Rita Cat4 and weakening

[unixronin]

Eye pressure up to 913 millibars, winds down to 145mph sustained.  NHC 1900CDT update, summarized:

HURRICANE RITA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  21A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
7 PM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

AT 7 PM CDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE  89.9 WEST OR ABOUT 350 MILES...
565 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 290 MILES...
465 KM...SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...230 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  60 MILES... 95 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 205 MILES...335 KM.  ANY TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE NEW
ORLEANS AREA ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO A FEW SQUALLS
ASSOCIATED WITH QUICKLY MOVING RAINBANDS.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

REPEATING THE 7 PM CDT POSITION...26.0 N... 89.9 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145
MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 913 MB.

Texas isn't off the hook, but with 350 miles to go, it looks like it's going to get off with a nasty battering and a lot of rain, instead of the catastrophic thrashing Rita looked to be shaping up to give it.

I know a lot of Texans who are doubtless very relieved.