4 a.m. Advisory and Thoughts

From Chief Meteorologist Craig Carnesi...

Rita has made landfall and from this point the focus on this storm will shift from the strong winds and storm surge, to the potential of devastating inland flooding. In recent years inland flooding has become the leading cause of loss of life with tropical systems. As daybreak approaches, new video in the from Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana will tell the story of how strong Hurricane Rita really was. Beginning at 6:00 a.m. on KRBC-9, NBC will begin coverage of Rita with the Saturday edition of "The Today Show."

The most recent computer models as of 4:30 a.m. continue to stall Rita out in the Ark-La-Tex region over the next 48 hours. After that, the models split. Half either keep her stalled and dissapating, the other half move her remnants back to the south and west in South and Southeast Texas. For this, only time will tell. These will be my last thoughts for tonight, but I will update the blog throughout the weekend starting Saturday morning.

For now, here is the 4:00 a.m. advisory on Rita from the National Hurricane Center:

AT 4 AM CDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.9 WEST OR NEAR PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF RITA FARTHER INLAND OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS TODAY.

REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES RITA A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. RITA SHOULD WEAKEN TODAY AS THE CENTER MOVES FARTHER INLAND.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THECENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES.

AN INSTRUMENTED TOWER IN PORT ARTHUR RUN BY THE FLORIDA COASTAL MONITORING PROGRAM HAS JUST REPORTED SUSTAINEDWINDS OF 91 MPH WITH A GUST TO 116 MPH.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTERS JUSTBEFORE LANDFALL WAS 937 MB...27.67 INCHES. THE AUTOMATED STATION AT SEA RIM STATE PARK TEXAS RECENTLY REPORTED A PRESSURE OF 951.3 MB...28.09 INCHES.