[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I share your concern. Jackson was about 100 miles or so from Gulfport. If landfall is in the Port Lavaca area or thereabouts, Austin is about 140 miles from the coast. If this is anywhere accurate and Rita is as strong as Katrina when it comes ashore, Austinites need to take necessary precautions.

[4everontheRight]

From the coast (Gulfport), it would take us about 3 hours to get to Jackson MS so that is a good time line to follow. My brother lives just outside Jackson and was without power for 4 days after Katrina. My dad went to Hattiesburg MS (about an hour, hour fifteen from the coast) and they got hit with 100 mph winds from Katrina

[No Blue States]

"Austinites need to take necessary precautions."

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
454 AM CDT WED SEP 21 2005


"THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TO MOVE THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF OUR COUNTY WARNING AREA AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TO THREATEN THE AUSTIN METRO AREA.

http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/tx/discussion.html

[Tuxedo]

Same here in SA. Starting to take precautions here at work and expecting power outages.