Obviously we'll all be deeply concerned for the Texas coast as they are about to get spanked pretty hard. Rita is now the 3rd strongest storm ever, rated by barometric pressure. Looks like then Tropical Depression Rita will move into Southern Oklahoma on Sunday and hang around a couple days. Flooding rain and tornadoes looks like the main problem with us. Should be interesting to say the least. Add a bit more detail...here is tonight's Special Weather Statement from the Weather Service office down here in Norman...

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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1045 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

...IMPACTS ON OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS FROM HURRICANE RITA...

WHILE UNCERTAINTY STILL REMAINS IN THE EXACT PATH OF RITA...THE
LATEST INFORMATION SUGGESTS IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT
REMNANTS OF THE STORM WILL EFFECT THE OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT PARTS OF
NORTH TEXAS SUNDAY AND MONDAY. IF THE STORM TAKES A MORE
EASTERLY TRACK IT IS LIKELY THAT LITTLE OR NO EFFECTS FROM THE STORM
WILL BE EXPERIENCED IN THESE AREAS.

SHOULD THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF THE HURRICANE VERIFY...THE
FOLLOWING EFFECTS WILL BE POSSIBLE...IF NOT LIKELY ACROSS PART
OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

1. 25 TO 35 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS...WITH WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH...
SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM WICHITA FALLS... TO LAWTON... TO
OKLAHOMA CITY AND STILLWATER. SMALL AND LIGHTWEIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS
SHOULD BE SECURED. WINDS SHOULD TAPER OFF TO 15 TO 25 MPH SUNDAY
NIGHT...BUT THIS WILL BE DEPENDANT UPON THE STRENGTH AND SPEED OF
THE SYSTEM ONCE IT MAKES LANDFALL.

2. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING. 3 TO 5 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-35
CORRIDOR. MUCH OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA HAS BEEN IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS
FOR MOST OF THE SUMMER AND THIS RAIN WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL.
HOWEVER...DEPENDING UPON THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM...TOO
MUCH RAIN MAY FALL IN TOO SHORT A TIME TO ALLOW SOILS TO SOAK UP THE
RAINFALL. THUS...SOME FLOODING MAY RESULT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL
LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR LATE THIS WEEKEND.

3. A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE... MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE
STORMS TRACK. CURRENTLY ALONG AND EAST ON INTERSTATE 35.

4. WET ROADS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND INCREASED TRAFFIC COULD LEAD TO
DELAYS AND ACCIDENTS. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR TRAVEL
DESTINATIONS THIS WEEKEND.

5. SOME AIRLINE DELAYS WILL BE POSSIBLE. AGAIN...ALLOW EXTRA TIME
TO REACH YOUR DESTINATIONS THIS WEEKEND.

BECAUSE THE TRACK REMAINS UNCERTAIN...THE BEST ADVICE NOW IS TO REMAIN
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE IMPACTS LATE IN THE WEEKEND FROM A WEAKENING
RITA. PLAN NOW AND CONSIDER WHAT STEPS YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE IF IT
BECOMES EVIDENT LATER THIS WEEK THAT RITA WILL INDEED AFFECT
OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

FORECASTS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL MORE PRECISELY FORECAST THE
TRACK OF RITA AND THE POTENTIAL WEATHER IMPACTS ON OKLAHOMA AND
NORTH TEXAS. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AS WE MOVE
CLOSER TO THE WEEKEND. FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING IMPACTS OF
HURRICANE RITA VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN.