Fed Flag Warning

Huh. While levees burst in New Orleans and tornadoes pound East Texas, it looks like Rita hasn't forgotten us here in Central Texas. Her wrath is being felt, albeit in an ironic way, according to the National Weather Service:

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING TO SATURDAY EVENING.

SINKING AIR AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF RITA WILL RESULT IN LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BOTH TODAY AND SATURDAY. IN ADDITION...RITA WILL BRING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PROMOTE FIRES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. A RED FLAG WARNING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PROMOTE FIRES THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

Joy. We're already very dry here--annual rainfall is 8 inches below normal. The only positive about Rita was the possibility of getting a little rain for the parched ground. Instead, we're on fire watch. Did I mention the irony?

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