Latest Recon Indicates Rita is a CAT 5 Hurricane

Accuweather ^

[jmc1969]

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.

[WoodstockCat]

888 for Atlantic Basin , Gilbert

[milford421]

Somewhere between Galveston and LA...last info.

[Loud Mime]

I believe a CAT 6 is when the storm turns into one big tornado.

I had a friend who flew into those, his name was Gary Peel; if any of you know him, please let me know.

[LilDarlin]

Is there a category 6?

No, according to NOAA, there is no "Cat 6".

However, there is a "Jumbo Cat 5", a "SuperSize Cat 5", a "New and Improved Cat 5", and a "Phantasmagorical Cat 5".

[Paradox]

Remember Katrina, which reached cat 5 status, but the weakened a bit as it approaches shore. Hopefully that happens with Rita..

[kx9088]

888mb, Gilbert I believe.

[rwfromkansas]

You just will get rain out of this one.

Maybe. HEre in KS I know we will get a much-needed soaking.

But, those folks to the south may get hammered if it maintains this strength. It is hard to see it weakening below cat 3. The waters near the coast are extremely warm.

[Lazamataz]

We really need a few more big hurricanes this year. We've been so deprived!

[frankjr]

"Oh man, look at the track. Could be bye bye for NO."

And to think that Nagin wanted to bring 100,000+ people back into N.O. Plus when Allen questioned him about it Nagin makes some smarta** comment about who appointed Allen the Fed Mayor King (or something like that).

[ChadGore]

cat 5 ?!?! What's the water temp in the track ?

[Terpfen]

Two in such a short timespan IS rare.

I think the US has only been hit by three Cat 5s since we started tracking these storms.

[nuffsenuff]

I believe a CAT 6 is when the storm turns into one big tornado.

Holy Crap.

[ghost of nixon]

similar to Katrina in a lot of respects - organizes around the Bahamas, clips the southern tip of Florida, then quickly organizes into a huge, almost perfect, spiral in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Scary.

[kx9088]

I thought that was because she tried to pull a ERC right before landfall?

[Lazamataz]

5 now, anyways.

[Black Tooth]

Thank god I live in Colorado..

Ditto, I live in California, even with quakes now and then, and feel very fortunate.

I wish them the best of luck.

[chimera]

Someone was saying the temps in the Gulf are what is driving up the intensity of these storms. What was it, something close to 90 deg, off of Pensacola or Destin? With that kind of warmth and moisture, it is little wonder these things are spinning up so high.

[BurbankKarl]

Imagine that!

[rwfromkansas]

a brief period of SLIGHTLy cooler water and then extremely warm water near Texas.

She will likely go through an eyewall replacement cycle and weaken, but at cat 5 strength, it isn't like she will weaken below a 3.

And with the warm water, she may undergo rapid intensification just prior to landfall.

[Red Badger]

You guys got snow and blizzards and avalanches and liberals all over the place........