Just-in-Time Lecture Hurricane Rita Ali Ardalan, Kourosh Holakouie Naieni, Ronald E. LaPorte, Eugene Shubnikov, Faina Linkov, Mehdi Russel & Eric K. Noji.

Just-in-Time Lecture

Hurricane Rita

Ali Ardalan, Kourosh Holakouie Naieni, Ronald E.

LaPorte, Eugene

Shubnikov, Faina Linkov, Mehdi Russel & Eric K. Noji

www.pitt.edu/~super/

What is the Disaster Supercourse?

http://www.pitt.edu/~super1

Mission Statement:

The Global Health Network

Disaster, Network for Hurricane

is designed to translate the best

possible scholarly information

from leading researchers to

educators worldwide.

What is a JIT lecture?

http://www.pitt.edu/~super1

Lecture objectives:

To provide the best possible information about the science of Hurricane Rita

To learn how the science can help

prepare us for primary &

secondary

prevention consequences of

Hurricane Rita

"Preparation through

education is less costly than

learning through tragedy."

MAX MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

Hurricane Rita

17th named tropical storm

9th named hurricane

5th major hurricane, & 2nd category

5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Rita

The strongest measured hurricane

ever in the Gulf of Mexico

The third most intense

hurricane ever in

the Atlantic Basin

1. Arlene

2. Bret

3. Cindy

4. Dennis

5. Emily

6. Franklin

7. Gert

2005 Atlantic Hurricane Names

8. Harvey

9. Irene

10. Jose

11. Katrina

12. Lee

13. Maria

14. Nate

15. Ophelia

16. Philippe

17. Rita

18. Stan

19.Tammy

20. Vince

21. Wilma

Rita formation:

From a tropical Depression to a Hurricane

Cat 5 17th Sep: Tropical depression at

east of Turks & Caicos Islands

18th Sep: Tropical storm & mandatory evacuation of Florida Keys

20th Sep, night:

Tropical storm with wind speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) & incomplete eyewall

20th Sep, 9:45 AM:

Hurricane Cat 1 & closed eyewall

Rita formation:

From a tropical Depression to a Hurricane

Cat 5

20th Sep, 1:45 PM:

Hurricane Cat 2 with 100 mph (160 km/h) max sustained winds

20th Sep, 3:55 PM: Hurricane Cat 5 with max wind speeds of 165 mph (265 km/h)

Rita formation: From a tropical Depression to a Hurricane Cat 5

NOAA: Rita as a hurricane Category 5:

Minimum central pressure of

897 millibars (hPa) (26.49

inches of mercury) on the

afternoon of Sep 21

Rita’s the highest sustained wind: 175 mph (280 km/h)

Rita:

18 Sep 2005

Hurricane Rita

Rita lost both hurricane and tropical storm

status on the same day as its landfall

NOAA's:

Rita's remnants, as an extensive low

pressure area, cause substantial flooding

due to rainfall, of which 5 to 15 inches

(125 to 375 mm)

Rita status: 25 Sep 10 AM

Location of centre of Tropical Depression: 40 miles (65 km) NE of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Storm movement: Moving NE at 20 mph (32 km/h) with max sustained winds of 20 mph (32 km/h)

Top five most intense Atlantic hurricanes since measurements

began (NOAA)

North Atlantic

Rank HurricaneYearPressure

1Gilbert1988888 mbar (hPa)

2Labor Day 1935892 mbar (hPa)

3Rita2005897 mbar (hPa)

4Allen 1980899 mbar (hPa)

5Katrina 2005902 mbar (hPa)

Based on data from: The Weather Channel

Affected area: Bahamas

Florida

Cuba

Yucatan

Louisiana

Texas

Mississippi

Arkansas

Impacts

Death toll as 24 Sep: 29 (One by tornado, one by a fallen tree during the storm, others indirect deaths)

Threats of floods

Threats of Tornados Damages:

$ 8

billion

Rita & Economic importance

Gulf of Mexico Concentration of oil

infrastructure

2.000.000 barrels/day

30% of total refining capacity

of the US as the world's largest consumer of gasoline & crude oil

We wish to express our

warm thanks to GDHNet

faculties and all groups that

contributed their valuable

materials.