Officials are urging Central Texas residents not to let down their guard after Hurricane Rita took a slight jog to the east Thursday, which could lessen the chances of severe weather along the Interstate 35 corridor.

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The current forecast path would take Rita up through East Texas after the hurricane makes landfall near Port Arthur or Lake Charles, La.

Rita weakened from a Category Five to a Category Four hurricane Thursday, but remains a potentially dangerous storm.

Based on current predictions, forecasters expect heavy rainfall and flooding for eastern areas of North Texas, generally east of a line from Bonham to Corsicana to Centerville.

Scattered showers and winds of 20 miles per hour would be possible in Central Texas.

Sustained winds of 35 to 45 miles per hour are possible east of a line from Paris to Corsicana to Hearne.

Sustained winds of that speed would be strong enough to knock down trees and power lines and to cause localized structural damage.

Power outages remain a possibility and some could last for an extended period.

Isolated tornados are also possible, most likely in East Texas, based on current predictions.

The shift in the path of the hurricane could spare the Houston-Galveston area from a direct blow, but an estimated 1.3 million residents of coastal areas continued to evacuate Thursday.

Traffic on large sections of Interstate 10 and Interstate 45 was reversed Thursday to try to ease the backups. It was the largest traffic reversal in state history, officials said.

Many motorists left the designated escape routes to reach Highway 6 and Interstate 35.

Traffic out of the coastal area was moving slowly and some motorists complained of being stuck in jams for as long as 12 hours or more.

The delays caused some motorists to run out of gasoline, prompting the state and the U.S. Department of Defense to act to station fuel trucks along designated evacuation routes.

Hotels and motels throughout north Texas were full Thursday and evacuees were driving to Oklahoma and Arkansas in search of rooms.

Local shelters were filling up as well.

More than 300 coastal residents were staying in shelters Thursday in Waco.

About two-dozen people sought refuge at the Greater Robinson Relief Center.

The Bell Expo Center was serving as a staging area for evacuees arriving in Bell County. Officials are directing those who need refuge to designated facilities in area communities.

Local emergency management officials are working around the clock to monitor the progress of the hurricane and to make plans for whatever response may be required.

In Killeen, officials were planning Thursday for the possibility of flooding in certain reas of the city, particularly those along and near Nolan Creek.

Should conditions warrant, a temporary shelter will be opened for residents who need to move to higher ground, the city said.

Temple has opened a shelter for special-needs evacuees at the Wilson Recreation Center.

The first group of evacuees was expected to arrive late Thursday afternoon.

In Leon County, a shelter for elderly residents opens at noon on Friday at Leon High School.

Baylor University canceled classes Friday to allow students to return home as the hurricane approached. Texas A&M University also canceled Friday classes.

McLennan Community College will remain open on Friday and officials will decide then about Saturday class schedules.

Central Texas College will hold classes as scheduled on Friday, but Temple College will be closed and weekend activities have been canceled. Friday was not a regular class day at the college.

Schools in the Leon School District, Bremond and Mexia will be closed Friday because of the hurricane.

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