Rita Forces Mass Exodus From Texas, La.

Rita Forces Mass Exodus From Texas, La.: "GALVESTON, Tex., Sept. 22 -- Gulf Coast residents in Texas and Louisiana took to the roads Thursday in a massive exodus from the anticipated onslaught of Hurricane Rita, creating huge traffic jams as they heeded evacuation orders and official warnings.

Cars clogged highways north of Houston, causing backups that reportedly stretched for 100 miles. In neighboring Louisiana, still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Katrina late last month, residents of the state's southwestern coast were told to flee inland as fast as they could. The storm turned slightly to the northwest late Thursday afternoon, and the National Hurricane Center announced at 5 p.m. EDT that a tropical storm warning has been extended along the Louisiana border to the Mississippi River, including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. The area could get three to five inches of rain, the National Weather Service said."