10PM Update
Rita has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression.
At 10PM CDT, Rita was located about 40 miles north of Shreveport.LA. Moving north at 10 mph.

3PM Update
Rita has become a tropical storm while inland and is located near Jasper, TX. Further weakening is expected, though the storm will likely produce localized flooding inland across the ArkLaTex region over the next few days.

11:30 AM Update
Rita continues to weaken this morning. Storm surge effects in Beaumont and Port Arthur were minimal, but there aren't too many reports east of there yet.

Otherwise in the tropics, Philippe has fallen apart, but another area near Philippe has a chance to develop over the next day or so. This will likely head out to sea.

Off to the east Atlantic an wave crossing to the west has a chance to develop over the next week.

8:30 AM Update
Hurricane Rita has made landfall just east of the Sabine Pass (southeast of Port Arthur Texas) at about 2:30AM EDT, 1;30AM CDT. It will be hours before we know the extent of damage. The direct area of landfall along the Gulf coast beach was sparsely populated but Port Arthur and Beaumont are not all that far inland, but the surge area was rather large. More to come later.

Original Update
Rita is 55 Miles southeast of Sabine Pass and still a category 3 storm, with 930mb of pressure and 125MPH winds.

Storm surge is beginning to be reported in a few areas.

Good luck and God Bless the landfall zone.

Friday - 9PM CDT UPDATE
From the NHC:
THE 8 PM CDT POSITION...28.7 N... 93.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 11 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 931 MB.

Hurricane Rita still a Category III Hurricane and she should make landfall - probably in extreme southwest Louisiana (Cameron Parish) at about 5am CDT - as a Category III Hurricane with sustained winds of at least 115mph. Rita's forward motion now appears to be shifting toward the north northwest since the 8PM CDT bulletin. Hurricane force winds will soon batter the northeast Texas and southwest Louisiana coast with extreme conditions likely in the early morning hours from High Island, Texas, to Garden City, Louisiana, and hurricane force conditions west and east of those points. High storm surge at and east of the landfall point could easily exceed 16 feet since Rita will be approaching almost perpendicular to the coast. Expected isolated wind gusts up to 140mph. Embedded fast moving tornadoes are likely over all of Louisiana and portions of southeastern Texas. Rainfall along east Texas and west Louisiana could easily exceed 15 inches as Rita slows in her northward movement after landfall and creates widespread flooding.

Tropical Depression Philippe is dissipating and NHC has issued its last Advisory on this system.
ED

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

Event-Related Links

I've begun recording coastal radar of Rita you can see that here It will remain until Rita is out of range.
Level 3 radar recording courtesy HCW here.

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

Rita news updates from Lake Charles

Lake Charles/Layfette Local Television
KATC TV
KPLC

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

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