Shades of Katrina have started to become evident as Tropical Storm Rita grew into a Category 2 hurricane and pounded the Florida Keys with wind and rain Tuesday afternoon.

A mandatory evacuation was issued for the Florida Keys Monday morning, clogging the one highway in and out as residents and tourists clambered to escape Rita’s onslaught.

“If you’ve not left the Keys, stay where you are,” Gov. Jeb Bush said in a briefing on the hurricane. “Now is the time to hunker down.”

Also of concern, however, is the storm’s anticipated direction, which could bring its winds and rain dangerously close to areas still reeling from Katrina’s destruction – including New Orleans .

“There is deep concern about this storm causing more flooding in New Orleans ,” President Bush told reporters Monday morning during a Homeland Security council meeting.

Forecasters say the storm could be a Category 4 by the time it reaches Texas , Louisiana and Mississippi on Friday or Saturday. A voluntary evacuation of Galveston , TX , was issued Tuesday, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry recalled 1,200 Texas Nation Guard troops from helping with the Katrina relief effort to prepare for Rita’s assault, The Associated Press reported.

According to the National Weather Service, as of 2 p.m. CDT Tuesday, Rita’s winds had reached 100 mph. A hurricane warning – meaning hurricane conditions are expected within the next 24 hours – was in effect for all of the Florida Keys, from south of Florida City on the Florida southeast coast southward to East Cape sable, then northward to Chokoloskee Island on the southwest Coast.

A tropical storm warning – meaning tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 24 hours – remains in effect along the Florida west coast north of Chokoloskee to Englewood, and along the east coast from Florida City to Jupiter Inlet, as well as Lake Okeechobee.

At 2 p.m. the center of Hurricane Rita was about 50 miles south of Key West and about 65 miles northeast of Havana , Cuba .

Rita is moving toward the west at a brisk 15 mph and is expected to continue at this speed and direction during the next 24 hours. At this rate, the core of the hurricane will continue to move over the Florida straits between the city of Havana and the Florida Keys .

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 120 miles.

Storm surge flooding of four to six feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, are possible in the Florida Keys in areas of onshore flow. Coastal storm surge flooding of two to four feet is possible along the extreme southeastern Florida coast.

Rita is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of six to eight inches over the Florida Keys , with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches. Rainfall amounts of three to five inches are possible across the southern Florida peninsula.