Hurricane Rita

Pre-Landfall 3 | Summary
Posting Date: September 21, 2005, 7:00:00 AM

As of 8:00 EDT this morning, Wednesday, September 21 Rita is a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of near 135 mph and higher gusts. The center of the system is located about 195 miles west of Key West, Florida and 790 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Rita is moving toward the west at 14 mph. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center of the storm. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. Minimum central pressure is 948 mb. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Florida Keys from the Marquesas Keys westward to the Dry Tortugas. Coastal storm surge flooding of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels is possible in the tropical storm warning area. An additional rainfall accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is expected over portions of extreme southern Florida and the Florida Keys. Rita is forecast to continue to move westward for the next 36 hours or so. The NHC expects Rita to intensify, possibly reaching Category 5 before weakening somewhat before landfall. However, Rita is projected to maintain major hurricane status—Category 3 or higher—until landfall on the middle Texas coast in just over 72 hours. However, it is important to note that there is still considerable uncertainty with respect to both the future track and intensity of this storm. Evacuation orders have been issued for Galveston, Texas. AIR is monitoring Hurricane Rita closely and will post additional information as the storm progresses.

Pre-Landfall 3 | Downloads
Posting Date: September 21, 2005, 7:00:00 AM