Hurricane Rita heads towards Louisiana, Texas

Already flooded and battered by Hurricane Katrina, a Category 4 hurricane, Louisiana now faces the possibility of being hit by Hurricane Rita sometime around Sept. 24.Hurricane Rita is now a Category 1 hurricane in the Bahamas, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 mph. Rita is anticipated to hit the southernmost tip of Florida and move into the Gulf of Mexico during Sept. 21-22.While in the Gulf of Mexico, Rita’s sustained winds are predicted to grow stronger and evolve into a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. The National Hurricane Centre shows the projected path of Rita would hit the state of Texas and the southwest part of Louisiana by Sept. 24. The Office of the Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, has issued a statement saying the mayor of New Orleans has suspended re-entry of residents into the city, which was severely flooded and damaged after Katrina hit in late August.Katrina’s insured losses are projected to be between $40 billion and $60 billion. Damage from the flooding of New Orleans alone has been estimated at between $15 to $20 billion.”One particular concern regarding this storm [Rita] and a potential evacuation of another region of Louisiana is the intense strain it would have on shelters throughout Texas and Louisiana, not to mention the problems with hotel room availability,” Blanco said in a statement.”Even if the eye of Rita does not strike the Louisiana coast, it is likely that is effects could be felt from as far away as coastal southeast Louisiana. It is for that reason and because of the potential threat to the New Orleans region that we are taking this storm very, very seriously.”