Waco opened a temporary shelter Wednesday for evacuees as thousands of Texas Gulf coast residents gathered up their belongings Wednesday and began heading to safer ground as Hurricane Rita strengthened into a Category Five hurricane Wednesday afternoon.

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The Category Four hurricane is expected to reach Texas by the weekend.

Waco officials opened the shelter in the Bledsoe-Miller Recreation Center at 300 MLK Dr. for evacuees from the Gulf Coast.

The Red Cross is assisting in the effort.

Hotel and motel rooms were scare Wednesday in Central and North Texas and some residents were driving as far as Oklahoma City in order to find accommodations.

The traffic will get heavier as the weekend approaches.

Gov. Rick Perry Wednesday urged residents of coastal communities from Beaumont to Corpus Christi to head inland to safety.

A mandatory evacuation order is in effect for Galveston County, and buses bound for shelters in Huntsville and College Station left Wednesday morning with the elderly and others needing help.

Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas says more than 1,500 people had been evacuated. Some 600 public housing residents were among those bused.

Officials in the Houston area are urging people to prepare for flooding as far as 35 miles inland.

Authorities in Jefferson County and Angleton also ordered their residents to leave in an order under a new Texas law allowing mandatory evacuations.

Corpus Christi is calling for a mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas.

The Austin-based State Emergency Operations Center is now on 24-hour status, with 34 state agencies on site.

The state has started moving food, water and other supplies to Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio in preparation for evacuees or to use in case of power outages in those areas.

Rita intensified to Category 4 hurricane Wednesday morning as it headed across the Gulf of Mexico after brushing past Florida Keys.

Forecasters said it would come ashore Saturday somewhere along Texas Gulf Coast between Galveston and Corpus Christi. Even slight turn and glancing blow could be devastating to New Orleans.

On the currently predicted path, Rita will move inland over Central Texas during the day Saturday, producing sustained winds of as high as 60 miles per hour and dumping 5 inches or more of rain on the region.

Flooding and widespread power outages are possible.

Some models, however, suggest Rita might not turn north, but may instead remain on a northwesterly course along the Rio Grande.

An estimated 319,000 National Guard troops nationwide were available to respond to Rita if needed, the Defense Department said.

Several Navy amphibious assault ships were stationed offshore to assist relief efforts in Rita's wake.

President Bush said as Rita prowls the Gulf of Mexico, the country must "be ready for the worst."

Mr. Bush said residents along the Gulf Coast need "to listen carefully to the instructions" from state and local officials.

The President said he hopes and prays "Rita will not be a devastating storm," but everyone needs to prepare.

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MAJOR TEXAS HURRICANES:

July 20, 2005: Emily, storm packing 125 mph winds hit near San Fernando, Mexico, a coastal town about 85 miles south of Brownsville. Minimal damage reported in South Padre and Port Isabel. No deaths or serious injuries. Scattered power outages.

July 15, 2003: Claudette, Matagorda Bay-Victoria; two inland deaths, $180 million in damage across central Texas coast from winds peaking near 100 mph.

Aug. 22, 1999: Bret, Kenedy County; four highway deaths in Laredo, scattered damage as storm with 140 mph winds moved into sparsely populated region.

Sept. 16-18, 1988: Gilbert, 125 miles south of Brownsville; one dead in San Antonio; tornado and wind damage of $5 million in Brownsville, Del Rio and San Antonio.

Aug. 18, 1983: Alicia, Galveston-Houston; 21 dead, more than $2 billion damage; 22 tornadoes, winds 130 mph. Last major hurricane to strike Texas.

Aug. 9, 1980: Allen, lower coast; two dead, $55 million damage; winds 185 mph.

Sept. 3-12, 1971: Fern, middle coast; two dead, $30.2 million damage.

Aug. 3, 1970: Celia, Corpus Christi; 11 dead, $50 million damage; wind gusts to 160 mph.

Sept. 18-23, 1967: Beulah, Brownsville; 13 dead, $150 million damage.

Sept. 11-13, 1961: Carla, Port O'Connor-Galveston-Houston; 34 dead, $300 million damage; wind gusts estimated at 175 mph, storm tide 18.5 feet at Port Lavaca.

June 27, 1957: Audrey, Sabine Pass; 10 dead, $8 million damage.

Oct. 3-4, 1949: Freeport-Houston; two dead, $6.5 million damage; wind gusts estimated at 135 mph; storm tide 11.5 feet at Freeport.

Aug. 25-29, 1945: Port O'Connor; three dead, $20.1 million damage; wind gusts estimated at 135 mph; storm tide 15 feet at Port Lavaca.

July 27, 1943: Galveston Bay-Houston; 19 dead, $16.6 million damage.

Aug. 29-31, 1942: Matagorda Bay; eight dead; $26.5 million damage; winds 115 mph, storm tide 14.7 feet at Matagorda.

Sept. 23, 1941: Texas City; four dead, $6.5 million damage.

July 25, 1934: Seadrift; 19 dead, $4.5 million damage.

Sept. 4-5, 1933: Brownsville; 40 dead, $16.9 million damage.

Aug. 13-14, 1932; Velasco (Freeport); 40 dead, $7.5 million damage.

Sept. 14, 1919: South of Corpus Christi; 284 dead, $20.3 million damage; winds 110 mph, storm tide 16 feet.

Aug. 18-19, 1916: Corpus Christi; 20 dead, $1.6 million damage.

Aug. 16-19, 1915: Galveston; 375 dead, damage over $56 million. Most losses ($50 million) to crops; storm tide 16.1 feet.

July 21-22, 1909: Velasco (Freeport); 41 dead, damage at least $2 million.

Sept. 8-10, 1900: Galveston; 6,000-12,000 dead; damage $30 million to $40 million (around $800 million in today's dollars); Storm surge 15-20 feet, winds estimated at 120 mph; Deadliest
natural disaster in U.S. history.