Too Tired for this...

[Brian2112]

NOAA 5 day projected path of (soon to be) Hurricane Rita:

This places the eye of the storm right over our heads. We are a block from the away from the beach. Naturally, hurricanes are difficult to forecast 5 days out so it could do anything. The Gulf waters are blazing hot (hurricane fuel) so I would expect it to strengthen to at least a cat 3 if not 4 or 5.

The problem where we live (Port Aransas, Texas) is this:

It could be two days out and blue sky. But there are only two ways off our island. One is by an 18 mile stretch of road and then a bridge – the other is by ferry boat. Usually, by the time you have any warning that the storm is coming (for sure), the surge has already secretly flooded the road, and lifted the ferry boats so high as to not be able to dock. Then you are stuck. I must travel to Houston today and be back Wednesday. When I get back, I will have very little time to grab what I can out of the studio and house and get out of dodge. So, if you guys don’t hear from me – no worries! We are going to leave if it is a Cat 2 or higher. It just may be a while before I can post. Y’all be good!

...2112

[Stephanie Pray]

Good luck Brian!! Stay safe

[Karl Garrett]

Brian, We’ll say a prayer for your safety, and for all those in Rita’s path.

Best of luck,

Karl

[Styxx]

Wow, this is ugly news. Please, please try to stay in contact with us as much as possible and we'll all say our prayer to lift this thing out of everyone's way!
We are all with you buddy.

[Hardy Heern]

Good Luck Brian.

Frank

[DPDAN]

what they said , Brian !


Dan

[Fabio]

If I remember well, it's second time you are worried by natural events.

It's so sad that so beautiful places are under menace.

Good luck.

[AtmosMan]

Well, as of latest model info:

It looks like there'll be erradic, fairly quick intensification through the Florida Keys under very warm water, then a bit slower and steadier intensification once it gets into the Gulf of Mexico. There is a pocket of 31 degree Celcius water (Very Warm) sitting off the coast of Texas, so we'll see how that comes into play (further intensification.) This storm looks to become at least a Cat 3 hurricane regardless.

As far as the track goes: the models are all agreeing on the storm getting into the Gulf of Mexico. After that it depends on the upper level steering currents, which in this case is an upper level high pressure centered over Texas. If this high remains strong through most of the week, then the storm will be pushed further south on the NOAA predicted track. But if the high weakens a bit, then the storm will take more of a northwest jog somewhere in the Gulf, and will make landfall closer to the northern Texas coastline.

Landfall looks to be sometime this upcoming weekend (Saturday and Sunday.)

And there's the synopsis in a nutshell.

I'll try to keep you guys posted on the storm as new info becomes available. We are in the middle of studying hurricanes in my severe weather class, so the topic is fresh in my mind.

Be Safe,

Brian

[wst3ae]

Brian,

No one likes to plan for disaster, it's human nature! And I add my wishes that you don't need to! BUT...

May I humbly suggest that if you can't put off your business trip that you pack before you leave. Don't forget the sometimes-too-obvious things, like deeds and titles, last statements from credit cards, banks, retirement accouts whatever, birth certs, etc. And of course hard disks from computers... the hardware is easily (not always cheaply) replaces, the data is not! I have all my disks (except the temp disk) in caddies so I can grab them with a minutes notice. That wasn't practical for the home machine, so that one has an external backup disk to save all our pictures and financial info (gess which had the higher priority<G>!!!)

Best of luck, and if by some chance she comes a visiting, I hope it is more of an adventure than a disaster!!

Bill

[jsp2]

I'm living in Florida!

And dealt with three of them last year.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





… I'm thinking of moving to Alaska