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NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BULLETIN
HURRICANE RITA ADVISORY NUMBER
20
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER MIAMI FL
10 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005
SYNOPSIS:
Hurricane Rita is now
heading in a more northerly
direction. The eye of the
storm may make landfall as
far east as Morgan City, La.
Here's
the bulletin:
...RITA
EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY
BUT FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL
AS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE...
...A
HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN
ISSUED...
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A HURRICANE
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM
PORT O'CONNOR 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.
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED
FROM SOUTH OF PORT O'CONNOR
TO PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN
COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF
MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED
FROM NORTH OF THE MOUTH OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE
MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER INCLUDING
METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
FROM SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD
TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS...AND
FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST
OF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO
NORTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS
ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36
HOURS.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC
TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY
YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE
EYE OF HURRICANE RITA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.4
NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.7 WEST
OR ABOUT 460 MILES...740 KM...SOUTHEAST
OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT
445 MILES...715 KM... SOUTHEAST
OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.
RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE
WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15
KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE
NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING
THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE
DECREASED TO NEAR 165 MPH...270
KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
RITA IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE
ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
SOME SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS BUT
RITA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN
AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140
KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295
KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE IS 907 MB...26.78
INCHES.
COASTAL
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15
TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE
AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN
BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE
RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER
MAKES LANDFALL. TIDES ARE
CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT 1
FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA
COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED
BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE
AREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO
3 TO 4 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED
BY LARGE WAVES...AND RESIDENTS
THERE COULD EXPERIENCE SOME
COASTAL FLOODING.
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF
8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
MAXIMUM 15 INCH TOTAL ARE
POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF
RITA PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA.
IN ADDITION...RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS. BASED
ON THE FORECAST TRACK...RAINFALL
TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE AFTER RITA MOVES
INLAND.
Click
here for earlier posts about
this storm.
Read the current storm info, why
to prepare & how
to prepare for this disaster.
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