Providing that Hurricane Rita does not deviate from its current track or speed, the storm should make landfall between 11 PM and 12 AM in the Lake Charles area near the Louisiana-Texas border. The storm surge may cause flooding in Abbeville and Morgan City; hopefully, the levees protecting the Westbank of New Orleans will hold.


NWS BULLETIN
HURRICANE RITA ADVISORY NUMBER 25...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING SOUTH OF SARGENT TEXAS HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM WARNING. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW 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 BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

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 TO PORT ARANSAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.6 WEST OR ABOUT 155 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE RITA WILL MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS NEAR DAYBREAK SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL...BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME ASHORE AS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER... AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES... 335 KM. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD INLAND AS FAR AS 100 MILES NEAR THE PATH OF RITA. AN ELEVATED STATION AT MARSH ISLAND LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 59 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 78 MPH.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... LOCALLY UP TO 20 FEET AT HEAD OF BAYS AND NEARBY RIVERS...WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE LOUISIANA...MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE AREAS WILL INCREASE TO 4 TO 6 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE COASTAL FLOODING. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY RITA WILL LIKELY AFFECT MOST PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST.

RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AS IT MOVES INLAND. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS WITH ISOLATED HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. SINCE RITA IS FORECAST TO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS LOCALLY IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS INTO WESTERN LOUISIANA.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...SOUTHERN LOUISIANA INCLUDING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA.

As Hurricane Rita nears landfall further east than previously predicted, residents in Texas are breathing a sigh of relief as folks in southern Louisiana hunker down.

Somewhere between Lake Charles and Lafayette, Rita will cross the Louisiana coastline before sunrise on Saturday, flooding broad, low lying areas and causing significant destruction in oil field towns like Morgan City and Houma. Additionally, New Orleans is likely to experience flooding in areas previously untouched by the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina.

Propelled by hurricane force winds, a dangerous storm surge is building through the Barataria Estuary to the back doors of neighborhoods on the Westbank of the Mississippi River. Loss of coastal wetlands have added to the area's vulnerability, accellerating the speed and impact of storm surges into bayous and canals that eventually empty into the Gulf of Mexico.

Areas at great risk include Westwego, Marrero, Harvey, Gretna, Belle Chasse, Algiers, Port Sulphur, Luling and Des Allemands. Additionally, I expect the storm surge to flood US 90 between Des Allemands and Thibadoux, further isolating the region.

Hopefully, the storm will quickly degrade and move out of the area but forecasters say it will stall and remain for days, deluging the area with additional flooding due to heavy tropical rain squalls.

For the second time within a one month time span, New Orleans is flooding. This morning, levees that were breached by Hurricane Katrina began to fail again as tropical force winds pushed a storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) and into the Industrial Canal.

Authorities can only watch helplessly as water pours into sections of the city that had just been pumped dry several days ago. Officials expect the floodwaters to continue to rise to the same devasting levels of Hurricane Katrina.

Undoubtedly, the combined flooding of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will rekindle debate regarding whether the MRGO should be closed permanently. Storms surges from the MRGO and the Industrial Canal have been a problem for decades and are one of the primary reasons why local residents have fought plans by the US Army Corps of Engineers to enlarge the Industrial Canal and deepen the MRGO.

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1030 AM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...LEVEE OVER TOPPED IN NEW ORLEANS ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL...
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING POSTED FOR ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...
...TORNADO WATCH POSTED FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...
...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COAST...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA INCLUDING LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND NEW ORLEANS METRO AREA...
...OUTER RAINBANDS SPREADING OVER SOUTHERN LOUISIANA...
...AREAS AFFECTED...
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THE FOLLOWING PARISHES
ASSUMPTION...LAFOURCHE...TERREBONNE...JEFFERSON...ORLEANS...ST TAMMANY...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST CHARLES...ST BERNARD...ST JAMES...PLAQUEMINES...TANGIPAHOA...POINTE COUPEE...WEST FELICIANA...EAST FELICIANA...WEST AND EAST BATON ROUGE...ST HELENA...LIVINGSTON...IBERVILLE...ASCENSION
IN SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...WILKINSON COUNTY
...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS 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 TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
WITH WINDS OF 40 MPH OR HIGHER...ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS.
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FOR THE STRONG LIKELIHOOD OF FREQUENT WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH TODAY AND THIS EVENING.
...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.9 WEST OR 220 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS
RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF RITA WILL BE APPROACHING THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS EARLY SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. HURRICANE RITA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PERSONS LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR DAMAGED LEVEES...BAYOUS AND COASTAL AREAS PRONE TO STORM SURGE FLOODING SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS FURTHER INLAND NOW. MANY PARISHES IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA HAVE EVACUATIONS ORDERS FOR FOR LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME. RESIDENTS SHOULD LISTEN TO MEDIA FOR EVACUATION INFORMATION AND FOLLOW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALSO PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES...TRAILERS...TENTS OR HOMES STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED BY RECENT HURRICANES...SHOULD ALSO MAKE PLANS TO MOVE TO MORE SECURE STRUCTURES DUE TO TROPICAL STORM WIND GUSTS.
...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL LEVEE BETWEEN CLAIBORNE AND FLORIDA AVENUE IN NEW ORLEANS HAS BEEN OVER TOPPED BY STORM SURGE AS SEEN ON TELEVISION VIDEO. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES WHICH COULD BE INUNDATED WITH 3 TO 8 FEET OF WATER. ONSHORE FLOW HAS FILLED DRAINAGE CANALS AND BAYOUS WHICH IN SOME CASES REMAIN CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS LEFT OVER FROM HURRICANE KATRINA.
TIDES ARE 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL THIS MORNING. AS RITA MOVES FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO... EAST WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ALONG THE COAST. TIDES ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI COAST WILL INCREASE TO 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ...AND 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LATER TODAY AND THROUGH SATURDAY AS WINDS BECOME MORE SOUTHEASTERLY. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL CAN BE EXPECTED IN LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS. IN ADDITION LARGE WAVES WILL ALSO AFFECT THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREA AND INCREASE THE FLOOD THREAT. SINCE KATRINA...THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO COASTAL TIDAL FLOODING. IN ADDITION MANY HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEES IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA HAVE BEEN DEGRADED FROM THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA. FLOODING OF LOW LYING ROADWAYS AND AREAS NEAR DAMAGED LEVEES...BAYOUS WILL LIKELY OCCUR AS THE TIDES INCREASE.
...WIND IMPACTS...
RITA HAS DEVELOPED INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER. AS HURRICANE RITA MOVES ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO...TROPICAL STORM WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH SPREAD INLAND FROM THE THE COASTAL AREA FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WESTWARD AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY. TROPICAL STORM WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH MAY SPREAD INTO METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA TODAY...MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH SQUALLS. EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SECURE LOOSE DEBRIS AT THIS TIME.
...RAINFALL...
OCCASIONAL SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY AND POSSIBLY INTO SATURDAY. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THESE SQUALLS THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN PARISHES WHERE FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. DEBRIS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA DAMAGE REMAINS IN DRAINAGE CANALS AND MAY HINDER RAINFALL RUNOFF. PUMPING STATION CAPACITY STILL REMAINS DEGRADED DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA.

...TORNADO THREAT...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS RITA NEARS THE TEXAS-LOUISIANA BORDER REGION. THIS WILL PLACE MOST OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA IN THE FAR NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF RITA... WHICH IS THE PREFERRED REGIONS FOR TORNADOES TO DEVELOP IN HURRICANES.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
HURRICANE RITA ADVISORY NUMBER 20
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
10 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...RITA EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY BUT FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL AS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE...

...A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED...
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM PORT O'CONNOR 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 BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM SOUTH OF PORT O'CONNOR TO PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM NORTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS...AND FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.7 WEST OR ABOUT 460 MILES...740 KM...SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 445 MILES...715 KM... SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 165 MPH...270 KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS BUT RITA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 907 MB...26.78 INCHES.
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE AREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO 3 TO 4 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING.

RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM 15 INCH TOTAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF RITA PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA. IN ADDITION...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS. BASED ON THE FORECAST TRACK...RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AFTER RITA MOVES INLAND.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.

As I await the 10am CDT hurricane report from the National Weather Service, the first rain bands of Hurricane Rita are now entering the New Orleans area. The latest satelite photo movies are showing that the storm is moving further north than previously predicted by the NWS and may be heading to Morgan City. Such a track would be catastrophic as this would place New Orleans within the hurricane force wind field of the strongest sector of the hurricane. Worse yet, storm surges would inundate the Westbank of the city, a section which was spared flooding by Hurricane Katrina. As a result, thousands of more homes would be completely destroyed in an area which has already been hard hit. Such an outcome could seal the fate of New Orleans but would have additional repurcussions.

First, thousands of people fleeing east on I-10 from the Houston area could be heading straight into the heart of danger. To everyone heading toward or currently in southern Louisiana, please take heed and seek shelter.

Second, over 50% of the oil & gas production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico were damaged by Katrina and are still not pumping. Rita will pummel the same region, causing further production losses and downtime.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BULLETIN
HURRICANE RITA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 19A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
7 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

SYNOPSIS:
Rita has weakened slightly in pressure and wind speed but is still a very dangerous Category 5 hurricane. The center of the storm is now heading towards the Texas-Louisiana border.

Here's the bulletin:
...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE RITA OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...SLIGHT WEAKENING IS ANTICIPATED TODAY.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST FROM PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA LATER TODAY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA...FROM EAST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA...AND FROM SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA... GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE RITA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 7 AM CDT...1200Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.3 WEST OR ABOUT 490 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 595 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED NEAR 170 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES RITA A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. A SLOW WEAKENING TREND IS FORECAST BUT RITA IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY AS A MAJOR HURRICANE...AT LEAST CATEGORY THREE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY MEASURED BY A HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 907 MB...26.78 INCHES.

TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE AREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO 3 TO 4 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING.

HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH RITA ARE FORECAST TO BEGIN TO AFFECT THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL AREAS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES FROM THE CENTRAL TEXAS COAST TO SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHERN LOUISIANA ...INCLUDING THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA. AFTER RITA MOVES INLAND...TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN TEXAS... AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA DURING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BULLETIN
HURRICANE RITA ADVISORY NUMBER 18...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
10 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

CORRECTED RAINFALL STATEMENT FOR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA

...CATEGORY FIVE RITA CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST FROM PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS TO CAMERON LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA THURSDAY MORNING.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA... FROM EAST OF CAMERON TO GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA... AND FROM SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE RIO GRANDE.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA... GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE RITA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 87.2 WEST OR ABOUT 570 MILES... 915 KM... EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 670 MILES... 1080 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH ...15 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH...280 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES... 295 KM.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 897 MB...26.49 INCHES. THIS MEANS RITA IS THE THIRD MOST INTENSE HURRICANE IN TERMS OF PRESSURE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.

TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING NEAR NORMAL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA COASTS IN THE AREAS AFFECTED BY KATRINA. TIDES IN THOSE AREAS WILL INCREASE UP TO 3 TO 4 FEET AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS... AND RESIDENTS THERE COULD EXPERIENCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING.

HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH RITA ARE FORECAST TO BEGIN TO AFFECT THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL AREAS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL TO UPPER TEXAS COAST. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHERN LOUISIANA... INCLUDING THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA. AFTER RITA MOVES INLAND...TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN TEXAS... AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA DURING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

REPEATING THE 10 PM CDT POSITION...24.6 N... 87.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD... WEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...175 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 897 MB.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.

At 7 PM CDT (2400 GMT), the National Weather Service reported that the barometric pressure of Hurricane Rita has dropped to 8.98 mb, making it the third strongest hurricane recorded.

Currently the size of the eye of Hurricane Rita is decreasing, indicating that the storm is strengthening even further. More disturbing is that Rita has taken a jog from its track, throwing off the computer models that indicate where the storm will make landfall. As a result, this storm must be watched carefully overnight as it could be heading in a different direction.

Tropical Storm and Hurricane warnings now extend along the entirety of the Texas coastline. Additionally, the government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm watch for the Northeast coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando to the Mexican/US border.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Rita Now A Category 5
At 4 PM CDT (2100 GMT), the eye of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 24.4 north, longitude 86.8 west or about 600 miles
east-southeast of Galveston Texas. The storm is moving west at about 13 mph.

Rita is an extremely dangerous category five hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph with gusts of 200 mph. Winds exceeding 73 mph extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and winds exceeding 38 mph extend outward up to 175 miles outward. The storm's barometric pressure has been falling rapidly during the day. The latest Air Force Hurricane Hunters reconnaissance flight recorded a minimum central pressure of 914 mb or 26.99 inches; this pressure is lower than was anticipated.

A Tropical Storm watch has been issued for Louisiana from Cameron east to Grand Isle. Tides are currently running near normal along the Mississippi and Louisiana coastal areas affected by Katrina; however, tides are expected to increase up to 3 to 4 feet over the next 24 hours with large waves on top. Residents in these areas should prepare for flooding.

In Texas, a Tropical Storm watch has been issued from south of Port Mansfield to Brownsville.

A Hurricane Watch has been issued from Port Mansfield Texas to Cameron Louisiana. Residents in these areas should be preparing now to evacuate.

Read the current storm info, why to prepare & how to prepare for this disaster.