The west side of Rita continues to build back in... IR Loop...

and dry air is still strong to the south and west... WV loop...

Dr. Neil Frank is holding his line that the steering currents are too weak to turn her north before landfall, but he does account for the "wobble" -- if she's on a wobble to the left at the time of landfall, it's Galveston... if she's on a wobble to the right, it's Jefferson County....

He also echoed what many people have been saying on this board... there are no straight lines in nature...

If hurricanes moved in straight lines, this would be much easier....

Also, IMO, it would seem that wobbles way out in the GOM are much easier to bear than wobbles that occur closer to the coast...

They again interviewed the lady on the east end of Galveston who is worried about looters... she says she's "dug in her heels" and isn't leaving....

There are also at least 9 people left on the far west end of Galveston Island... that part of the island isn't protected by a seawall -- it's very narrow and is right at sea level... there are rows of beachfront homes and 10-60 ft. of beach with nothing more than 5' high dunes, depending on the location... officials took a big truck into the area to encourage the people to leave, and reported that the water is already up to the tires across the main road...

I'm headed off to take a short nap now -- I plan on staying up with this thing through the night and into tomorrow....