To our friends in Rita's path...

[Chuck(G)]

Rita just reported to be Category 5 with 165 mph surface winds.

Please stay safe, guys!

[TubaRay]

You talkin' ta me?!

[Chuck(G)]

You talkin' ta me?!

Ray, you're in San Antone, right? At last report, it's Galveston/Hoiuston that's going to get it:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MI ... 1955.shtml

[Joe Baker]

I don't know... looks to me like Port Lavaca is going to be Ground Zero. Alamo City is inland 150 miles or so, but stands a good chance of being pretty much right in the path. That'll make for a bunch of wind and a LOT of rain.
___________________________
Joe Baker, who expects the River Walk will be somewhat wider for a couple of days.

[Rick Denney]

Rita just reported to be Category 5 with 165 mph surface winds.

Please stay safe, guys!

It's getting harder. I've been talking to my parents today, and they have been utterly unable to find a hotel within four hours drive from Houston (that's as far as they think they can get after boarding up the windows--and I'm afraid they'll be exhausted even then because of their age). I think they have a place to go in San Antonio to stay with friends, and I know I have friends all over Texas who would put them up if it came to it. But most of the hotels were already full from New Orleans escapees.

San Antonio should be relatively okay. I lived there when Gilbert (I think it was Gilbert) came through, and it caused some power outages and spawned a few small tornados. But while it was gusty they did not get the Big Wind. For San Antonio to get a direct hit, the storm would have to make landfall around Corpus Christi, which is at present south of the projected path. But, of course, anything can happen.

I remember Carla, a 1961 Category 4 storm that followed basically the same path as projected for Rita. It was a bad one. Houston is more vulnerable to flooding now than then, especially if there's a big storm surge. The surge backs water up into the bayou drainage system, and then the rain has no place to go for a while. Houston is 50 miles across and changes in elevation only 60 feet in that distance--water does not flow quickly in that part of the world. Alvin, Texas, just south of Houston, still holds the Continental U.S. record for the most rainfall in a day, receiving 46 inches during one tropical storm landfall back in the 80's. My folks were flooded out of their house when Allison hit three years ago. This could be much worse.

I may be making my way down there next week to help with cleanup.

Rick "keeping a close eye on the situation" Denney

[TexTuba]

I now live up here in San Antonio but all of my family lives in Corpus Christi. I know it's south of the projected landfall but my family is coming up tomorrow and I'm glad they're not going to risk it. All of the folks in the Houston area are in my thoughts. Be safe..

Ralph

[windshieldbug]

Stay safe, Doc. And the heck with that plug-in stuff. One can find that anywhere! Docs are hard to grow!

[TubaRay]

Best wishes, Doc, and any others threatened by Rita. May she be gentle.

[tubatooter1940]

A guy from here had a mom in Bay St.Louis,Ms. He drove there the day after Katrina and found her in her attic with no way to jump down. He borrowed a ladder and now has her safely home with him.
The Gulf Coast used to be considered, "-swinging in a hammock in heaven's back yard". These days everyone is very aware of the price to be paid for these warm winters.

[ThomasDodd]

Just to let every one know, the tornado that went through Miss. State University yesterday didn't hit me.
<img src="http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6759/mapimage6qp.jpg">

Missed me by a good margin.

<img src="http://www.katu.com/news/images/story20 ... do_210.jpg" >
<img src="http://cmsimg.clarionledger.com/apps/pb ... R&MaxW=250">
<img src="http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/cont ... /photo.jpg" >

[TubaRay]

Just to let every one know, the tornado that went through Miss. State University yesterday didn't hit me.

Better luck next time(just kidding). Glad you weren't hurt.