Following Rita

As one "Dragon Lady" came bearing down upon the Gulf Coast, another was flying overhead on a surveillance and recon mission unlike any ever undertaken before.

The unique mission, flown by an Air Force U-2 "Dragon Lady" from California's Beale AFB last week at the request of FEMA, collected images of the Gulf Coast region expected to bear the brunt of Hurricane Rita. These "before" images will then be compared to shots taken after the hurricane, to isolate areas hardest hit by the fierce storm and help relief crews better serve those areas.

"The 9th Reconnaissance Wing flew three high-altitude missions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, surveying approximately 130,000 square miles of territory and helping to provide more than 4,470 frames of imagery," said Col. Domenick Eanniello, 9th Reconnaissance Wing vice commander. "While our thoughts and prayers remain with those devastated by Hurricane Katrina, we are now continuing our support of FEMA by helping to prepare for Hurricane Rita."

Hurricane Rita made landfall early Saturday morning as a Category 3 storm, hitting the area near Sabine Pass, TX with 120 MPH winds and drenching rainfall. Though cities such as Galveston, TX and Lake Charles, LA were hit with heavy local flooding and wind damage, early indications are that the storm came nowhere close to causing the levels of devastation initially feared. It appears the storm also largely spared the Houston area.

The hurricane also avoided a direct hit to already-devastated New Orleans, still suffering from the wrath of Katrina. However, some levees were breached anew from pounding rains ahead of the storm, causing flooding to several NOLA neighborhoods.

As Rita made its way inland Saturday afternoon, it had weakened to a Category 1 storm. Experts fear that although Rita isn't packing the wallop it once did, the storm may now stall over northeastern Texas, causing heavy rainfall and increasing chances of flooding.

FMI: www.beale.af.mil