Rita third most powerful Arlantic storm of all time - 898 mb

[benburch]

Hurricane Gilbert (888 mb, 1988)

The Great Labor Day Hurricane (892 mb, 1935)

Hurricane Rita (898 mb, 2005)

Hurricane Allen (899 mb, 1980)

Hurricane Katrina (902 mb, 2005)

Hurricane Camille (905 mb, 1969)

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Do you think she will calm down before landfall? And even so, how bad will

the surge be?

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[benburch]

2. Maybe. She passes over a region of very warm water tonight.

The eye is shrinking. Once it gets to 10nm it will grow unstable and there will be a slight lowering of its intensity. But there is a lot of time before landfall.

[Dover]

3. Rita is passing over the warmer, deeper water now, but will pass over

cooler shallower waters before making landfall. So weathermen are saying that it may weaken to a 4 or even a 3 before landfall. Fingers crossed.

I don't know how much of what I'm hearing on local Texas news is hype, but it does seem a very orderly and well planned evacuation with the added advantage of Katrina's wrath having demonstrated the foolishness of riding it out in the hurricane's path. And the rescue centers are still up and stocked from taking in Katrina evacuees, so they are ready to go for the most part and volunteers have had some practice. AND though the damage should be immense, there will probably be a lot less loss of life....particularly if it hits in the relatively unpopulated area in the center of the coastline (relative to a big city like Houston).

Most of the evacuees will have their own money and transportation as well so there shouldn't be such a strain on the support system.