic in today's paper of school busses full of people being taken out of Galveston by the gov. Yeah, what stupid idea that would have been for N.O.

[Texsox]

I saw a pic in today's paper of school busses full of people being taken out of Galveston by the gov. Yeah, what stupid idea that would have been for N.O.

 

Texans are sooooooo much smarter.

[kapkomet]

Rita is starting to experience shearing - it's not going to be a cat 5 for long.