If you thought Katrina was bad.....

[logybogy]

You aint seen nothing yet if this hits just to the south of Galveston as a Cat 4 or Cat 5 similar to Katrina with a large wind fieldand then hits the Houston metro area.

You'll get horrific storm surge along the coast to equal the devestation of Mississippi with the additional of extensive wind damage in a metro area of 3 million + or 3 times the size of New Orleans.

Could you only imagine how the government would react with a million or two homeless people at this point? They don't have the resources. People will starve again.

[canegrl04]

HOLY CRAP. ALot of us on the board are going to be getting phsically ill soon

[txwatcher91]

You aint seen nothing yet if this hits just to the south of Galveston as a Cat 4 or Cat 5 similar to Katrina with a large wind fieldand then hits the Houston metro area.

You'll get horrific storm surge along the coast to equal the devestation of Mississippi with the additional of extensive wind damage in a metro area of 3 million + or 3 times the size of New Orleans.

Could you only imagine how the government would react with a million or two homeless people at this point? They don't have the resources. People will starve again.

Somebody on storm2k said that we may not think one will ever pass Katrina, but someday one mightmake Katrina look like a baby. Well, this might come true with Rita .

[sponger]

Wont happen logy! If it hits I can assure you the governor will ask for federal assistance immediately and not worry about allowing Federal Control. Also, Texas will likely have National Gaurd prepositioned to move in and not on call like La.

[inotherwords]

There are also some very poor neighborhoods very close to the Houston Ship Channel. I wonder if the storm would flood the 3rd and 5th wards, for example? A lot of those people might be stuck in their homes just like in N.O.

[LAwxrgal]

I thought about this just now. Hurricane Andrew could be bumped to 3rd on the costliest hurricane list if this forecast comes to pass. We're talking about a major metropolitan area in the right-front quadrant of a major hurricane.

As far as the human toll is concerned, I hope the people in this area have learned their lessons well from what happened with Katrina. And I also hope the authorities in this area have a plan to get the poorer residents plus the evacuees out of harm's way.

[CharleySurvivor]

I hope Rita lands in an unpopulated area of Texas otherwise....

I will

[Scorpion]

If this hits Houston head on not only will the skyscrapers sustain major damage as they would get likely Cat 2 or 3 winds the surge would take the huge shipping ports and refineries out of commission. This is more dangerous to the economy than Katrina in many respects.

[InimanaChoogamaga]

Two disasters at once would be chaos. It has already been proven that it was a huge mistake to put Fema under the office of homeland security. Another one or two million homeless would be unprecedented for the U.S.

[LAwxrgal]

I was in this area 3 weeks ago...it's a lovely area... for something like Rita to happen to it now makes me really sad.

If you remember, the way Katrina hit, she hit to the east of downtown New Orleans, and pushed her worst surge to the Mississippi coast and extreme eastern Louisiana. A track south of the Houston metro would likely push the largest surge and highest winds in the downtown Houston area and points east of there.

[Kennethb]

Here in Baton Rouge today I saw several Texas National Guard headed west on I-10, leaving SE Louisiana.

[Windy]

Wont happen logy! If it hits I can assure you the governor will ask for federal assistance immediately and not worry about allowing Federal Control. Also, Texas will likely have National Gaurd prepositioned to move in and not on call like La.

Something tells me the "Don't mess with Texas" state -- the only state in the country that still declares in their constitutiuon their right to ceceed from the union at any time -- won't be too keen on federalizing the National Guard. I think I'd almost be willing to wager money on that.

A high-end direct Galveston hit would be catastrophic, but that's still pretty unlikely right now. Much more possible than it was a week ago, but still up in the air. Now, if this storm is a Cat 5 two days from landfall and is headed towards Galveston, then it's safe to hit the "OMFG Panic!" button like we did for Katrina.

It's unlikely that this storm will be as devastating as Katrina, but it's certainly possible.

[jax]

You aint seen nothing yet if this hits just to the south of Galveston as a Cat 4 or Cat 5 similar to Katrina with a large wind fieldand then hits the Houston metro area.

You'll get horrific storm surge along the coast to equal the devestation of Mississippi with the additional of extensive wind damage in a metro area of 3 million + or 3 times the size of New Orleans.

Could you only imagine how the government would react with a million or two homeless people at this point? They don't have the resources. People will starve again.

Katrina is the MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE EVER RECORDED....
I doubt any of us or our children will ever see the likes of.

JMHO

[scostorms]

It would not surprise me if Rita made landfall as a strong cat4 or even weak cat 5. To me, I only started paying attention to hurricanes last year, and Cat 1-3 sounds so weak to me, cat 4-5 just sounds like the "norm". Too bad. I think the Houston area will be a mess when all is said and done. What can we expect next after Rita...

[f5]

You aint seen nothing yet if this hits just to the south of Galveston as a Cat 4 or Cat 5 similar to Katrina with a large wind fieldand then hits the Houston metro area.

You'll get horrific storm surge along the coast to equal the devestation of Mississippi with the additional of extensive wind damage in a metro area of 3 million + or 3 times the size of New Orleans.

Could you only imagine how the government would react with a million or two homeless people at this point? They don't have the resources. People will starve again.

Katrina is the MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE EVER RECORDED....
I doubt any of us or our children will ever see the likes of.

JMHO

you can spell Rita out of Katrina

[jax]

You aint seen nothing yet if this hits just to the south of Galveston as a Cat 4 or Cat 5 similar to Katrina with a large wind fieldand then hits the Houston metro area.

You'll get horrific storm surge along the coast to equal the devestation of Mississippi with the additional of extensive wind damage in a metro area of 3 million + or 3 times the size of New Orleans.

Could you only imagine how the government would react with a million or two homeless people at this point? They don't have the resources. People will starve again.

Katrina is the MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE EVER RECORDED....
I doubt any of us or our children will ever see the likes of.

JMHO

you can spell Rita out of Katrina

you can also spell train... and rat... and tiara...

[LAStorm01]

If Rita hit West of Katrina within eyewall distance that would be the worst...don't count your chickens before they've hatched!@

[coolwater]

Guys, lets not overeact here. This thing is jus tgetting fired up and we have no idea where it's going right now. For all we know it may take a southern turn to Mexico.

Just calm down.

[huricanwatcher]

Guys, lets not overeact here. This thing is jus tgetting fired up and we have no idea where it's going right now. For all we know it may take a southern turn to Mexico.

Just calm down.

thanks coolwater, I was just going to post that, and everyone needs to just sit tight do go off the wagon nutz with this and see how it pans out..... hoping for the best

[scostorms]

Because you know, we are all going nuts. Who knew simple talk was just oh so bad!