Hurricane Rita at approximately 8:00 am EST.
Gulf of Mexico (Sept. 23, 2005) -
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 15:23:22
GOES-12 Satellite image provided by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, Calif., showing the status of Hurricane Rita at approximately 8:00 am EST. Rita, a dangerous category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale, has maximum sustained winds near 135 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. The eye of Hurricane Rita was located approximately 220 miles Southeast of Galveston, Texas and about 210 miles Southeast of Port Arthur, Texas. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Image of Rita
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 14:12:13
In this image created from the AIRS microwave sensor, the large blue swath that previously extended into the Gulf is gone (refer to previous images below). The big blue swath was a relatively clear area ahead of Rita that was over the Gulf and the Atlantic. Now Rita has moved closer to land and all the area over the ocean is taken up by the storm. If there is clear air in front, it is over land and thus will show up hot because of the emissivity of the land. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. The blue areas around the eye are indicative of very high, cold cloud tops crowned by ice. These cloud towers are indicative of strong convection and rain - these are strong high altitude thunderstorms in the eye wall.
Image credit: NASA
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Image of Rita
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 14:12:13
11:00 am EDT Hurricane Position Update, September 23, 2005: Hurricane Rita was located about 220 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. She's moving northwest near 10 mph. Rita's maximum sustained winds were near 135 mph, and the minimum central pressure was 929 millibars. Hurricane force winds extend outward from the eye up to 85 miles, while tropical storm force winds extend out to 205 miles.
Rita's eye will be approaching the southwest Louisiana and upper Texas coasts early Saturday, September 24. Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 feet above normal tide levels, locally up to 20 feet at the head of bays and nearby rivers can be expected near and to the east of where the eye makes landfall. Expected rainfall accumulations are between 8 and 12 inches with isolated areas up to 20 inches over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Rainfall between 3 and 5 inches are possible over southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans. Isolated tornadoes are also possible today over portions of southeastern Texas, southern Louisiana including southern Mississippi and Alabama.
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On September 22 at 1:30 a.m. C.T., Rita was a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and a central pressure of 897 millibar at the time the data used to create these AIRS images were retrieved. Storm position is approximately 470 southeast of Galveston, Texas.
the predicted storm track for Hurricane Rita.
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 14:07:07
The Gulf Coast from the Mississippi Delta through the Texas coast is shown in this satellite image from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) overlain with data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and the predicted storm track for Hurricane Rita. The prediction from the National Weather Service was published Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. Central Time, and shows the expected track center in black with the lighter shaded area indicating the range of potential tracks the storm could take.
Low-lying terrain along the coast has been highlighted using the SRTM elevation data, with areas within 15 feet of sea level shown in red, and within 30 feet in yellow. These areas are more at risk for flooding and the destructive effects of storm surge and high waves.
Simulated view of potential flooding
Date: 09/23/2005
This simulated view of the potential effects of storm surge flooding on Galveston and portions of south Houston was generated with data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Although it is protected by a 17-foot sea wall against storm surges, flooding due to storm surges caused by major hurricanes remains a concern. The animation shows regions that, if unprotected, would be inundated with water. The animation depicts flooding in one-meter increments.
Rita's Hot Towers
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:56:14
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite reveals a remarkable feature in this 3-D cat scan of Hurricane Rita - a pair of gigantic chimney clouds reaching more than 11 miles high. That is equivalent to 60,000 feet, or twice as high as a commercial airplane's cruising altitude. TRMM observed these hot towers in Hurricane Rita on September 19, 2005 during a period of brief intensification.
Rita's Rainfall Intensifies on September 21
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:35:36
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used to understand Hurricane Rita. TRMM observed this view of Hurricane Rita on September 21, 2005 at 0909Z. At this time the storm was a category 3 hurricane with a minimum pressure of 956mb, sustained winds of 105 knots, and a 25 nautical mile eye diameter. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour
Rita's Hot Towers
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:26:40
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite reveals a remarkable feature in this 3-D cat scan of Hurricane Rita - a pair of gigantic chimney clouds reaching more than 11 miles high. That is equivalent to 60,000 feet, or twice as high as a commercial airplane's cruising altitude. TRMM observed these hot towers in Hurricane Rita on September 19, 2005 during a period of brief intensification. NASA/JAXA
Hurricane Rita's Rainfall - September 22
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:18:46
Hurricane Rita is now a Category 5 storm and on Sept. 21, 2005, was declared the third strongest hurricane in recorded history. New 3-D satellite images show the rainfall distribution inside the storm and the surrounding warm water that continues to fuel this hurricane heat engine. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the distribution of rainfall inside Hurricane Rita on Sept. 22, 2005. At the time of observation, this Category 5 hurricane had a minimum pressure of 898 millibars, sustained winds of 170 mph and a 17-mile wide eye. Maximum rainfall, shown in red, equals two or more inches of rain per hour.
Hurricane Rita's Rainfall - September 22
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:11:31
Hurricane Rita is now a Category 5 storm and on Sept. 21, 2005, was declared the third strongest hurricane in recorded history. New 3-D satellite images show the rainfall distribution inside the storm and the surrounding warm water that continues to fuel this hurricane heat engine. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the distribution of rainfall inside Hurricane Rita on Sept. 22, 2005. At the time of observation, this Category 5 hurricane had a minimum pressure of 898 millibars, sustained winds of 170 mph and a 17-mile wide eye. Maximum rainfall, shown in red, equals two or more inches of rain per hour.
sea surface temperature from September 17 to September 21
Date/Time: 2005:09:23 13:00:00
This visualization shows the sea surface temperature from September 17 to September 21 when temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico remained one to two degrees warmer than the 82 degree minimum needed to sustain a hurricane. Every area in yellow, orange or red represents 82 degrees F or above. Temperature data is from the AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite, while the cloud images of Hurricane Rita were taken by the Imager on the GOES-12 satellite.
Rita Brushes the Florida Keys and Heads into the Gulf of Mexico
Date: 09/22/2005
After the immense devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina, all eyes are on Hurricane Rita as it passes the Florida Keys and threatens the Gulf of Mexico. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is one of a number of satellites being used to monitor Hurricane Rita and storms like it. Launched back in November of 1997 to measure rainfall over the Tropics, TRMM has proven itself to be a valuable platform for observing tropical cyclones, which include hurricanes and typhoons. Rita formed from a tropical disturbance east of the Turks and Caicos Islands into a depression (TD #18) on evening of the 17 September 2005 (local time). The system moved west through the Caicos and strengthened into a tropical storm on the afternoon (local time) of the 18th before entering into the southern Bahamas. The first image (above) was taken by TRMM at 15:57 UTC (11:57 am EDT) on 19 September 2005 as Rita was passing through the southern Bahamas. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity within Rita as obtained from TRMM's sensors. Rain rates in the center part of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the only radar capable of measuring precipitation from space. The PR can provide fine resolution rainfall data and details on the vertical structure. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). At the time of the image, Rita was a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds reported at 55 knots (63 mph) by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). A well-defined closed eye is not visible in this image as Rita is still in the process of organizing. However, there is evidence of banding in the rain features southwest and northeast of the center (green and blue arcs), and an area of heavy rain is present on the southwest side of Rita's center (red area).
sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico
Date/Time: 2005:09:22 15:58:50
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA's Topex/Poseidon and Jason. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 60 centimeters (about 13 to 23 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf.
The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. Eddies are currents of water that run contrary to the direction of the main current.
According to the forecasted track through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rita will continue crossing the warm waters of a Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current and then pass near a warm-water eddy called the Eddy Vortex, located in the north central Gulf, south of Louisiana.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado
Rita was passing through the Florida Straits
Date: 09/22/2005
The last image was taken at 08:28 UTC (4:28 am EDT) on the 20th of September as Rita was passing through the Florida Straits. Although the center of Rita does not fall within the PR swath, it is obvious from TRMM that Rita is becoming better organized. A ragged eye is present surrounded by areas of moderate rain (green areas) with good banding in the outer rainbands, all signs that the storm's circulation is improving. Rita was still a tropical storm at the time of this image with sustained winds of 60 knots (69 mph), but by early afternoon the same day, Rita would become a Category 2 hurricane as it passed south of the Florida Keys headed for the Gulf of Mexico. + High resolution image TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Credit: NASA/Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Hurricane Rita remains an extremely dangerous hurricane
6:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 21
Date/Time: 2005:09:22 15:42:12
At 6:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 21, Hurricane Rita's Category 4 hurricane force winds were observed by NASA’s QuikSCAT satellite. According to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center at 11 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Rita remains an extremely dangerous hurricane.
This image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world.
At 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 21, the eye of Hurricane Rita was located near Latitude 24.3 north and longitude 85.9 west, or about 755 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Rita is moving toward the west near 13 mph, and that motion is expected to continue for the next 12-24 hours. Image Credit: NASA JPL
September 20th Hurricane Rita's sustained winds reached 100 miles per hour
Date/Time: 2005:09:22 15:34:27
On Tuesday, September 20 at 2 p.m. ET, Hurricane Rita's sustained winds reached 100 miles per hour. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of Rita at 18:35 UTC or 2:35 p.m. ET.
At that time, a hurricane warning was in effect for all of the Florida Keys as well as from south of Florida City on the Florida southeast coast southward to East Cape Sable. The warning extended northward to Chokoloskee on the southwest Florida coast. The warning remained in effect for the Cuban provinces of Matanzas, ciudad de Habana, and La Hanaba.
At 2 p.m. ET, the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 23.9 north and longitude 81.7 west or about 50 miles (80 km) south of Key West, Florida and about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Havana, Cuba.Rita was moving westward near 15 mph, and the motion was expected to continue. The core of the hurricane was expected to move over the Florida Straits in the next 24 hours.
Less than 24 hours later, at 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 21, satellite data suggests that Rita has strengthened into a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 135 mph. She was located 195 miles west of Key West, Florida and moving on a westward track into the Gulf.
Storm surge flooding elsewhere in the Florida Keys and south Florida is expected to subside on Wednesday, September 21. Rita is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 1 To 3 inches over portions of extreme southern Florida and the Florida keys. + High resolution image Credit: NASA images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Tropical Storm Rita
Date/Time: 2005:09:22 13:46:16
A tropical depression formed in the Bahamas on September 17, 2005. Once it was organized enough to have winds of over 62 kilometers per hour (39 miles per hour), it was classified as a tropical storm and given the name Rita, becoming the 17th named storm system of the 2005 hurricane season. With the season not yet over, this makes 2005 already the 5th most active storm system since naming records were started in 1851. According to the National Hurricane Center, 21 tropical storms formed in 1933, 19 developed in 1995 and 1887, and 18 formed in 1969. Rita is also the earliest “R” named storm in a season.
Rita crossed the threshold to tropical storm status around 5 pm (local time) on September 18, 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of Rita roughly fives hours earlier at 11:40 a.m. while the storm was still an organizing tropical depression. The classical spiral structure of a hurricane is not yet full formed, nor is there a well organized eye of the storm, but these nascent features of the developing system are apparent already.
Forecasters are particularly concerned about Rita as it is projected to pass through the Florida Key Islands as it is reaching hurricane strength. The storm track projections as of September 19 have it crossing the Gulf of Mexico to make landfall in the general vicinity of southern Texas, but forecasting hurricanes several days in advance is still an uncertain science and there are fears that Rita could turn in the Gulf and head into areas recently battered by Katrina. + High resolution image Credit: NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.