Rita

From the Oil Drum:

Just so I can make this point as clearly as possible...

The worst tracks are those which put landfall between Freeport and Sabine Pass Texas. [...] Another bad spot is right up through Port Arthur and Beaumont - another big refining center.

Well, Rita chose option number 2.

The KAC/UCF damage estimates at this hour are pretty interesting: See that grey? Those are rigs.

However, I think from what I am hearing about the pressure of this hurricane (930-932mb at landfall, which is a Cat 4 by definition), I think the damage may actually turn out a little worse, especially because of the geography of the area, there is nowhere for the storm surge that was out front to go, so it may end up looking like a Cat 5 hit around Beaumont. I hope I'm wrong.

Though Rita appeared to weaken a bit, it hit in a critical area to petroleum.

Fingers crossed.....