Frye's "Katrina" Pics, "Rita" May Go Cat. 5

Robert Frye has been our Channel 3 Storm Alert Skywatcher from Whitwell, TN for years. Robert has always lived and breathed weather, and now he's in college to become a meteorologist. Robert was down on the Gulf Coast at school when "Katrina" hit and he sent these pictures in from Ocean Springs, MS. Robert and his family went there to help some friends who sustained damage in the storm. Robert e-mailed this, "I can't believe how bad it was. Seeing it on TV is one thing, but seeing it real in person is different. WOW."
Unfortunately another disaster looms with "Rita" this morning. The National Hurricane Center candidly admits that this morning there is a lack of data, and although "Rita" is officially Category 3.....it may in fact already be a Category 4. And it may very well go on to attain Category 5 status in the next day or so. There will be fluctuations in strength over the next several days, but there seems to be little doubt that the Texas coast takes a punishing blow from "Rita" as at least a Cat. 3, but maybe a Cat. 4 storm. When I look at a map of Texas, no place is safe really from Beaumont south. But the likely strike zone is between Corpus Christi and Houston / Galveston. The least developed and least populated area is around Palacios, TX which is about halfway between Corpus and Houston.
And a second disaster could take place after landfall. One computer model this morning suggests "Rita" stalls and rains out over northeast Texas which could produce widespread inland flooding across the "Arklatex".
I spoke to my sister-in-law in League City, TX which is in Galveston County. My brother was at work, but he's organized and ready to board up probably today. My niece and her daughter have hotel reservations inland as her place is prone to flooding. Anecdotally, my sister-in-law has a number of beautiful exotic birds. Right now she has a couple of extras. She's bird-sitting for some friends who suffered home damage during "Katrina" at their place in Mississippi. She has been unable to reach them perhaps because the phone situation there is not working yet. At any rate, these birds will likely evacuate with my brother's family in the next day or so.