Rita wird auf dem Weg nach Texas noch eine Warmwasserzone überqueren, die ihn wieder auf Stufe 5 bringen könnte. Der Sturm dreht zurzeit leicht nach Osten ab, so dass sein Ausläufer auch wieder New Orleans treffen könnten (auch Katrina drehte kurz vor dem Landfall "nach rechts" ab - ursprünglich wurde erwartet, dass Katrina direkt New Orleans trifft). Sturm und Regen könnte die provisorisch geflickten Deiche in New Orleans erneut aufweichen - die Stadt könnte erneut voll laufen.
Die Rückabwicklung der CHF/USD-Trades durch Hedgefonds trieb EUR/CHF auf 1,5560 - nach meinem Gefühl viel zu hoch angesichts der neuen Gefahren. Nach der New Orleans-Flut war EUR/CHF auf 1,53 gefallen.
Texans stranded as Rita storms toward shore
Friday, September 23, 2005 Posted: 1226 GMT (2026 HKT)
HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of would-be evacuees faced long lines of traffic and short supplies of gasoline on Friday as they crept away from the Texas coast to escape Hurricane Rita's fury.
Highways leading out of Houston and other coastal cities were lined with cars, vans and 18-wheelers that had pulled over -- many had broken down, run out of gas or their drivers were simply too tired to go on.On gridlocked Interstate 45 near Dallas, a bus carrying Hurricane Rita evacuees caught fire, killing one and injuring others, according to a witness. The Category 4 storm was expected to reach the coast late Friday or early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said. (Watch Texas residents cope with gridlock on the roads and in the sky -- 2:18) If motorists are still stuck in their cars when the storm hits, they could be in a dangerous situation, Ed Rappaport, the hurricane center's deputy director, said Friday.
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New Orleans, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, was under a tropical storm warning, meaning sustained winds of at least 39 mph (62 kph) are expected within the next 24 hours.
New flood fears for New Orleans
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco urged residents in the state's coastal parishes to immediately evacuate northward.
"As you know, Rita took a turn to the east last night and southwest Louisiana is now in danger," she said Thursday. "I'm urging everyone to evacuate now."
Shelters have been set up in the northern part of the state, she said. (Full story)
In New Orleans, which was recently pronounced "basically dry" by the Army Corps of Engineers, there were fears of impending heavy rain.
"There is going to be rainfall potential of 3 to 5 inches [7.6 to 12.7 centimeters] over the next 12 to 24 hours," Rappaport said Thursday afternoon.
The corps was working to shore up the city's fragile series of earthen levees and concrete flood walls. Brig. Gen. Bruce A. Berwick said he expected the repairs to hold and anticipated flooding of between 2 and 4 feet (0.7 and 1.3 meters). (Full story)
Officials started closing the flood gates around Lake Pontchartrain Thursday morning in preparation for Rita.
More than 1,000 deaths, most in Louisiana, are blamed on Hurricane Katrina, which struck August 29 after slamming Florida a few days earlier.