Rita strengthened rapidly on Tuesday to a Category 2 hurricane as it lashed the Florida Keys with flooding rain and strong wind and sparked fears the storm could eventually bring new misery to the Gulf Coast.Rita went from a tropical storm with top sustained wind of 70 mph early Tuesday to a hurricane with 100 mph wind by early afternoon as it passed just south of the Keys, the National Hurricane Center said.
"Farther out, we do anticipate further strengthening up to Category 3, or major hurricane status," Chris Sisko, a meteorologist at the hurricane center, said before Rita rose to Category 2. Category 3 storms have maximum sustained wind of 130 mph.
Data from a hurricane chase plane confirmed the increase to 100 mph wind, the hurricane center said.
Here’s the National Hurricane Center’s track, which has the storm hitting the Matagorda Bay area early Saturday morning. With the storm just entering the Gulf, the NHC’s cone of uncertainty is VERY wide, encompassing the entire Texas coast, as well as portions of Mexico and Louisiana.
UPDATE: The NHC’s table of strike probabilities shows an 11% chance of Rita’s eye coming within 65 miles of Galveston.
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That probability number is for up until friday morning at 8am. We are only getting the numbers right now for the storm moving quickly into Galveston. Later we will probably see a higher number, that includes all possiblities for the storm track. I’m not sure I’m making sense, but I think since that 11% is only up until 8am friday, it is artificially low.
True, Neil, thanks for pointing that out. Forecasters are expecting the storm to hit Saturday morning. If you extend the probability window another 24 hours, I’m sure it will be much higher.
I just spoke with GWB. He is going to make the hurricane go to Freeport then bring it up to SW Houston then over to East Houston so it will hit the black neighborhoods the hardest. Thank god i’m white. Thank you GWB! You really look out for us white folk!
Gregg,
You racist. That is what I love about you my brother. Mrs. Deke is ironing your hood and we will priority mail it.
GWB is causing this weather to spite Al Gore. Or can you not see that? Are you reading weatherfortheblind.com again
Using Al Pacino’s voice from Scarface… “I spit on your global warming. Meet my leetle friend the hurricane..”
Sometimes you can’t see the trees for the devastation. Would you quit watching Marvin Zindler please? Throw down roaches and rat droppings are soooooo 1980’s.
BTW. Extra starch for the pointy part of the hood will be $1.75. We take Pay Pal.
BTW. Your check bounced.
LMAO
Deke