The image at right is linked to an animation of water vapor in the Gulf of Mexico. October 4, 2005 The National Hurricane center reports that overnight many unexpected things happened with Stan. Stan underwent explosive development and traveled faster than forecast.  The net result of these developments is that Stan is going to be making landfall within a few hours, or about a day earlier than forecast yesterday as a category 1 hurricane.  At landfall Stan is expected to have maximum sustained winds of 80 mph which will extend up to 15 miles from the center, with tropical force winds extending up to 105 miles from the center.  Stan is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rainfall, with isolated amounts of 15 inches possible.  A coastal storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is possible. October 3, 2005 9 PM update. The NHC is now seeing some weakness that is not being reflected in their official forecast.  The forecast path remains  unchanged. October 3, 2005 Noon EDT update The National Hurricane Center's forecast track for Stan has shifted southward, and its projected strength at landfall has moved upward, with a forecast that  Stan will approach category 2 strength at landfall.  The center of Stan is now forecast to reach landfall  Wednesday morning at around 7 AM. October 3, 2005 At the present time Stan has just completed its crossing of the Yucatan Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is becoming more uncertain about Stan's forecast.  The key to the strength of Stan is related to how long it is going to take to cross the Bay of Campeche.  The longer that Stan is in the bay the stronger a hurricane it will become.  While the official forecast hasn't changed the NHC is now starting to hedge its forecast. October 2, 2005 PM update The computer models of Stan's future track have moved into greater agreement.  Stan is forecast to slow down, its forward movement, and then strengthen as it moves east after crossing the Yucatan Peninsula.  The center of a category one Hurricane Stan is now forecast to make landfall late Tuesday evening October 2, 2005 Tropical Storm Stan is now crossing the Yucatan Peninsula, and is expected to spend the next 24 hrs. crossing the Peninsula.  Thereafter the computer model results are diverse.  However, Stan is expected to cross the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall  Wednesday morning at about 20 degrees north latitude as Hurricane Stan. October 1, 2005 Another tropical depression has formed, this time in the Caribbean.  At this point I don't know which of the two storms will end up being named Stan.  The new tropical depression, number 20, appears to be headed for northwest Mexico, but first it will have to cross the Yucatan Peninsula.  Both these storms will be given a one of the names designated by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).  Of the two the one most likely to acheive hurricane status is tropical depression 20. September 30, 2005 - A tropical depression formed today that will most likely be named Stan..  September 29, 2005 - A tropical depression which will be assigned the designation 19 is expected to form in the Caribbean within the next two days. September 28, 2005 - Tropical Depression 19 is most likely to emerge in the Caribbean Sea although  Gulf of Mexico, and the Sargasso Sea  are  also possibilities. Because of a weakness between two ridges any development in the next seven days is likely to move northward.

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States
Texas Emergency Management Agency
Texas Emergency Management Situation Reports
Texas Weather Cameras
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
Mississippi Forestry Commission -- Situation Reports
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Alabama Emergency Management Agency
Georgia Office of Homeland Security - GEMA
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
VAEmergency.com Responding to Katrina
Traffic
Alabama: Traffic Information Line: 1-800-843-0699
Florida: Emergency Information Line: 1-800-342-3557
Louisiana: Traffic Information Line: 1-800-256-7036
Mississippi: Traffic Information Line: 1-800-222-6362
Texas: Highway Conditions Information: 1-800-452-9292
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Local Governments and Sheriff's Offices

Local Emergency Management Offices

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Evacuation
FEMA tele-registration – 800.621.3362  (For Individuals)
Red Cross call center  - (Clothing, Food & Shelter & Contractors)2-1-1 or 888.317.4567
Salvation Army – 800 SAL-ARMY (800.725.2769)
FIND LOVED ONES
 American Red Cross         877.568.3317
Find Family National Call Center           866.326.9393
Lost Children:      Children’s Assessment Center  713.986.3300

Google has a name based search engine that accesses databases of evacuees.
MCI's Registration service of evacuees.
Scipionus.com - Information Locator Map -- Click on the map to find information posting related to a specific area
National Next of Kin Registry
Salvation Army's Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) ActivatedSend an online request to locate missing family and friends. If you can't connect to the site immediately, please try again.

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Federal
Whitehouse -- Katrina In Focus
National Hurricane Center
FEMA
FEMA - Press
FEMA Emergency Managers Reports
FEMA - Photo Library
National Park Service  - Morning Report
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hurricane Katrina Response; Environmental Protection Agency
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HHS - Disasters and Emergencies: Hurricane Katrina
SAMHSA's Disaster Mental Health Resource Kit  1-800-789-2647 for bilingual information services (1-866-889-2647: TDD) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
National Incident Management Situation Report by NICC -- PFD
Dept. of Transportation -- Highway Information For Areas Affected By Hurricane Katrina - US ...
US Army Corps of Engineers - Katrina Response
US Coast Guard - Storm Watch
Navy Environmental Health Center --Medical Force Protection for Hurricane Katrina Relief  Situation Reports
Hurricane Katrina's Impact on U.S. Energy
Office of Energy Assurance: Hurricane Katrina Situation Reports
Advisory Situation Reports from The HSUS Disaster Center
Disaster Contractors Network Situation Reports
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International
Assessing progress towards disaster risk reduction within the context of the Hyogo Framework
Reliefweb International
The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
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Recovering From and Coping With Flood Damaged Property after Returning Home
The Disaster Assistance Process for Individuals

Preparedness
A FEMA Guide to Hurricane Preparedness
US Fire Administration -- Hurricane and Tornado Fire Safety Factsheet HSUS and FEMA --
FEMA Agaist the Wind: Protecting Your Home from Hurricane and Wind Damage -- PDF
FEMA After a Flood: The First Steps
Standard Family Disaster Plan. 
Why Talk About Hurricanes?
Community Hurricane Preparedness. 
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Animals
Animals and Emergencies
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Tracking
Hurricane Tracking Chart 
Color Hurricane Tracking Chart 
Map Hurricane Risk in United States 
The Hurricane FAQ
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Mitigation
Hurricane Damage to Residential Structures: Risk and Mitigation
Designing for wind speed map 
The Saffir-Simpson Scale  Insurance Q and A 
Education Hurricanes - CotF

Flooding
Arkansas Real-Time Water Data
Florida Real-Time Water Data 
Louisiana Real-Time Water Data
Texas Real-Time Water Data
Make an Online Hazard Map for Your Location
National Data Buoy Center
NOS WATER LEVEL OBSERVATION NETWORK
NWS River Forecast Information
NWS Flash Flood Guidance
NWS Significant River Flood Outlook USGS Current Water Resources Conditions
nowCOAST: GIS Mapping Portal to Real-Time Environmental Observations and NOAA Forecasts
National Flood Insurance Program
National Weather Service Precipitation Analysis
National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers
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Satellites and Radar
NOAA GOES Satellite Imagery for Tropical Sectors
NOAA Multi-Dimensional Imagery from Polar Orbiting and Geostationary Satellites
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Monterey Marine Meteorology Division Tropical Cyclone Information
NASA MODIS Rapid Response System
NWS National Doppler Radar Sites
NASA - Hurricane 2005: A Hurricane Resource Site
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Track Analysis/Best Track
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Predictions Center Archive of Past Hurricane Seasons
Historical Hurricane Tracks
Continental US Landfall of Hurricanes 1950 - 2004
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Shoreline Change
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program Internet Map Server
USGS Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies
USGS Mapping Coastal Change Hazards
NOAA Coastal Services Center Topographic Data
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Environmental Affects
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
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Health Affects
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports
For the CDC index on hurricane information (including fact sheets in English and other languages), please see: 
CDC"s Hurricane Index
For CDC information specific to healthcare professionals
Hurricane-Related Documents and Resources Recently Released or Updated
Drive Safely
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/pdf/flyer-drive-safely.pdf
Returning Home After a Hurricane: Be Healthy and Safe
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/returnhome.asp
Cleaning and Sanitizing With Bleach after an Emergency
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/bleach.asp
Varicella Info from NIP
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/varicella/
Addition of Safe Water Tips to Announcer Read PSAs
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/psa_announcerreads.asp#rita
Disposal of Contaminated Medical Devices – FDA site
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/emergency/disposal.html
Contact Information for Questions about Clinical Investigations Affected by Hurricane Katrina – FDA site
http://www.fda.gov/cder/emergency/clin_invest.htm  
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After Hurricane Katrina --- Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, August--September 2005 – MMWR Article
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm54e930a1.htm
 
The following documents have been recently UPDATED:
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Children's Blood Lead Levels
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina/leadkatrina.asp

Translations for the following documents are now available:

• Spanish Translation of "Preparing for a Terrorist Bombing: A Common Sense Approach"
• Spanish Translation of "Disinfecting Wells Following an Emergency"
  

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Damage Assessment and Post-Storm Impact Data
Texas Department of Insurance (TDI): TDI is coordinating with the insurance industry and public information regarding preparations for response and recovery. The TDI Commissioner of Insurance has issued nine bulletins regarding Hurricane Rita which are posted on the TDI website (www.tdi.state.tx.us). TDI is maintaining staff at the Division of Emergency Management State Operations Center and is part of the Rapid Assessment Team that will deploy into the disaster area to survey the extent of damage. They are assembling several teams to be ready to deploy to FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC’s) and upon arrival the staff will assist consumers with insurance questions and
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Predictions Center Tropical Cyclone Reports
NWS Service Assessments
NWS Storm Prediction Center Storm Reports
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
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Other sites
Hurricane Rita - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Houston Chronicle Hurricane Rita Blog
The Hurricane Watch Net
HurricaneTrack.com
Caribbean Hurricane Network
Hurricane Strike! Hurricane Science & Safety For Students

DURING A HURRICANE WATCH
(A Hurricane Watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours.)
1. Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
2. Check emergency supply kit.
3. Fuel car.
4. Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
5. Secure buildings by closing and boarding up windows. Remove outside antennas.
6. Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly.
7. Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils.
8. Store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container on the highest level of your home. 9. Review evacuation plan.
10. Moor boat securely or move it to a designated safe place. Use rope or chain to secure boat to trailer. Use tiedowns to anchor trailer to the ground or house.
Source: floridadisaster.org/      Florida's Division of Emergency Management
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