Not so lovely Rita

Hurricane Rita is a bit more personnel for me, my sister has been visiting me from Houston. She was scheduled to go back on Sunday but now will be returning on Thursday morning instead so she can get her car out of the airport garage and attempt to storm proof her house. Rita is already a category 5 storm

GALVESTON, Texas (Reuters) - Hurricane Rita grew into a monster Category 5 storm and took aim at Texas on Wednesday as authorities began to evacuate more than a million people from most of the coast and parts of Houston.

and is headed toward the home of 20% of the US refining capacity.

“Of the 11 largest refineries in the U.S., six are in the path of this storm,” he said.

Valero Energy Corp. chief executive Bill Greehey said late Tuesday that the storm’s impact on U.S. crude oil production and refining could be a “national disaster.”

Valero, the largest U.S. refiner, operates refineries in Port Arthur, Houston, Texas City and Corpus Christi, Texas -- all potentially in the path of Hurricane Rita. The company said on Wednesday it would reduce production at its Houston and Texas City refineries to prepare for the hurricane.

The market fell on fears of what Rita may do to the economy.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday for a third day as the approach of Hurricane Rita helped lift oil prices back near $67 a barrel, renewing concerns about the impact of higher energy costs on corporate profits.

It just goes to show how vulnerable the US economy is when we are dependent on two dangerous Gulf's to feed our oil addiction.