The National Hurricane Center in Miami has been tracking Hurricane Rita as it's developed and clipped across the Florida Keys. Rita's just south of the Keys right now and is forecast to head into the Gulf of Mexico, turn slightly north, and hit somewhere on Texas' coast sometime late Friday or early Saturday, possibly as a Category 3 storm.
This is sort of a good news/bad news situation. It's terrible that the Texas coast is going to get hit, but I'm just pleased as punch that (for now) the storm isn't forecast to hit New Orleans or any of the other areas still recovering from Katrina.
I'm just saw that it now might become a Category 4 storm before it makes landfall. From a pratical standpoint, if it has to hit somewhere (and I would rather it just weaken and go away), wouldn't it be better for such a strong storm to hit areas already damaged than a brand new area, where it will do brand new damage and affect even more lives?
The Bored are already here. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. And no... we won't kill dolphins. But koalas are fair game.
I think it goes without saying that this year's been an extremely busy hurricane season, but I thought I might take a moment to throw in some statistics:
The current system of naming Atlantic storms alphabetically began in 1953, and Hurricane Rita marks only the second time we've gotten to the letter "R"-- the other time being for Hurricane Roxanne in 1995. Hurricane Roxanne formed on October 8, 1995, two weeks later into the season than we are now. We got up to "T" in '95.
After Rita we've potentially got Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma, and then they're named according to the Greek alphabet. I don't think it's out of the question that we'll see a Hurricane Alpha this season. Pretty frightening.
Anyway. I hope all goes well and the potentially affected areas are evacuated before Rita gets a chance to do her damage.
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I saw the Governor of Texas on the Today show this morning. He seems, well, together. The mayor of Galveston is mobilizing the city and school buses in the evacuation. They aren't waffling on this one down in Longhorn country.
I point out that the Governor was in Austin - a long way inland.
We'll be back right after order has been restored here in the Omni Center.
If this storm screws up the natural gas supply, those of us in the northeast can start singing that holiday classic: I'm Dreaming, of an Unusually Mild X-Mas.
Originally posted by ekedolphinAfter Rita we've potentially got Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma, and then they're named according to the Greek alphabet.
Why can't we have a Hurricane Ugueth or Xavier or Zachary?
"He is the most overrated piece of crap in the league. He bitched and whined after he got his ass beaten in New England last year, so the NFL changed the rules. Then he got his ass beaten in New England again. Every year he's the top MVP candidate. Every year he's supposed to be the best. Every year he's going to carry the Colts to the Super Bowl. And every single year he goes to New England and gets his ass beaten. And his brother's a whiny little bitch." -A friend of mine, on Peyton Manning
And now it's up to Category 5. This does not sound pretty, but glad to hear people are actually *moving* on this information this time.
"Lita holds a Stone Cold Steve Austin home pregnancy test. What will the Bottom Line say? “Hell Yeah” or “Eh-EH”?" - Raw Satire, 6/15/04 (Apparantly ours said "Hell Yeah", 03/08/05)
She's more or less headed for Houston...my buddy, a USAF recruiter in H-Town, got evac'd outside of San Antonio (about 2 weeks after helping tend to Katrina evacuees in Houston.)
He'll be OK...I hope.
(edited by The Thrill on 22.9.05 1346) Rebecca Louise Ross 1947-2005 R.I.P., Mom...
Originally posted by whateverAnd now it's up to Category 5. This does not sound pretty, but glad to hear people are actually *moving* on this information this time.
At this point, I'd think beatings would be mandatory for anyone who stayed. After Katrina, there's no excuse to take it lightly.
You wanted the best, you got... Out of Context Quote of the Week.
"...but that doesn't mean he can't relate an amusing anecdote about the Haiti Kid and one of the Frenchman's testicles." (Hogan's My Dad)
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