Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Image of Rita

11:00 am EDT Hurricane Position Update, September 23, 2005: Hurricane Rita was located about 220 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. She's moving northwest near 10 mph. Rita's maximum sustained winds were near 135 mph, and the minimum central pressure was 929 millibars. Hurricane force winds extend outward from the eye up to 85 miles, while tropical storm force winds extend out to 205 miles. Rita's eye will be approaching the southwest Louisiana and upper Texas coasts early Saturday, September 24. Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 feet above normal tide levels, locally up to 20 feet at the head of bays and nearby rivers can be expected near and to the east of where the eye makes landfall. Expected rainfall accumulations are between 8 and 12 inches with isolated areas up to 20 inches over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Rainfall between 3 and 5 inches are possible over southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans. Isolated tornadoes are also possible today over portions of southeastern Texas, southern Louisiana including southern Mississippi and Alabama. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On September 22 at 1:30 a.m. C.T., Rita was a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and a central pressure of 897 millibar at the time the data used to create these AIRS images were retrieved. Storm position is approximately 470 southeast of Galveston, Texas.