Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. The wind field associated with Rita is forecast to expand during the next day or two.
Anyone have a link to a Houston Radio station we can listen to online?
I did just a quick and dirty distance from Corpus Christi to Austin and it's very close to the distance from Gulfport, MS to Jackson, MS. Now that would assume a path of Rita from CC toward Austin but it's going to be close to that according to latest models. Jackson was getting hurricane force winds for an hour and 1/2 out of Katrina, plan accordingly.