Weather: Rita dodges Houston

Hurricane Rita diminished in strength to a Category 3 storm for a 2 am landfall just inside Louisiana, then moved up the Louisiana-Texas border to generate a best-case scenario overall. Galveston and Beaumont got hammered, and an estimated 975,000 customers are without power throughout the storm area, but Rita’s aftermath is much lighter than anticipated, with the majority of the Houston metro area dodging the bullet. Jasper and Tyler counties are currently receiving 100 mph winds, but Houston only 40 mph at most. In fact, it was impressive to watch every yellow rain band on the radar fade into green as it reached Houston and, in many cases, Beaumont as well. In my area of west Houston, saplings are bobbing in the wind, and the worst of the storm is that two potted trees in the back yard have been tipped on their sides. The streets have been mostly dry with an occasional spattering of dampness.

The only fatalities I know of are due to evacuations. Several fires in Galveston, driven by strong winds last night, were judiciously contained and extinguished by firefighters who thus saved the 1894 Galveston Opera House across the street. Traffic lights are reported to be out with some downed power lines, so travel is not recommended until more reports come in; but I’m happy to have power for TV and Internet and cooking.

It is enough to make me want to say “Rita, you toothless hag,” except for the respect due her from the wind and rain along the coast, followed by the rural border counties. Nor do we want Rita to linger and cause the 24 inches of rain in 24 hours over the Piney Woods and rural Arkansas that have been hinted at as a possibility.

All told: Hallelujah! Plan for the worst, and hope (or pray) for the best. This is exactly what we received. Thank God.