reflections in the mirror

Rita is a Cat 5 Hurricane and is now considered third worst storm ever.

HOUSTON — Hurricane Rita is now a top-of-the-scale, “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm, packing winds of 165 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters said the storm could be the most intense hurricane on record to ever hit Texas.

There’s also concern that Rita, still about two days away from the Gulf Coast, could turn out to be one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the U.S. mainland.

A hurricane watch has been issued from Port Mansfield, Texas, to Cameron, La., and a tropical storm watch has been issued for east of Cameron to Grand Isle, La., and from south of Port Mansfield to Brownsville, Texas. A tropical storm watch is also in effect for the northeast coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.

Mandatory evacuation orders currently cover all of Galveston, Texas, low-lying sections of Houston and Corpus Christi, and a mostly empty New Orleans. In all, about 1 million people along the Gulf Coast have been told to get moving.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall along the central Texas coast sometime Saturday, but even a slight turn to the right could deal a devastating blow to New Orleans.

The storm is causing more jitters among those who saw what Katrina and its 145 mph winds did to the Gulf Coast. With Rita about two days away, thousands of Texas coast residents are getting out while the getting is good.

In Galveston, buses bound for inland shelters have already begun transporting the elderly and others needing help. Able-bodied residents of Galveston must start leaving by 6 p.m., though authorities suggest there’s no reason to wait.

At 7 p.m. CDT, the eye of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude 24.5 north, longitude 86.8 west or about 580 miles east-southeast of Galveston, Texas, and about 680 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Rita is moving toward the west near 13 mph, and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph, with higher gusts. Rita is an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next 24 hours.

The Army Corps of Engineers is racing to shore up the levee system in New Orleans. There are concerns that additional rain could swamp the walls that have just been built back up, and the city could flood again.

Galveston’s mayor said Wednesday morning’s evacuations have gone smoothly. She said people have been calm, and there’s been enough room for them to take “their dog crates, their cat crates, their shopping carts.”

Public housing residents are among those being bused, and Galveston officials promise none will be left behind. The city manager counts plenty of buses, and vows to keep them ready for all who need them until “the bitter end.”

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said, “There’s no need to panic,” but people should start getting out of Hurricane Rita’s path.

He’s urging people in vulnerable areas to follow warnings and get out even in areas where there’s no mandatory evacuation order. He says people along the coast should leave Wednesday, because Thursday may be too late.

“Homes and businesses can be rebuilt — lives cannot,” Perry said.

Houston Mayor Bill White said people living in areas prone to flooding or threatened by a storm surge should plan to leave. He also urged evacuation for people in mobile homes or other buildings that “common sense” would indicate are too weak for the storm.

White said businesses and schools should plan to be closed Thursday and Friday to enable people to leave.

The mayor said the government doesn’t have the capacity to evacuate everyone, so people should help one another. He added that “neighbor caring for neighbor” is the first line of defense.

White said anyone who doesn’t have a car or way to get out should reach out to friends, family or neighbors, and added anyone who still can’t find a ride should contact the government for help.

Texas officials have asked New Mexico’s Office of Homeland Security to take hundreds, perhaps even 1,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, as the Gulf region braces for Rita’s potential landfall.

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It seems (I hope) that Texas is on the ball and getting people out of the way. I hope that everyone takes this storm seriously and takes it upon themselves to get themselves, and hopefully pets, out of the area before Rita hits land. My prayers are will all there. Pleas, Please keep yourselves safe.