TS Rita just became Cat 1 hurricane- eye still 100 miles from Key West

[demo dutch]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12689167.htm

Miami Herald
ita now a hurricane; most heed warnings
BY MARTIN MERZER, WANDA J. DeMARZO AND PHIL LONG

Now officially a hurricane, Rita closed in on the Florida Keys, rocking Islamorada and other islands with powerful wind and rain. Its sporadic, spiral bands also swept through much of South Florida.

Forecasters said Rita's sustained winds crossed the 74-mph threshold shortly after 9 a.m. EDT, making it a hurricane. That development came later than expected, bringing a measure of mercy to the Keys and South Florida.
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snip
It seemed beyond belief, but Rita seemed certain to become the seventh hurricane to hit or brush Florida in 14 months. And the hurricane season doesn't end until Nov. 30.

[Scurrilous]

1. Good luck Key West...

...I hope the damage isn't too bad and noone gets hurt.

[lse7581011]

2. Thoughts and Prayers

to everyone in its path!

[AirmensMom]

3. It's windy here.

We must be getting some outer bands in Boca Raton. It was stormy all night. There are a few potted plants knocked over ... we don't expect much more up here. This hurricane season is too long! I hope everyone down in the keys comes through it OK. :hi:

[CountAllVotes]

4. Hurricane Rita Lashing Florida Keys

<< KEY WEST, Fla. - Rita strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday as lashed the Florida Keys with heavy rain and strong wind, threatening the island chain with a storm surge of up to 7 feet and sparking fears the storm could eventually bring new misery to the Gulf Coast.

Rita became a Category 1 hurricane status with sustained top wind of 75 mph during the morning, said meteorologist Michelle Mainelli at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. She said the wind speed was confirmed by data collected by a reconnaissance plane sent into the storm. >>

bit more here ... Category 1 ...


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050920/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather

:dem:

[Penndems]

5. It'll be a probable CAT 3 hurricane by Friday, over the Gulf of Mexico

Making landfall somewhere along the central Texas coast - Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston.

If I lived anywhere in this vicinity, I'd start making some serious preparations.


http://www.wunderground.com/blog/SteveGregory/show.html

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html