[NautiNurse]

Please do not post graphics >50KB, or animated graphics. Post links instead. Many of the websites hosting the graphics are overloaded.

[Bahbah]

Good morning, NN. I was just catching up on the prior thread. Don't know what to say other than good grief. It is beginning to look like the evacuation problems may be the Achilles heel here. Hours on the highway and running out of gas with cars breaking down. Not good.

[Double Tap]

Do you have a ping list for the Rita threads? If so, please add me on to it. Thanks.

[NautiNurse]

New Thread

Cat 5 Hurricane Rita has tracked more northward during the night. Beaumont/Port Arthur/Lake Charles heads up.

[NautiNurse]

New Thread

Cat 5 Hurricane Rita has tracked more northward during the night. Beaumont/Port Arthur/Lake Charles heads up.

[Unknown Freeper]

Thread for Thursday morning. I know you're on the case.

[johnb838]

I suppose I could try to walk out. That's what some of the posters said the people without cars in NOLA should have done.

[SE Mom]

This is beyond belief.

[dc-zoo]

Looks like another worst case scenario coming together. This time in Texas.

[Alas Babylon!]

UGH!

We need to fill the Gulf with ice. It's too hot. Went to Panama City last week, the water was like a warm bathtub.

[steveegg]

Up and in. Thanks again.

Quick recap for those that missed the 4 am advisory and the Vortex Data Message update -

- At 4 am, Rita was near 24.9N 88.0W, or about 515 miles southeast of Galveston and about 615 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi.
- It was moving to the west-northwest at about 9 mph, and the forecasters expect it to keep doing that the next 24 hours before turning toward the northwest and west-northwest. The current official track is centered just east of Galveston Bay with landfall expected Saturday AM. Many of the computer models are currently suggesting a landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border.
- Maximum sustained winds were around 175 mph, and current forecasts take Rita down to an upper-level Category 4 (150 mph winds) a few hours before landfall.
- Pressure has come up since the advisory to 902 mb (the 4 am advisory estimated pressure at 897 mb).

[SheLion]

I have a question:

Why does the weather people have this storm turning north? Why couldn't it go straight into Mexico or southern Tx? I can't understand how they figure it will turn north.

Thanks!

[topher]

Dear God please forgive us -- we know not what we do...

[mtbopfuyn]

Have had on local Austin news/weather. Rita is being pulled west, rather than veering north, right into the Galveston/Houston area due to weather. Seems there was a high pressure sytem in central Texas that would have given some protection. However, the high pressure system has moved to the east and a smaller portion of it has moved to the southwest forming a path between which is pulling Rita right through.

We're supposed to have 75 mph winds Friday evening and Saturday. Went to Walmart yesterday and there are empty spaces on the shelves. Austin tv said bottled water went in 4 minutes and people weren't waiting for it to be stocked. HEB (grocery store) says they'll be getting more shipments of water so not to worry. Topped of the gas at $2.58 but this morning sounds like gas is going to go to $5.00.

I just thank God it's hitting on the weekend - kids and hubby home. We'll check the yard and lakefront area today, but think it'll be better to leave the boat in the lift rather than trailer it. We'll be on the dry side of Rita so don't think we'll flood - if any flooding, it'll be days after the storm. We lose electricity at the drop of a hat so the pantry is always stocked and I have an attic full of water containers to fill every time we suspect flooding or storms so no worries there.

Friends are moving out their horses and livestock. Weekenders are coming in for quick checks of their docks and heading back out of town to their homes to hunker down.

[wolfcreek]

It's looking more and more like Austin and the hillcountry might be speared from the effects of this storm. I was hopeing for alittle rain and lower temps. Forecast calls for 102 today. Damn that's hot for the first day of fall!

Wishing everyone a safe weekend,

Wolfcreek

[PigRigger]

Good Lord; the news on Rita just keeps getting worse. Prayers lifted for all our in her projected path.

To anyone who is thinking of riding this out, don't be foolish, leave while you still can.

I pray Rita weakens significantly....the potential destruction is hard to fathom...

[gumboyaya]

I have been watching traffic on Hwy90 west of Houston. It has been bumper to bumper since yesterday morning with no let up. All gas stations out of fuel. Personally will be staying put which now looks like good idea, especially if it continues to track east of Houston. My family lost 7 houses in Katrina, hope it won't be 8 by sunday.

[dixie sass]

Morning

[steveegg]

No streaming from the 3 stations in the Lake Charles/Beaumont/Port Arthur that have both websites and news departments, at least not yet -

KPLC (NBC - Lake Charles)
KBTV (NBC - Port Arthur)
KDFM (CBS - Beaumont)

[LuLuLuLu]

Would you also please put me on the ping list?

[GOP_Proud]

Thanks again for a great job.