Hurricane Rita

Here in the Houston area, people are stocking provisions and bracing for Hurricane Rita.

In my community today, lines formed at gas stations, Wal-Mart sold out of water, flashlights, coolers; and there isn't one can of Spam or Vienna Sausage left in my immediate area.


Galveston has issued its first ever mandatory evacuation for 6 p.m. Wednesday and a state of emergency was declared this evening. Evacuation buses are to begin rolling out of town Wednesday morning.

Schools in Houston and Galveston have closed.

Rita is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm.

As of 4 p.m. today, the National Hurricane Center forecast that the storm's center would come ashore just north of Matagorda Bay. That's about 100 miles SW of Houston.

Different computer models call for different landfalls, and we all know too well that hurricanes love to hook northward.

A hurricane making landfall near Matagorda would to be expected to roll over Houston with tropical force winds in the 70 mph range, with heavy rain and possibly tornadoes. She could still hook close to Houston.

With visions of Katrina still in our heads, many people are evacuating. It looks like my crew will be truckin' north.

--LynZee