Rita Now Cat. Five - Refineries At Risk

Hurricane Rita has now strengthened into a monster 165mph wind Category Five storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The strength of the storm, probably the strongest hurricane ever to hit Texas, has prompted fears over oil infrastructure in the Houston area, where 10 refineries represent 13% of the nation's capacity.

one worst-case scenario modeled by Houston engineering firm, Dodson & Associates, predicts that a Category 5 storm coming ashore near Freeport could send a wind-driven surge of water up Galveston Bay and into the Ship Channel. Such a storm would swamp many of these facilities, according to the study. The city is home to the nation's largest refinery, Exxon Mobil's Baytown facility, which processes 557,000 barrels per day.

Freeport is also home to the massive Dow Chemicals where levees are only designed to withstand a Category Three hurricane.

Oh, and the most recent track predictions seem to have the storm's path shifting more towards Corpus Christi - which would mean the eye of what would still be a hurricane even this far inland would then track right over San Antonio. This could be...an interesting experience.