Having moved from a Category 4 storm to Category 5 in a matter of hours yesterday, Hurricane Rita has swelled into the third most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin.
Rita, whose winds are now measured at 175 mph, was called “potentially catastrophic” by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its latest advisory.
Max Mayfield, director of the NHC, said Rita could be even more damaging than Katrina.
"This is a very, very dangerous hurricane,” Mayfield told CNN.
Katrina, which at one point became a Category 5 storm, lessened to a Category 4 before hitting the Gulf Coast region on Aug. 29.
Over 1,000 deaths have been attributed to Katrina so far, with officials continuing to search for bodies within the devastated region.
Rita, which is moving towards U.S. mainland at about 9 mph, is expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday.
Over 1.3 million residents have been evacuated so far from the coastal regions of Texas and Louisiana, some even being airlifted out of the area by government vehicles.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry warned remaining residents not to wait until Thursday or Friday to leave.
“Homes and businesses can be rebuilt. Lives cannot,” he said.
In Houston, where roads are often clogged, Mayor Bill White has asked residents to offer transportation to those in need.
“There will not be enough government vehicles to go and evacuate everybody in every area,” he said. “We need neighbour caring for neighbour.”
Galveston, Texas Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas was pleased at the cooperation of her city’s evacuees, who began their move on Tuesday.
"We're a sandbar, and storm-ridden fairly often," Galveston told CNN. "This is the first time people have responded the way they have."
Almost 20,000 Louisiana residents along the Louisiana coast were also evacuated.
President Bush declared yesterday states of emergency in Texas and Louisiana, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to oversee relief efforts in the states.
