000 WWUS74 KHGX 232209 NPWHGX URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 508 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005 ...HURRICANE RITA FORECAST TO BRING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY... .HURRICANE RITA'S OUTER RAIN BANDS ARE MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST THIS EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND SPREAD INLAND THROUGHOUT THE DAY SATURDAY. TXZ163-164-177>179-199-200-213-214-237-238-241000- BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-HARRIS-HOUSTON-LIBERTY-MONTGOMERY-POLK- SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANAHUAC...ANGLETON...PEARLAND... COLDSPRING...CONROE...CROCKETT...GROVETON...TRINITY...HOUSTON... PASADENA...HUNTSVILLE...LIBERTY...LIVINGSTON...CORRIGAN... TEXAS CITY...GALVESTON 508 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005 ...INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS... GALVESTON...HARRIS...HOUSTON...LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...POLK... SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...AND WALKER COUNTIES.... AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. AT 4 PM CDT...HURRICANE RITA WAS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. RITA IS FORECAST TO REACH THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE REACHED THE COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL THEN BEGIN AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT AND THEN SPREAD INLAND THROUGHOUT THE DAY SATURDAY. FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF CHAMBERS AND LIBERTY COUNTIES...SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 85 TO 95 MPH RANGE WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FOR SUSTAINED WINDS OF 90 TO 110 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 120 MPH: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE...ALL MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED! STRUCTURAL DAMAGE... HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE DESTROYED OR SEVERELY DAMAGED. MODERATE TO MAJOR DAMAGE OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOUSES WILL INCLUDE FAILURE OF UP TO ONE HALF OF ALL GABLED ROOFS. IN ADDITION... UP TO ONE QUARTER OF EXTERIOR WALLS WILL FAIL. ALUMINUM AND LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL ROOFS WILL BE TORN OFF BUILDINGS AT INDUSTRIAL PARKS. PARTIAL ROOF AND EXTERIOR WALL FAILURES ARE LIKELY AT LOW RISE APARTMENT BUILDINGS...ESPECIALLY THOSE OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION. MOST WINDOWS IN HIGH RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL BE BLOWN OUT...WITH OTHER MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE POSSIBLE DUE TO SWAYING. AIRBORNE DEBRIS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE WEIGHT WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL MAJOR DAMAGE...AS WELL AS INJURIES AND A FEW FATALITIES. NEAR TOTAL POWER LOSS IS EXPECTED. UP TO ONE HALF OF ALL POWER POLES WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN...AND HUNDREDS OF TRANSFORMERS WILL POP. THE AVAILABILITY OF POTABLE WATER WILL BE DIMINISHED AS FILTRATION SYSTEMS BEGIN TO FAIL. NATURAL DAMAGE... THOUSANDS OF TREES WILL BE SEVERELY DAMAGED. UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF ALL HEALTHY SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED TREES WILL SNAP OR BE UPROOTED... MOST COMMON ON SATURATED GROUND. UP TO ONE HALF OF HEALTHY LARGE TREES WILL SNAP OR BE UPROOTED. MOST NEWLY PLANTED GROUND CROPS WILL BE WIPED OUT. LIVESTOCK LEFT OUTSIDE WILL BE INJURED...SOME CRITICALLY. A FEW LIVESTOCK DEATHS ARE LIKELY. ELSEWHERE IN THE INLAND HURRICANE WARNING AREA...SUSTAINED WINDS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO 60 TO 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 95 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE... IN THIS WIND FIELD POORLY CONSTRUCTED OR UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED. OTHERS WILL HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WALLS... AND WINDOWS...AND WILL LIKELY BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED. HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE PARTIAL WALL AND ROOF FAILURE...AS WELL AS BLOWN OUT WINDOWS. MOST LANAI SCREENS AND POOLS CAGES WILL HAVE DAMAGE...SOME WILL BE DESTROYED. UNSECURED LIGHT TO MODERATE WEIGHT OUTDOOR ITEMS WILL BECOME PROJECTILES...CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND PERHAPS INJURY. MANY AREAS WILL HAVE POWER OUTAGES...HUNDREDS OF WIRES WILL FALL...TRANSFORMERS WILL POP...AND SOME POWER POLES WILL BE PULLED DOWN. NATURAL DAMAGE... ROTTING LARGE TREES WILL BE UPROOTED...MOST COMMON ON SATURATED GROUND. NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES OF HEALTHY TREES WILL SNAP. UP TO ONE HALF OF NEWLY PLANTED CROPS WILL BE DAMAGED. PERSONS IN THE REGION SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO SECURE TRASH CANS...LAWN FURNITURE...AND OTHER LOOSE OR LIGHTWEIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS. HIGH WINDS CAN TOPPLE TREES...BLOW WEAKENED ROOFS OFF HOUSES...AND DOWN POWER LINES. HURRICANE RITA IS COMPARABLE TO HURRICANE ALICIA OF 1983 AS FAR AS THE EXPECTED INTENSITY. ALICIA WAS THE LAST DESTRUCTIVE CATEGORY 3 STORM TO HIT THE UPPER TEXAS COAST. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING HURRICANE RITA. $$ TXZ176-195>198-210>212-226-227-235-236-241000- AUSTIN-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-FORT BEND-GRIMES-JACKSON-MADISON- MATAGORDA-WALLER-WASHINGTON-WHARTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BAY CITY...BRENHAM... BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION...CALDWELL...COLUMBUS...EDNA...EL CAMPO... WHARTON...HEMPSTEAD...MADISONVILLE...NAVASOTA...RICHMOND... SUGARLAND...SEALY...BELLVILLE 508 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005 ...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AUSTIN... BRAZOS...BURLESON...COLORADO...FORT BEND...GRIMES...JACKSON... MADISON...MATAGORDA...WALLER...WASHINGTON...AND WHARTON COUNTIES... AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE TROPICAL STORM FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. AS OF 4 PM CDT...HURRICANE RITA WAS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING NORTHWEST AT AROUND 10 MPH. RITA IS FORECAST TO REACH THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES BY EARLY THIS EVENING...THEN SPREAD INLAND TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. FOR WIND 50 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS 70 TO 80 MPH: DAMAGING WINDS EXPECTED. MOST MOBILE HOMES WILL EXPERIENCE MODERATE TO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. SOME OF POOR CONSTRUCTION WILL BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED. HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING... AND GUTTERS. SOME WINDOWS WILL BE BLOWN OUT. MANY LANAI SCREENS AND POOL CAGES WILL BE DAMAGED. UNFASTENED HOME ITEMS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE WEIGHT WILL BECOME AIRBORNE...CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURY. DOZENS OF WIRES WILL BE BLOWN DOWN. LOCAL POWER OUTAGES WILL AFFECT ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS. MANY LARGE BRANCHES OF HEALTHY TREES WILL BE SNAPPED...AND ROTTING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED TREES WILL BE UPROOTED. FOR WIND 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS 60 TO 65 MPH: MINOR DAMAGE WILL OCCUR TO MANY MOBILE HOMES. POORLY CONSTRUCTED HOMES MAY RECEIVE SOME WALL DAMAGE AND PARTIAL ROOF REMOVAL. A FEW HOUSES MAY HAVE MINOR DAMAGE TO ROOF SHINGLES AND SIDING. A FEW POOL CAGES AND LANAI SCREENS WILL BE DAMAGED. UNSECURED LIGHTWEIGHT ITEMS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES...CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. SOME ELECTRICAL WIRES WILL BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY. MOST NEWLY PLANTED TREES AND SHRUBS WILL BE DAMAGED OR UPROOTED. SOME ROTTING SMALL TREES WILL BE UPROOTED...AND ROTTEN LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP. NUMEROUS SMALL TWIGS WILL SEPARATE FROM TREES. PERSONS IN THE REGION SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO SECURE TRASH CANS...LAWN FURNITURE...AND OTHER LOOSE OR LIGHTWEIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS. HIGH WINDS CAN TOPPLE TREES...BLOW WEAKENED ROOFS OFF HOUSES...AND DOWN POWER LINES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING HURRICANE RITA. $$