Officials Order Lower Fla. Keys Evacuated

[kirk1701™]

Lets see how many learned from Katrina

 

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - Officials ordered residents evacuated from the lower Florida Keys on Monday as Tropical Storm Rita churned toward the island chain, bringing with it a potential 8-foot storm surge. Hurricane warnings were posted.

 

The evacuation covers 40,000 residents living from below Marathon to Key West. The weather was expected to deteriorate throughout Monday with the approach of the first rain bands.

 

Rita, which strengthened Sunday into a tropical storm, had sustained winds of 60 mph as of 8 a.m., and could be a Level 1 hurricane by the time it passes the Keys.

 

By the coming weekend, a forecast track put it near Texas, and people in areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina were warned it could veer in their direction instead.

 

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050919/D8CNB9MO0.html

[polopony]

the wind chimes outside are really playing a tune right now. The winds are picking up pretty good . The path might hit us or not Miami is on alert and they are wondering if the storm will veer from its projected path ,stay tuned .Im in the West Palm Beach area

Edited September 20, 2005 by polopony

[Mr_Fixer]

the wind chimes outside are really playing a tune right now. The winds are picking up pretty good . The path might hit us or not Miami is on alert and they are wondering if the storm will veer from its projected path ,stay tuned .Im in the West Palm Beach area

Hey Polo, I am up in the panhandle so you know what kind of hell we have been catching up here!

[lfcrule1972]

Good luck guys - the news here is still classing it as a tropical storm but with predicted 8ft tidal surges !!!

[jm1647]

Good luck guys - the news here is still classing it as a tropical storm but with predicted 8ft tidal surges !!!

Yup don't take no chances, the Keys stick way out there...head for the high ground, if the man says go, go!, Good Luck!!!

[kevdriver]

Hang in their Polo, Fixer. Take no chances, Stay Safe !!!!!!!!!

 

All the well wishes to you and your families....

Edited September 20, 2005 by kevdriver

[polopony]

They are talking about New Orleans possibly getting hit again the levees wont hold at the least they will get some serious rainand its heading for Galveston Texas, they have had their share of bad weather over the years.This is my first year down here ,if we lose electricity I have a 6500 watt generator that will cover power for me and my neighbor maybe a couple of fridges that some others can store the basics like milk ,eggs

[Mr_Fixer]

@Kev

 

Thanks and wright now I'm in the safe zone unless Rita takes a turn to the north after entering the Gulf. There is a big high setting north of me which should keep her moving WNW, unless it weakens and moves off to the east.

 

@Polo

 

Hopefully you want loose power. You are closer to the storm wright now then me, but that 6500 watt generator should really come in handy if you should need it.

Stay safe and keep that generator well away from your house and any open windows. We had several deaths last year and this year in my area from carbon monoxide posioning from running there generators in there garage, under there carport or even to close to the house.

 

Speaking of Galveston, Tx, I think it was in 1900 that a cat 3 hurricane hit there killing some 8,000 people.

[polopony]

if it hits Galvenston they'll use that to jack the gas prices again.I hear people saying how the prices came down a little and its good ,a bunch of fucking morons if you ask me, $3 plus a gallon drop it a few cents and someone expects their ass to be kissed its still over a $1 a gallon more expensive than 9 months ago

[l8nights]

damn these are truely tragic times we have found ourselves in.

We all wish you well I live in tx. but dallas is pretty well safe from the ravages of the sea. I hope you are not left relying on the us officials to come to your aid as we knoe the consequences of that.

as has been stated when in doubt get the hell out! texas has a lot of room to roam.

god bless! & good luck

[lfcrule1972]

if it hits Galvenston they'll use that to jack the gas prices again.I hear people saying how the prices came down a little and its good ,a bunch of fucking morons if you ask me, $3 plus a gallon drop it a few cents and someone expects their ass to be kissed its still over a $1 a gallon more expensive than 9 months ago

 

 

Tell me about it polo - its the same here !

 

Our petrol/diesel prices went up to over ?1 a litre ($1.80ish a litre) after Katrina and there was much moaning from the general public with some fuel protests chucked in on Motorways. Now the average price has dropped a few pence a litre and everyone thinks its great !! the lot of em !

 

Are the general public really that stupid that they accept overnight 10p a litre increases as long as the oil companies reduce the price by 2-3p a litre in a few weeks !!!! Every time this happens we get stuck with permanent increases of 6-7p a litre.....

 

Makes me fucking mad......

[jmet]

I'm in East Texas, we are supposed to get some after (side) effects from Rita, but nothing bad.

[lfcrule1972]

She is category 5 now isn't she ? Bloody hell I wouldn't fancy trying to ride that one out.....

[kevdriver]

Anyone hear from Polo or Fixer....... Wonder how they're doing.......... Even if downgraded to strength 4, it's still a whooper...........

Edited September 22, 2005 by kevdriver

[jmet]

I believe Fixer is above me, so he shouldn't get it any worse than I.

 

Not sure who Polo is?

[Mr_Fixer]

I am in the panhandle of Florida. Rita would half to take a turn due north wright now before I would feel any serious effects from her.

 

What we are feeling from Rita now is at the gas pumps. Everyone is running around crazy as hell buying up all the gas they can get because of the gas shortage scare that is going aound that Rita could cause gas shortages in this area for a few weeks or so, other than that we a doing lovely and will be glad when this hurricane season is over.

[jmet]

I filled up yesterday @ $2.48 a gallon. Cost me $51.00 .

[kirk1701™]

I filled up yesterday @ $2.48 a gallon. Cost me $51.00 .

 

Consider yourself lucky jmet, still $3 a gallon here in Kentucky since the last storm came through.

 

This just in, Rita turned eastward and heading for New Orleans. That was on msnbc just a few minutes ago.

 

Guess in a way thats a good thing, I know that sounds bad but New Orleans is already evacuated and practically destroyed so what more damage can it do there.

[jmet]

but New Orleans is already evacuated and practically destroyed so what more damage can it do there.

Not totally true, I have several friends that were staying with me and my family and have since moved back to New Orleans.

[Mr_Fixer]

HERE is a visible loop that updates every 30 minutes and Rita is still heading WNW toward the TX/LA state lines.

Someone at msnbc must be on crack because if she did take a turn it would half to be north to hit NOLA not east.

[kirk1701™]

More live loops

 

 

 

[lfcrule1972]

120 mile queues on the roads to get out !! Thats not funny is it

 

Our news here this am reckon its a Cat 4 now but they are talking about tidal surges of 20-25 ft at Galveston, which I think is on the Texas coast....

[Mr_Fixer]

Rita still at a Cat 4 with 140 mph sustain winds.

 

Galveston, Tx has a seawall of 17ft that was built after the big storm of 1900 that killed 6,000+ people there. The folks there are hoping and praying the wall can hold up under that kind of surge of 20+ ft.

[blutach]

Holy shit. Hope everyone is safe and sound.

 

Regards

[polopony]

Rita dropped so much rain that the levees in New Orleans failed and some houses in the low land areas have flooded again .They're really taking a beating there and Texas is getting hit hard,we've been fortunate where I live in West Palm Beach but the storms churn up out at sea and I'm sure they'll be more in the near future