OK, Pat Robertson, why is God planning to smite Galveston?

For that matter, with all the abortion clinics gone, why might God smite New Orleans again?

Meteorologist Steve Gregory at Weather Underground:

Although not official, Tropical Storm Rita is absolutely of Hurricane intensity at this time. Satellite imagery indicates that strong convection has wrapped completely around the center -- and an inner eye wall has already formed. The next RECON will reach the storm this afternoon, but imagery over the past 2 hours indicates it is a VERY solid CAT 1 hurricane. The storm is located near 23N/76W and is moving WNW at 10Kts.

The models continue to show Rita passing through the Florida Straits, and the Florida Keys will likely take the brunt of the storm -- probably as a CAT 2 hurricane.

The GFS and indeed all the global models continue to show Rita reaching the north Texas coast Saturday -- and while over the Gulf of Mexico, should develop a strong upper level anticyclone that will only increase the probability that RITA
will reach Major Hurricane intensity by Wednesday as it moves into the central Gulf of Mexico.

[snip]

All the models are showing what the GFS has been indicating for 6 model runs in a row -- the ridge over the southern U.S. will have it's western edge erode sooner than originally thought, and this will allow the storm to turn NW Thursday.
At this time - the far upper coast coast - near Galveston - appears to have the highest landfall probability on Saturday. HOWEVER -- with recent model trends -- a turn sooner rather than later could lead to a landfall along the coast of Louisiana.

Oy oy oy oy oy.