Texan troop call as storm nears
The state of Texas has urged the US federal government to put 10,000 troops on standby for search and rescue work as Hurricane Rita approaches.
While the storm has weakened, the Gulf Coast as far west as Mexico is on alert and more than a million people are fleeing, causing huge traffic jams.
Texas is due to bear the brunt of Rita but storm rains also threaten New Orleans' newly repaired flood defences.
President George W Bush is due to visit Texas to see preparations there.
He is due to leave for two days on Friday and will make a stop in Texas to "get a firsthand look at the preparations... and to show our support for the first responders as they get ready", said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The visit, Mr McClellan added, would be "as minimal a footprint as possible" and would not interfere with emergency planning in the president's home state. more>