Hurricanes

[galadhelsul]

Hurricane Rita is much too strong now. The NHC charts show a prediction that its sustained winds will go over 180MPH for a while overnight. Here is the current wind speed forecast:

Comments

[lauradi7]

It will hit Houston if it turns a little northward from where it seems to be heading now. I have actually been taking comfort in the idea that Galveston or Houston is the likely target - they are better prepared than some places. After the 1905 Galveston storm, the city spent ten years building up, so that even the streets are feet higher than they were a century ago, and the houses near the coast are reinforced. Houston was hit hard by Carla in the 1960s and some other hurricane more recently, after which they put in flood controls. Not that that will necessarily help, and of course there are power poles and trees and modern shoddy roofs that can blow around. Also, coming so close after Katrina, people are more inclined to evacuate than to try and ride it out

[antihip]

I'm not as confident about Houston's preparation as you are. During Tropical Storm Allison four years ago, many of the buildings at the Texas Medical Center (largest in the world) experienced bad flooding. The area is amazingly flat, and (IIRC) also mostly below sea level.