"Top winds are up to 165 mph, now a category 5 hurricane. Rita's pressure has dramatically dropped to 898 millibars! Even as a large and extremely intense category 5 hurricane, further strengthening is possible as the atmosphere remains favorable for development over the next 24 hours. "
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I have a sailboat, owned sailboats all my life, lived by the ocean for 10 years, 3 years in Key West. I just don't remember being under 900 millibars in my life time. I may be wrong we may of broken 900 millibars in the last 50 years, but at 898 millibars this is one bad ass sucker. I belive there was one hurricane that had 888 millibars since we have been recording weather. For the members who live in Texas I would take this seriously.