Rita moving almost straight north. Latest position update:
AT 7 PM CDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS ALONG THE COAST AT THE BORDER BETWEEN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.
From the NHC on this Dangerous Category Two storm ravaging Texas and Louisiana:
Round up on latest developments below the fold.
...RITA MOVES FARTHER INLAND...WEAKENS TO A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE...
AT 7 AM CDT...1200Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING AND TROPICAL STORM
WARNING WEST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM HIGH ISLAND TO MORGAN
CITY LOUISIANA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN
COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL
RIVER...INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SARGENT TEXAS TO MORGAN
CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24
HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE
ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.
AT 4 AM CDT...0900Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS DISCONTINUED
SOUTH OF PORT O'CONNOR TEXAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY
TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER... INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW
ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN...AND FROM SOUTH OF SARGENT TEXAS TO
PORT O'CONNOR TEXAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.
REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT AND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WSR-88D RADARS INDICATE THAT RITA MADE
LANDFALL JUST EAST OF SABINE PASS ABOUT 0730Z WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF
NEAR 105 KT AND A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 937 MB. SINCE LANDFALL...THE
CONVECTION IN THE REMAINS OF THE NORTHWEST EYEWALL HAS BECOME QUITE
INTENSE...POSSIBLY DUE TO INCREASED FRICTIONAL CONVERGENCE OVER
LAND. OVERALLL...RITA SHOULD WEAKEN AS IT MOVES FARTHER INLAND...
BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM IN 18-24 HR AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN
36 HR. HOWEVER...THE CYCLONE IS UNLIKELY TO COMPLETELY DISSIPATE
BEFORE 120 HR. THIS...COMBINED WITH THE FORECAST SLOW MOTION...
WILL CONTINUE A THREAT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINS LONG AFTER THE WINDS
HAVE SUBSIDED.
THE INITIAL MOTION IS 325/10. TRACK GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT
THAT THE CYCLONE SHOULD TURN MORE NORTHWARD DURING THE NEXT 24 HR
WITH SOME DECELERATION...THEN TURN SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD. THE
GUIDANCE THEN DIVERGES...WITH SOME OF THE MODELS CALLING FOR A LOOP
AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN WEST OF RITA...SOME CALLING FOR SLOW
MOTION...AND THE GFS CALLING FOR A RAPID MOTION TO THE NORTHEAST.
GIVEN THE SPREAD...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK WILL FOLLOW THE
PREVIOUS PACKAGE AND CALL FOR LITTLE MOTION AFTER 48 HR.
Wikipedia has a fast moving page.
Fires reported in Houston in the advance of the storm. While parts of New Orleans flood a second time.
Houston Real Time Traffic Info; Local Houston News w/streaming video link; NOLA Local news w/streaming video link; KTRH 740 Houston streaming AM radio
NOAA Three-day Storm Track.
Dopler Radar shows torrential rains in Texas
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Weather channel shows heavy rains over Texas. Widespread flooding expected over the next few days.
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Airports Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby (HOU) are CLOSED.
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NHC warns that tropical storm winds are possible as far north as the Ozarks, as far east as Mobile, and as far west as central Texas. Locally heavy rains and wind can cause power outages and local disruption of electricity and phone service.