KXII is committed to bringing you the most up to date information on Hurricane Rita including what Texoma can expect as this incredible storm moves toward us.

KXII Hurricane Rita Update

...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH THIS EVENING...

...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MID EVENING FOR THOSE AREAS IN NORTH TEXAS ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35...

Hurricane Rita is continuing to diminish slowly over the Piney Woods of far East Texas between Lufkin and the Sabine River. The center of circulation is projected to move to near Longview Texas and diminish to a tropical storm this evening. Windy conditions will extend as far west as the Interstate 35 Corridor through sunset before Rita weakens to a tropical depression tonight and moves toward the Arklatex region.

Rita's track, as of 10 AM by the National Hurricane Center, is project to continue to move north through East Texas then turn towards the east into the Arklatex region early Sunday morning and then continue east into Mississippi as a tropical depression.

The impact of Rita on Texoma continues to lessen. Areas along I-35 to Lake Texoma may see NO precip, while areas from Sherman eastward Paris may see some activity later today, but significant precip is not expected.

Megan Krannig
KXII TV

This display shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that time.

It is also important to realize tropical cyclones are not a point. Their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center. The area experiencing hurricane force (one-minute average wind speeds of at least 74 mph) and tropical storm force (one-minute average wind speeds of 39-73 mph) winds can extend well beyond the white areas shown enclosing the most likely track area of the center.