[NautiNurse]

Per usual, do not post graphics >50KB, no radar loops, no webcams. Post links to this busy thread.

Please cite sources for information.

[NautiNurse]

Category 3 Hurricane Rita

Winds 120 mph, pressure 956mb, moving west near 14 mph.

[topher]

Please get some rest... We will need you Thursday/Friday/Saturday.

I fear this will be a long weekend...

[Elle Bee]

Beautiful morning in Key West

Power came back late last night

we were lucky

very lucky

.

[tiredoflaundry]

This Rita is a bi*** of a storm!

[umbagi]

Rita develops into Category 4 storm

[NCjim]

Good morning - it quickly got late last night ...

Today as always I will be cubicle-bound so will be lurking periodically to see what's up. *g

[Gamecock]

My Inlaws were scheduled to fly out of Houston Intercontinental Saturday. The have been planning this trip to come see us since last winter.

Continental rerouted them through Newark last night.

[ArmyBratsMom]

Newbie here ... sort of. I've lurked on FR for years and have posted, very rarely, under a different screen name, so I feel like an old-timer.

Hubby and I are Texans. We don't live there now, complements of Uncle Sam, but my entire family and many of our dearest friends are there - mostly in NW Houston, Deer Park, Sugarland, and Galveston. Needless to say, I'm worried sick.

[Michael Goldsberry]

Mornin' Nauti. Today is evacuation day for me.

[wolfcreek]

Fox News Alert: 6-55 AM Rita now a cat 4.

[wolfcreek]

I'm here, just Nw of Austin, Local weather guys are callin for tropical force winds for Sat. This could be My last transmission. Pray for Texas

[kittymyrib]

Huntville and Bryan are opening their shelters for fleeing Galveston/Houston residents. They had many supplies left after the Katrina evacuees left, so they are well stocked. Yesterday phone company and Operation Blessing trucks (Pat Robertson's group) were already heading south on I-45 to the Gulf. Texas will be ready.

[newzjunkey]

Deja Vu all over again. Keep up the great work, NN.

[wolfcreek]

To All Those Concerned: There are NO rooms available in Austin! Maybe some rooms farther west (Burnet,Marble Falls,etc.) Hope everyone stays safe.

[Molly Pitcher]

Thanks for this thread. Evac orders for my old home county of Galveston. Oh dear...

[silentknight]

This is a monster

Look at these morning images - unreal

http://www5.wright-weather.com/bb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49127&perpage=25&pagenumber=3

This looks to become a cat 5 hurricane. What a freakin hurricane season this has been.

[TomGuy]

Galveston has buses lining up, drivers available, anticipate no NO fiasco.

lol.

Sound like Galveston did NOT elect a Mayor like Numbnut Nagin. He still apparently can't decide whether to call people back to NO or evac those who are there now.

[rabair]

this is about as un-PC as it gets but, well... that's me.... let's hope it goes a little more west, rather than northwest, and mainly just hits Mexico, and only grazes Texas if it has to.

[Gone GF]

I think people are overreacting. After all, Category 5 hurricanes are a dime a dozen. (sarcasm off)

[Peach]

FNC just reminded people who were thinking about looting that people in Texas carry guns. LOL