Oh no, not again: Rita now a Category Three

From CNN:

National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters predicted that by Wednesday evening Rita could strengthen to a Category 4 — the same strength as deadly Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall Aug. 29 near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line, devastating New Orleans and nearby Gulf Coast cities.

A Category 4 storm, with top sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph, can cause extreme damage, according to the Saffir-Simpson scale measuring hurricane strength. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Rita’s winds could increase to 145 mph by landfall.

On the bright side, New Orleans is dry! Two and a half weeks and three-quarters of a trillion gallons of water pumped back into Lake Pontchartrain later, the streets of New Orleans are walkable again. Hurricane season ends November 30th. Let’s hope they stay that way.

UPDATE: Did I speak too soon? Rita is now a Category 4.

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