Jump to content

Hurricane Rita

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 65.240.208.18 (talk) at 12:08, 24 September 2005 (→External links: spam). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:HurricaneActive

Hurricane Rita
DurationSeptember 17 2005 to present

Hurricane Rita is the 17th named storm, ninth hurricane, fifth major hurricane, and was the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It made landfall between Sabine Pass, Texas and Johnson's Bayou, Louisiana at 2.38 am CDT on September 24, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane, with windspeeds peaking at 120 mph and a storm surge of 10 feet. [1] The resultant wind and rain also reopened the levee breaches caused by Hurricane Katrina a month earlier, and reflooded parts of New Orleans. [2]

This hurricane is on record as being the strongest measured hurricane to ever have entered the Gulf of Mexico, and the third most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin. The storm first struck Florida and Cuba, and went on to strike Texas and Louisiana. The system reached Category 5 strength on the afternoon of September 21, 2005. Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts, as well as storm-ravaged New Orleans. Tornado watches are posted as far as Alabama, and flood watches are posted all along the Gulf Coast.

NOAA reports Rita to be past its peak, having achieved a minimum central pressure of 897 millibars (hPa) (26.49 inches of mercury). Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center are issuing warnings about the unpredictability of large storms such as Rita, since there is a far smaller information base to work from. It is still a major hurricane, capable of causing localized catastrophic damage from straight line winds, flooding, storm surge, vortices and tornado activity. Meteorological authorities in the United States urge individuals to take all appropriate precautions, including observing evacuation orders if in effect.

Because the Gulf of Mexico is a major center for crude oil production and refineries, as well as home to some of the busiest ports in the world, Rita has the potential to do damage beyond the localized wind and wave surge. The spot market for crude oil and gasoline futures both spiked when it became clear that Rita's path would take it towards the Gulf and towards Texas. Gasoline prices, already elevated by strong demand and a previous hurricane in the Gulf, are predicted to increase again by several major energy analysts on Wall Street. There are increasing concerns that this may further weaken GDP growth in the US and around the world in late 2005.

Only three Category 5 hurricanes have hit the United States since measurements began: the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille in 1969, and most recently in 1992, Hurricane Andrew.

Storm history

Rita's name itself indicates the activity of the 2005 hurricane season; it is only the second time an "R" name has been used since naming of storms began in 1950. Several systems in 1969 went unnamed, so the "R" name was never reached, and the 17th system received the first "M" name used to that time. The only prior 17th tropical systems since 1950 were Hurricane Martha in 1969 and Hurricane Roxanne in 1995.

The storm formed at the tail end of an old frontal boundary, where convection and low level circulation around an upper level low steadily developed for over two days. A surface low formed near it, and the season's 18th tropical depression formed soon thereafter east of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It became the 17th tropical storm of the season on September 18, less than a day after forming. A mandatory evacuation had been ordered for the entire Florida Keys. Rita is expected to threaten Texas and Louisiana next, likely as a major hurricane. Key West mayor Jim Weekley said in an interview, "We're looking right now at a Category 2 or 3."

Hurricane Rita in the Gulf of Mexico on September 21, 2005.

Rita was slow to become a hurricane; discussions early on September 20 showed that wind translations to surface level were indeed at 75 mph (120 km/h), however, the lack of a complete eyewall meant that the National Hurricane Center kept Rita as a tropical storm with 70 mph (110 km/h) winds overnight. Aerial reconnaissance data released at 9:45 am EDT that morning showed that Rita had closed the eyewall and winds clearly reached hurricane strength. Four hours later, another special update stated that Rita had reached Category 2 strength with 100 mph (160 km/h) maximum sustained winds.

File:Rita wind.jpg
Hurricane Rita encountering the Gulf Loop Current and Eddy Vortex.

The warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, which is currently 1 °F (0.5 °C) above average, is favorable for hurricane development. As Hurricane Rita entered the Gulf of Mexico, it had rapidly increased in intensity. The National Hurricane Center's official advisories, issued every three hours, showed strengthening at every single advisory from 5 p.m. EDT on September 20 to 11 a.m. EDT on September 21. At that advisory, Rita's maximum sustained winds had increased to 140 mph (225 km/h). Rita continued to gain strength unabated. An update issued at 2:15 pm CDT (1815 UTC) said that Rita's maximum winds had increased to 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 920 mbar (hPa). Less than two hours later, at 3:55 pm CDT (19:55 UTC), another update was issued, saying Rita had strengthened into a Category 5 storm with maximum wind speeds of 165 mph (265 km/h). At 6:50 pm CDT, a reconnaissance aircraft recorded a pressure reading of 899 mbar (hPa), but it was thought to actually be lower since the reading was not from the center. At 10:00 pm CDT, the advisory said that Rita's maximum sustained winds had increased to 175 mph (280 km/h) with an estimated minimum pressure of 897 mbar (hPa), (26.59 inHg). Hurricane Rita's rapid intensification may in part be attributed to its encounter with the Gulf Loop Current and Eddy Vortex.

Lt. Col. Warren Madden, a Hurricane Hunter and meteorologist for The Weather Channel, recorded a peak wind gust of 235 mph (380 km/h) while in the eye of the storm. "Rita is the largest storm that I've ever been in," he commented.

Current storm information

File:Rita 2005 five day track.gif
Five day forecast track for Rita; provided by the National Hurricane Center.

As of 7 am CDT September 24 (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Rita was located on land between Jasper and Beaumont, Texas. Rita is currently a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h or 105 knots) and a minimum central pressure of around 950 mbar(hPa), (28.05 inHg), and is moving northwest at 12 mph (19 km/h). Landfall occured at 2.38 am CDT just east of Sabine Pass.

Hurricane force winds currently extend out up to 85 miles (140 km) from the center of Rita, while tropical storm force winds currently extend out up to 205 miles (335 km) from the center.

Rita was a Category 3 hurricane at landfall. The strength of Rita prompted New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin to suspend re-entry to the city, and order a re-evacuation. Even prior to landfall, rising water due to Hurricane Rita was washing over substantially breached levees in New Orleans hard-hit 9th Ward as reported by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Two New Orleans Levees have now been breached [3]

NOAA's current forecast is that Rita will stall for about three days in the area of northeastern Texas, where steering currents are forecast to become very weak, and notes that "this scenario poses a great risk of very heavy rainfall well inland and for many days after landfall." It is likely that more than 15 inches (375 mm) of rain will fall over eastern Texas, western Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas, with possible amounts as high as 30 inches (750 mm).

Rita's wind field was so intense that it has either destroyed or disabled weather buoys. Some buoys are adrift after breaking free from their moorings. Latest buoy readings can be found here from the National Data Buoy Center's web site:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/radial_search.php?lat1=27.4N&lon1=91.9W&dist=250&time=3

Warnings and watches

Evacuations

Airports and airlines

The following is a partial list of airports in and airlines that serve the affected areas, their current status and plans for after the storm.

Effects

The effects of Hurricane Rita were not nearly as severe as expected. The storm surge expected in Galvaston had not materialized. The strong winds have actually flattened the surge, which was only seven feet, and the sea wall was easily able to handle it. In New Orleans, the expected 5 inches of rain overnight did not eventuate, and the pressure on the levee system was eased.

Deaths (summary)

State State total County
or parish		 Reported
deaths		 Direct
deaths
Mississippi 3 [4] Pike 3 [5] 0
Texas 24 [6] Dallas 24 [7] 0
Totals 27 [8] 27 0
Because of differing sources, totals may not match.

The confirmed death toll as of 1:00 pm CDT (1800 UTC) on September 23 stands at 27. All are indirect deaths that were caused by accidents in the evacuation. [9][10]

Direct deaths indicate those caused by the direct effects of the winds, flooding, storm surge or oceanic effects of Rita. Indirect deaths indicate those caused by hurricane-related accidents (including car accidents, fires or other incidents), as well as clean-up and evacuation incidents and health issues (i.e. poisoning, illnesses waiting for help).

Florida and Cuba

Over 340,000 people were under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders in Florida and Cuba. Flooding has been reported along the Florida Keys as a result of the storm surge. The Overseas Highway (US 1) connecting the islands is impassable in some sections as a result of the flooding. As of 8:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, September 20, about 25,000 customers were without electricity in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, plus another 2,100 in the Keys. [11]

A state of emergency has been declared by Florida Governor Jeb Bush and a federal emergency by President George W. Bush in four counties: Broward, Collier, Miami-Dade and Monroe. Over 2,000 National Guard troops and dozens of law enforcement officers have been brought in and are on standby.[12]

No fatalities have been reported in either Florida or Cuba.

Louisiana

On Friday, September 23, well prior to landfall the next day, rising water due to Hurricane Rita was pouring through breaches in a patched levee in New Orleans' already hard-hit 9th Ward as reported by the Army Corps of Engineers. Water entered the Ninth Ward over two 32 ft (10 m) wide patches in the Industrial canal levee as of approximately 9:00 A.M. CDT on Friday, September 23. Water in the Ninth Ward was reported to be waist-deep at 11:00 A.M. CDT on Friday. By approximately 5:00 P.M. CDT, water had begun gushing through another leak in the patched London Avenue Canal into the surrounding Gentilly neighborhood. Some pumping stations were abandoned.

Texas

On the morning of September 23, a bus carrying 45 nursing home evacuees from Brighton Gardens in Bellaire, Texas erupted into flames and exploded on Interstate 45 southeast of Dallas in Wilmer. So far, 24 people are believed to have been killed as a result of that incident. It is being reported and now confirmed that the fire started in the brake system, and that passengers' therapeutic oxygen tanks may have caused the bus to explode. [13]

Preparations and risk

Louisiana

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin had planned to begin reopening the city after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina on Monday, September 19. [14] Instead, a re-evacuation of the city was initiated on Wednesday, September 21. Even though Rita's forecast track keeps the center of circulation well to the south and west of New Orleans, even a pre-landfall storm surge was able to overwhelm a levee protecting the lower 9th Ward [15], a part of a fragile and already compromised levee system as repairs continue. Further flooding can only be expected as the hurricane makes landfall.[16] At landfall, more parts of the levee wall were breached causing major reflooding in New Orleans. The original breaches had occured a month earlier as a result of Hurricane Katrina. [17]

In addition, residents of Cameron Parish, and residents of Calcasieu Parish south of Interstate 10 were told to evacuate. [18]

Texas

Evacuees on Interstate 45 leaving Houston on September 21.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has recalled all emergency personnel, including almost 1,200 Texas National Guard from Katrina recovery efforts, in anticipation of Hurricane Rita's arrival. [19] On September 22, Governor Perry and the Texas Department of Transportation implemented a contraflow lane reversal on Interstate 45 north towards Dallas, on Interstate 10 west towards San Antonio and U.S. Highway 290 northwest to Bryan/College Station.

Officials in Galveston County (which includes the city of Galveston), which was devastated by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, ordered mandatory evacuations, effective September 21 at 6 p.m., in a staggered sequence setting different zones in the area which were due to leave at different times over 24 hours, well in advance of the storm's possible landfall later in the week but not enough in advance to ensure that all residents could evacuate safely in advance of the storm.

Several thousand people still remain in and around Galveston. Many low-income homeowners and storeowners have said that they were not aware that their uninsured businesses would be covered by FEMA in the event of a hurricane, and they stayed to defend their property. They also say they believe that they will be safe in their homes; they have not been fully and graphically informed about the dangers of high-speed winds. Another common misperception is that flooding would occur over the seawall which runs along the southern part of the island; this has been quoted on CNN and other news sources but is incorrect. In June of 2005, the Office of Emergency Management for Galveston County showed the Workshop session of the Galveston City Council a presentation which showed that flooding would occur from the north, unprotected side of the island. (Sources: The Houston Chronicle, phone interviews with residents remaining on the island, and the Galveston City Council workshop session in June, 2005.)

Officials of the county hope that the designation of zones A, B, and C are able to prevent bottlenecks leaving the area such as those seen out of New Orleans prior to Katrina and Hurricane Dennis this year. Also, different zones will be forced to go to certain cities in Texas and will not be allowed to exit their designated routes except for food and gas - another feature of the evacuation plan which hopes to keep traffic and flow orderly throughout this timeframe. These evacuation-destination cities include Austin, College Station, Huntsville, and Lufkin, Texas.

On Wednesday, Houston mayor Bill White urged residents to evacuate the city, telling residents "Don't wait; the time for waiting is over," and reminding residents of the disaster in New Orleans. After heavy traffic snarled roads leading out of town and gas shortages left numerous vehicles stranded, he backed off on this. "If you're not in the evacuation zone, follow the news." he stated, advising people to use their common sense.

File:Tropical Storm Allison.jpg
Houston after Tropical Storm Allison, June 2001.

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city: Buffalo Bayou, which runs into downtown; Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center (check the Brays Bayou flood alert webcam and conditions [20]; White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Heights and near the northwest area; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston, merging into the Houston Ship Channel. The ship channel goes past Galveston and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of Houston is flat, making flooding an increasing problem for its residents. The city stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level; the Houston Heights area has the highest elevation in the city. In 2001 significant portions of the city were flooded by a comparatively weak Tropical Storm Allison that stalled over the city, dropping over 30 inches (750 mm) of rain on some parts of the city.

As part of the evacuation, Johnson Space Center in Houston handed off control of the International Space Station to their Russian counterparts.

Another complication exists with the large number of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Houston; plans are underway to move them inland to other facilities throughout the United States. Some evacuees have already been moved to Arkansas (which already has an estimated 50,000 Katrina evacuees and may pick up thousands of Rita evacuees on its own).

Concerns have been raised over the state of the oil industry in response to Rita. The storm threatens a large amount of oil infrastructure that was left undamaged by Katrina. The Texas Gulf Coast is home to 23% of the United States' refining capacity, and numerous offshore production platforms are potentially in Rita's path. While no potential storm path would threaten all of the capacity at once, a direct strike on Houston could disable up to 8% of the nation's refining capacity. Valero Energy Corp, the nation's largest refiner, stated on September 21 that Rita could cause gasoline prices to rise well above $3 per US gallon ($0.79/L). That is cheap by European standards but Americans are not accustomed to such prices.

Inland flooding potential

Heavy rain and powerful winds from Rita are expected to spread well inland due to its size and intensity, with hurricane-force winds expected at least 150 miles (240 km) inland, which would be to approximately the US 84 corridor based on a landfall east of Galveston. The precise distance depends on the strength and speed at landfall. Tropical storm force winds are expected far beyond there, possibly as far north as the Red River Valley.

One especially problematic scenario exists; some models forecast that Rita will stall over eastern Texas, Arkansas, northern Louisiana or eastern Oklahoma. Such a scenario could lead to potentially catastrophic inland flooding, possibly as much as 20 to 30 inches (500 to 750 mm) of rain over 2-3 days. Such would be similar to the flood disaster of Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

If a ridge of high pressure blocking the route north breaks down, Rita is expected to continue through the central United States, possibly to dissipation or crossing the eastern states back into the Atlantic Ocean. Significant flooding is still possible in that scenario due to heavy rain.

Notable facts

Most intense Atlantic hurricanes (
)
Rank Hurricane Season Pressure
hPa inHg
1 Wilma 2005 882 26.05
2 Gilbert 1988 888 26.23
3 "Labor Day" 1935 892 26.34
4 Rita 2005 895 26.43
5 Milton 2024 897 26.49
6 Allen 1980 899 26.55
7 Camille 1969 900 26.58
8 Katrina 2005 902 26.64
9 Mitch 1998 905 26.73
Dean 2007
Source: HURDAT[1]

Rita has broken multiple records, being the earliest 17th named storm, the third most intense storm, and quickest drop of pressure in 1 hour. Hurricane Rita recently became the 3rd most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin and the most intense hurricane on record in the Gulf of Mexico, the latter a record set by Hurricane Katrina three weeks earlier.

If it had not weakened (see Loop Current), Rita would have tied a record for Category-4/5 storms hitting the U.S. in one year - two Category 4 storms hit only in 1915 (one estimated to be 4 by the strength of the winds). [21] Coincidentally, the 1915 storms hit New Orleans and Galveston.

Economic effects

File:Rita.gif
From the Department of Energy, the projected path of Hurricane Rita and the site of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and oil refineries in the Texas and Louisiana area.

The heavy concentration of oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico makes hurricanes of Rita's intensity very problematic. Currently there is very little spare crude oil capacity in the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico produces some 2 million barrels (300,000 m³) a day total, as well has having some 30% of the total refining capacity of the United States, which is the world's largest consumer of gasoline and crude oil. Rita's path takes it through a dense area of offshore pipelines and oil platforms, and on land to an area with large refineries. With over half of Gulf production still shut down in the wake of Katrina, some economists have stated that a worst case scenario is for gasoline prices to briefly touch $5/gallon, which would be easily the highest real price for gasoline paid in the United States during the internal combustion era. With some 200,000 jobless claims attributed to Katrina, Rita could be a further drag on a weakened US economy.

The most pessimistic projections have GDP growth cut by 1% on an annualized basis in the United States in the second half of 2005, with as many as 500,000 people made unemployed. Some economists argue that the rebuilding effort could buoy the economy in 2006, while others argue that the energy spike could decrease consumer confidence by enough to send the economy into a full-fledged recession when combined with the Federal Reserve's recent increases in interest rates.

The Sabine Pass, Texas / Lake Charles, Louisiana area is home to two of only five Liquefied natural gas (LNG) import processing terminals in the United States.

  • Lake Charles, Louisiana: 1.0 Bcfd (Southern Union - Trunkline LNG)
  • Gulf of Mexico (offshore): 0.5 Bcfd, (Gulf Gateway Energy Bridge - Excelerate Energy)

Gulf Gateway, is located 116 miles off the coast of Louisiana in 298 feet of water.

Six other terminals were also in various stages of development in the area:

  • Cameron, Louisiana: 3.3 Bcfd (Creole Trail LNG - Cheniere LNG)
  • Hackberry, Louisiana: 1.5 Bcfd, (Sempra Energy)
  • Lake Charles, Louisiana: 1.1 Bcfd (Southern Union - Trunkline LNG)
  • Port Arthur, TX: 1.5 Bcfd (Sempra)
  • Sabine, Louisiana: 2.6 Bcfd (Cheniere LNG)
  • Sabine, Texas : 1.0 Bcfd (Golden Pass - ExxonMobil)

To this end, Rita will have a direct effect on LNG prices.

Streaming media

Houston/Galveston, Texas area

Lakes Charles/Lafayette, Louisiana area

Storm chaser resources

Wikinews has related news:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Hurricane Rita.
  1. ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hurricane_Rita&oldid=23907926"