Out-of-towners: Thousands stream inland as Rita closes in

GALVESTON, Texas - Traffic came to a standstill and gas shortages were reported today as hundreds of thousands of people in the Houston metropolitan area rushed to get out of the path of Hurricane Rita, a monster storm with 170 mph winds. More than 1.3 million residents in Texas and Louisiana were under orders to get out to avoid a deadly repeat of Katrina. The Category 5 storm weakened slightly this morning, and forecasters said it could be down to a Category 3 by the time it comes ashore late Friday or early Saturday. It could still be a dangerous storm. "Don't follow the example of Katrina and wait. No one will come and get you during the storm," said Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said. Highways leading inland out of Houston were gri