Tracking Rita
Noon EDT: The San Antonio Express-News reports that state officials will soon undergo the massive undertaking of reconverting Interstate 10 to two-way traffic. The process will take several hours. Officials argue that reconversion is necessary to facilitate recovery efforts after Rita has passed.
Noon EDT: Hobby Airport and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston are both scheduled to close within the hour.
11:49 a.m. EDT: CNN reports that water is rising in New Orleans's Ninth Ward at a rate of 5 to 10 inches per minute.
11:45 a.m. EDT: A radio station reports a tornado on the ground near Gonzales, La.–about 60 miles northwest of New Orleans.
11:34 a.m. EDT: In late-morning trading, crude oil prices continued to drop as Hurricane Rita diminished in power and shifted eastward, lessening worries about oil production in the Gulf. Gasoline futures also decreased, dropping 6.9 cents to $2.07. The Dow Jones industrial average dipped slightly.
11:26 a.m. EDT: The Associated Press reports three breaches in New Orleans's hastily bandaged levee system Friday, sending water cascading into the city's low-lying neighborhoods. According to the report, dozens of blocks in the Ninth Ward were partly flooded by a 30-foot waterfall over the top of the Industrial Canal levee. Images from CNN show water streaming through the trash-strewn streets and swirling around deserted, mud-packed homes and automobiles.
11:20 a.m. EDT: The Houston Chronicle reports that waves are crashing into Galveston's seawall. Water has flooded the pavilion at Stewart Beach, a popular tourist destination.
11:10 a.m. EDT: Texas Gov. Rick Perry, asking folks to "say a prayer for Texas," offers assurances to citizens affected by the impending storm. Perry says shelters are being prepared in low-lying coastal areas and that residents should listen to their local officials. "We've prepared for events like this."
11 a.m. EDT: The National Hurricane Center issues update: "Rita a little weaker . . . still a very dangerous hurricane." The weakening Rita is close to being reclassified as a Category 3 hurricane, with 135 mph winds. The eye is 220 miles southeast of Galveston with landfall continuing to be expected on the Texas-Louisiana border. The tropical storm warning for south of Port Aransas, Texas, near Corpus Christi, has been discontinued.
10:39 a.m. EDT: CNN reports a second levee breach in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, one of the hardest hit during Katrina. The area is largely depopulated as most residents have yet to return since Katrina.
10:23 a.m. EDT: The Dallas Morning News reports that before National Transportation Safety Board officials can arrive, local authorities are clearing the scene of a bus that exploded around 8:00 this morning. The explosion killed at least 24 elderly evacuated from a Houston-area nursing home. The bodies will remain on the vehicle as it is hauled to another location. This decision was made to avoid further gridlock as thousands of people continue to flee Houston.
10:22 a.m. EDT: CNN reports that the Industrial Canal levee in New Orleans has already been overtopped, spilling 2 feet of water into some sections of the Ninth Ward.
advertisement
