Rita down to 923 mb. Dropped 11 mb in 105 minutes.

This is a simply amazingly strong storm developing.

This WILL be Cat-5. Very close already!

I'm hoping it hits Cat5 and starts to lose energy, but I'm not holding my breath... :(

Just my gut feeling, but this could become the most intense storm ever recorded.

What a pity.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4835572#4838562

( http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4835572#4835572 )

Nothing personal ;)

But you were on the mark about Katrina, and took quite a beating for it...

:(

Had to pass by two gas stations that had already run out. But I was exceptionally pleased that no gas stations around here are boosting their prices -- they sell it at the usual price, and when it's gone, it's gone.

an average of $5/gal after Rita hits.

it was 980-something when I left for work this mroning

And there is plenty of warm water to feed on.

88 degrees is hot.

But then someone said that the recon plane's equipent was off and it was 934.

If the equipment was right all along, then it could be 917 by now!!!!

This is one MF of a storm. Don't take chances, in you are in the projected zone,GET OUT NOW!!!!!!!

Aircraft recorded 934. This reading was second aircraft pass.

Whatever, this thing is growing in strength and fast too.

Bad Ju-Ju, very bad ju-ju!!

But yes, either way this is crazy.

If it slows down and soaks up some of that heat (energy), this could be the first Cat 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But maybe it will need revision.

the global warming that it so closely connected to the profits they've enjoyed.

citizens are actually oil tycoons who have actually enjoyed those profits. As far as that line of thinking, then citizens of states like Michigan that manufacturer automobiles would be in the same category... These are all just *people* (well, except for the CEOs of these companies... ;)

But New Orleans and Texas are states with large oil industries.

I don't think Alaska will be hit with a Typhoon, but they're seeing the snow melt.

The only think I'm commenting on is the zero-sumness of it all. You make a lot of money poluting the environment, and then you spend a lot of money suffering the repercussions.

I'm not so crazy to think, however, that the people who made all the money are the people suffering. The rich never get hurt. They're passing the costs on to people who never benefitted in the first place. The citizens of those states are losing two and three times. They were impoverished by governments which served the oil companies, they lost their jobs and property, and they and their children, no doubt, will pay the costs of all this.

never pay. The people pay twice and three times.

While people like Bush were getting rich (and buying off politicians), it was the rest of us who got saddled with bad governments in TX and nationally, and bad politics, and global warming, and its consequences.

It's just interesting that the first place this storms are hitting are the places where all this started -- oil states.

I made this same point, but in a much abriged form, here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4835385#4839041

My geeky nature reads that as megabytes which of course is nonsense in hurricane land. So help me out here.

pressure.

Normal pressure is 1013.25 mb, so it's almost 10% below normal which means that the air rushes in at great speeds to make the pressure equal.

It is a vicious cycle...

Good for you for asking. ;)

You can't learn if you don't start at "I don't know".

"Cat 5" >= 155

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4835572

11 Mb in 1.5 hours? Holy shit!

ZCZC MIATCUAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
HURRICANE RITA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
215 PM EDT WED SEP 21 2005

DATA FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS INTENSIFIED
A LITTLE MORE AND WINDS HAVE REACHED 150 MPH WINDS WITH A MINIMUM
PRESSURE OF 920 MB. THIS MAKES RITA A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE.

FORECASTER AVILA

$$
NNNN

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCUAT3+shtml/DDHHMM.shtml

I don't remember.

Like very near 900. The 905-910 range.

Not certain, however.

Source:

http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2005/index.html

From NHC website:



http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/tws/MIATWSAT_aug.shtml?

My source was not likely to have misquoted the recon aircraft.

no matter what happens.

If they respond quickly and competently, it'll highlight the difference in treatment between white Texans and black Louisianans. If they fuck up again... well... then they're just incompetent.

not that the storm is going to hit and cause damage... but I love a no-win situation for that bastard.

If he responds, then he just showcases the fact that he could have - and did NOT - respond as quickly to Katrina.

If he doesn't respond, he looks more like a poser than ever.

Lose-lose. Unfortunately, everyone on the Gulf Coast loses, too.

He's been making the rounds saying he's not making the same mistakes as local officials did in Louisiana.

:eyes:

This thing is gaining strength fast!

LATEST RECON INDICATES RITA IS A CAT 5 HURRICANE

The latest recon report indicated the pressure in Rita has fallen to 920 mb and the maximum flight level winds were over 175 mph. AccuWeather.com Meteorologist believe Rita has become a Cat 5 hurricane.

http://home.accuweather.com/index.asp?partner=accuweather

Does anyone else see that little blip toward the north at the end of the satellite photo loop?

Happens all the time.

it is going to be hors categorie (beyond category) soon.

and told them, look FEMA ain't gonna do squat and the Feds don't care, so pass this to the Texas delegtation, go mutual aid, you willnot ge anyting done by the Feds

This is a textbook picture of an intense hurricane. In fact, I believe this will be used in textbooks. This is a nearly perfectly organized specimen. And if you are in its path, get away. PLEASE.