11PM Update
The pressure now sits at 897mb, with maximum sustained winds of 150kt/170-175mph. Slight additional strengthening is forecast within the next 12hr before slow weakening to landfall as a intense category 4/5 storm along the central Texas coastline just west of Galveston. Clark Evans has more in his latest blog entry below, including information of potential impacts along the coastline from New Orleans to Corpus Christi and inland to northern Texas.

8PM Update
The pressure has fallen to 898mb, the third lowest in Atlantic basin recorded history. Additional intensification is likely for the next 12hr before a potential eyewall cycle, though Rita has all of the signs of an annular hurricane.

The strongest storm recorded in the Atlantic was 1988's hurricane Gilbert with 888 mb, and the labor day storm of 1935 with 892 mb.

6PM EDT Update
Hurricane Rita is now the fifth most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin with a new pressure recorded by the crews of the hurricane hunter aircraft of 904 mb.

Hurricane watches are now up from Port Mansfield Texas to Cameron Lousiana. East of Cameron to Grande Isle and from south of Port Mansfield, TX to San Fernando, MX a tropical storm watch is up.

5PM EDT Update
Rita is now a Category 5 hurricane with surface winds of 165mph and a sea level pressure of 914mb (though even lower were actually measured by dropsondes; the 914mb value is an extrapolated value). This makes it one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin, just shy of where Katrina was 3 weeks ago. Microwave imagery suggest that an eyewall cycle might be 12-18hr away, leaving it plenty of time to unfortunately strengthen further. More soon.

Image courtesy SkeetobiteWeather.com
Comments/Feedback on the maps look here.

Event-Related Links

Emergency Management:
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Links to Texas County Emergency Management

Radars
Florida Keys Long Range Radar Loop
Houston/Galveston, TX Long Range Radar
Corpus Christi, TX Long Range Radar
Brownsville, TX Long Range Radar
Lake Charles, LA Long Range Radar
New Orelans, LA Long Range Radar

Spaghetti Style model plots from Colorado State University

Forecast Discussions for (Show All Locations):
Corpus Christi, TX, Houston/Galveston, Lake Charles, LA
New Orleans, LA
Brownsville, TX

StormCarib hurricane reports from observers in the Islands
Caribbean Island Weather Reports
Color Sat of Gulf
RAMSDIS high speed visible Floater of Storms

Video/Audio

Local Media/Television
KHOU the CBS affiliate in houston, is former Hurricane Center director Neil Frank's station, and likely will begin streaming once warnings are up in the area
Channel 2 NBC affiliate in Houston
ABC 13 in Houston

Radio
KTRH Rado News/Talk station in Houston with streaming
Other Houston area radio

Newspapers
Houston Chronicle

Web based Video and Audio
Many websites require realplayer for video and audio, you can get real player here or an alternative real media player here (Ie WinXp64)

Jim Williams, from Hurricane City and West Palm Beach, is doing his live audio show as Rita approaches on hurricanecity. Listen here

Marc Sudduth over at hurricanetrack.com is in Galveston, Texas. see some of his live streaming video and audio here

Hurricanenow - Former CNN hurricane Reporter Jeff Flock reports n the storm with video updates and live streaming
Weathervine.com storm chasers/video/audio
radioNHCWX not affiliated with the real NHC

Reply and let us know of other links.

Rita

Animated model plots of Rita

Google Map plot of Rita

Floater satellite loops (With forecast track overlay):
Rita Floater Visible Satellite Loop
Rita Floater Infrared Satellite Loop
Rita Floater Shortwave Infrared Satellite Loop
Rita Dvorak Loop
Rita Water Vapor Loop

Philippe

Animated model plots of Philippe