Hurricane Rita update - 897 mb now (from Jeff Masters excellent blog)

[stevedeshazer]

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

<snip>

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. We'll have to wait for the next set of model runs due out by tomorrow morning to know better.

The 7:09 pm eye report from the hurricane hunters found a 897 mb pressure and flight level winds of 161 knots (186 mph). This pressure makes Rita the 3rd strongest Atlantic hurricane of all time. Tonight, Rita will be passing over the Loop Current, a warm eddy of water in the Gulf that aided Katrina's growth to a Category 5 hurricane. Fueled by this pool of deep warm water and an almost ideal upper level wind environment, Rita should continue to intensify until Thursday morning, when she will pass beyond the Loop Current. The eye has shrunk to 20 nm diameter from 25 nm earlier this afternoon. By the time the eye shrinks down to 10 nm, the eyewall will collapse and an eyewall replacement cycle begin, putting an end to this intensification cycle. With potentially another 12 hours to go before this happens, Rita could challenge Gilbert's 888 mb pressure record.

[meisje]

1. Why can't we nuke it?

Drop some MOAB's on/in it or something

[stevedeshazer]

3. You're joking-

Right?

[berni_mccoy]

5. The energy of a hurricane dwarfs that of any nuke

It's like a toy-poodle trying to take down a grizzly bear. Besides, would you really want radioactive fall-out being spread by a hurricane...?

[meisje]

8. ehhh we're all fucked anyways

What about Mr. Freezemeister?

[stevedeshazer]

11. That's the spirit

:eyes:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Nitrogen bombs

I had an old man who was a former NASA dude tell me today that's what we need to develop to manage these monster hurricanes.

Keep in mind he's close to 90 years old now, I don't know if his plan would work or not.

[stevedeshazer]

2. HOLY SHIT

[FloridaPat]

4. So hurricanes have a "fail safe" system to keep them from going to

300 miles an hour. At least that's something. These last two years have been unbelieveable.

[berni_mccoy]

6. Rita's got gusts over 200 MPH... that's in F4 tornado range

A Hurricane that equals an F5 is unprecedented and would destroy nearly all of Houston... I think people are going to be sadly surprised by this hurricane's destructive force.

[Endangered Specie]

7. 897MB pressure... this storm means business.

NHC forecast the winds possibly getting up to 185-195 MPH before it starts to 'weaken'

[stevedeshazer]

9. Visible loop

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-vis-loop.html

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. Geez.

First report I've seen that mentions Dallas.

I really shouldn't have read that. Looks like I'll be working from home Friday too.

FSC

[tammywammy]

12. Lucky you!

I'll be at work 4pm-9pm Friday and Saturday 8:30-6pm. x(

It's a big glass building. x(

1. It's at a car dealership. I can start working on the owner tomorrow, dropping hints that we are not going to sell anything Saturday if there's a hurricane outside.

2. We have a big to-do at work this Saturday.

Ahh, this is a crazy crazy life right now. :(

[girl gone mad]

14. 15-30 inches of rain in DFW?

That's hard for me to believe.

[stevedeshazer]

15. Will the Pig Ranch drown on Saturday?

One can only hope.