Rita Watch: Advisory 17

For those returning to the Gulf Coast another problem has reared its head. The dam at Lake Livingston is under tremendous pressure necessitating release of water. One problem though. The bridge over the Trinity River near the dam has a loose barge against one of the supports. If the water release is too strong the barge could damage the bridge making it dangerous to cross, or even knocking it down. For the time being, traffic on US 59 (a major thoroughfare from East Texas to Houston) is being diverted to other highways. New long lines of traffic and gridlock are popping up.

Right now, the wait on hold to file a claim for UI or DUA is between 10 and 15 minutes. That's the wait for Texas Rita claimants. Katrina calls are going mostly to other states. We don't yet know who will handle the Louisiana Rita calls.

So far, there is no Hurricane Stan on the horizon, but it's early still.