There appears to be little doubt that Hurricane Rita will be a major catastrophic storm as it heads for the Texas coast, possibly whacking the energy industry again and heaping anxiety on an already concerned insurance market.
State officials have mandated evacuations from coastal cities in the region, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has already declared a state of emergency. He has ordered the Texas National Guard to return from relief efforts in Louisiana and requested that federal troops to be available in the aftermath of the storm.
Rita, now a category-4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, at one point reached sustained winds near 165 mph, a category 5, according to the National Weather Service. A 2 p.m. EDT advisory said wind speed dropped to 150 mph, but cautioned it would remain a dangerous hurricane as it reached landfall. Storm surge could reach 15 to 20 feet under these conditions, the Weather Service said, with rain accumulation between eight and 12 inches. Winds extend to 185 miles from Rita's center.
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