Houston, Galveston May Avoid Direct Hit
Rita Sparks Exodus
The unprecedented flight from the flood-prone Houston area continued to clog highways at a near standstill, frustrating hundreds of thousands of people whose cars and tempers were overheating. "It can't get much worse, 100 yards an hour," steamed Willie Bayer, 70, who was heading out of Houston and trying to get to Sulphur Springs in far northeast Texas. "It's frustrating bumper-to-bumper."The first rain bands were expected before nightfall Friday with the full fury of Rita expected into Saturday. Forecasters warned of the possibility of a storm surge of 15 to 20 feet, battering waves and rain of up to 15 inches along the Texas and western Louisiana coast. State officials scrambled to reroute several inbound highways to accommodate outbound traffic, but many people were waiting so long they ran out of gas and were forced to park. We know you're out there," Houston Mayor Bill White said of the congestion that extended well into Louisiana. "We understand there's been fuel shortages." Texas Army National Guard trucks were escorted by police to directly provide motorists with gasoline. The state was also working to get more than 200,000 gallons of gas to fuel-starved stations in the Houston area.Rita is the 17th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, making this the fourth-busiest season since record-keeping started in 1851. The record is 21 tropical storms in 1933. Six hurricanes have hit Florida in the last 13 months. The hurricane season started June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Watch Tom Sorrells, Larry Mowry and Michele Cimino for more on this story.- September 23, 2005: Hurricane Hunter: Rita Has 'Most Impressive Eye Wall'
- September 23, 2005: Rita Roars Toward Texas; 20 Inches Of Rain Possible
- September 23, 2005: Rita May Regain Some Intensity; Continues Texas Path
- September 22, 2005: Rita Downgraded To Cat. 4 Storm
- September 22, 2005: Rita Could Pose More Gas Problems For Florida
- September 22, 2005: Rita May Be Most Intense Storm To Ever Hit Texas
- September 21, 2005: Rita Swirls Into 165-MPH Monster
- September 21, 2005: NASA To Close Houston Center Before Rita Arrives
- September 21, 2005: Rita's Winds Reach 140 MPH; Targets Texas
- September 21, 2005: Dr. Gray: Hurricane Rita Is 'Trouble With Capital T'
- September 21, 2005: Rita Expected To Grow To Cat. 4 Storm In Gulf
- September 20, 2005: Hurricane Rita Winds Reach 100 MPH
- September 20, 2005: Rita Squall Capsizes Boat In Banana River
- September 20, 2005: Hurricane Rita Lashes Florida Keys
- September 20, 2005: Rita Expected To Be Cat. 2 Storm In Keys
- September 19, 2005: Rita May Be Cat. 2 In Keys; Projected Path Includes La.
- September 19, 2005: Florida Warns Against Price Gouging During Rita
- September 19, 2005: Florida Prepares For Tropical Storm Rita
- September 18, 2005: Path Pushes T.S. Rita South
Copyright 2005 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







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