Hurricane Rita

On September 7, 2005, a tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa and moved westward into the Atlantic Ocean. Failing to produce organized, deep atmospheric convection, Convection associated with the system increased briefly late on September 13 before dissipating shortly thereafter. At roughly the same time, a remnant surface trough had developed from a dissipating stationary front and began to drift westward north of the Lesser Antilles. Meanwhile, the tropical wave slowly became better organized and was first noted in the NHC's Tropical Weather Outlooks on September 15 while northeast of Puerto Rico. The wave merged with the surface trough two days later, triggering an increase in convective activity and organization. A subsequent decrease in wind shear enabled additional organization, and at 00:00 UTC on September 18, the NHC estimated that the storm system had organized enough to be classified as a tropical depression, was roughly east of Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos and had developed banding features. In generally favorable conditions for tropical development, the depression quickly organized and attained tropical storm strength at 18:00 UTC that day based on data from reconnaissance flights, nearby ships, and weather buoys. As a result, the tropical storm was named Rita. However, an increase in moderate southerly vertical wind shear as the result of a nearby upper-level low subdued continued intensification and displaced convective activity to the north of Rita's center of circulation. Once the upper-level low weakened, Rita's center of circulation reformed to the north, compensating for the disorganization that resulted from the wind shear. Consequently, the tropical storm resumed its previous strengthening trend as it was steered westward across The Bahamas along the south periphery of a ridge. while maintaining a minimum barometric pressure of 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg). Six hours later, Rita intensified further into Category 2 before subsequently passing approximately south of Key West, Florida. and Rita reached Category 3 status upon entering the Gulf of Mexico by 06:00 UTC on September 21, making it a major hurricane. Rita's intensification phase was accompanied by an unprecedentedly abundant outbreak of lightning within the storm's eyewall. Favorable conditions allowed for additional strengthening, and at 0300 UTC on September 22, Rita reached its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 895 mbar (hPa; 26.43 inHg), making it the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico and up until that point the third strongest hurricane in Atlantic history. At the time, it was located 310 mi (500 km) south of the Mississippi River Delta. The tropical cyclone had been downgraded to tropical storm intensity nearly 12 hours after landfall. Proceeding northward roughly parallel to the state border between Louisiana and Texas, shortly before it turned northeastward ahead of an approaching frontal boundary. Early the next day, the depression lost much of its convection over southeastern Illinois, and degenerated into a remnant low by 06:00 UTC that day. The frontal boundary subsequently absorbed the remaining system six hours later over the southern Great Lakes region. == Preparations ==

Bahamas At 0300 UTC on September 18, a tropical storm warning was issued for the Turks and Caicos and the Southeast and Central Bahamas. At the same time, a hurricane watch was also issued for the northwest Bahamas. By 0600 UTC the following day, the hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning for the northwest Bahamas excluding Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands which were later put under a tropical storm warning. Several hours later, a hurricane warning was issued for Exuma and Andros Island. At 1800 UTC, the tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos was discontinued as the threat from Rita diminished. This discontinuation later included the southeast Bahamas. By 1500 UTC on September 20, all watches and warnings for the islands were discontinued as Rita moved into the Gulf of Mexico. At least one shelter was opened and schools throughout the country were closed. The Nassau International Airport was also closed due to the storm on September 19 and would remain closed until the evening of September 20. Cuba Officials in Cuba warned residents of possible impacts from Rita and closed public facilities in northern areas. Some evacuations took place in villages near the northern coastline and several shelters were opened. An estimated 150,000 people were evacuated in northern Cuba ahead of the storm. About 600 shelters were opened in Havana which could house a total of 120,000 people. In western Cuba, more than 42,000 were given shelter in Matanzas, 31,000 in Villa Claro and 6,300 in Sancti Spiritus. In Havana, power was turned off at noon on September 19 to protect transformers, this also led to the disruption of natural gas lines. A large-scale preparation was put in place by the Ministry of Health in Cuba. A total of 14,859 medical personnel were mobilized to quickly assist residents impacted by Rita. The personnel consisted of 3,767 doctors, 5,143 nurses, 2,139 specialists, 1,072 health officials, and 2,738 other staff members. A total of 519 vehicles were also mobilized; it included 241 ambulances, 36 trucks, 21 panels, and 221 other vehicles. Throughout northern Cuba, a total of 1,486 shelters were opened, most of which were filled during the evacuation. Florida crossing the Florida Straits|alt=Satellite image of a strengthening hurricane passing between two landmasses. The hurricane has also developed an eye. On September 18, when Rita was declared a tropical storm, phased evacuations began in the Florida Keys. All tourists were told to evacuate the Lower Keys immediately and residents in mobile homes were told to prepare to evacuate. By September 20, mandatory evacuations were in place for the 80,000 residents of the Keys. Both lanes on Route 1 were directed northbound to speed up evacuations. City busses picked up those who did not have transportation out of the Keys. An estimated 2.3 million people in Miami-Dade County were warned about the possibility of a direct hit on Miami and told to prepare to evacuate. A State of Emergency was declared ahead of Rita later that day by President George W. Bush. This would allow federal assistance to aid the affected areas in the wake of the storm. Throughout Florida, a total of 340,000 people were placed under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders. Five shelters were opened in southern Florida with a total capacity of 4,335 people. Tolls on northbound roads were lifted in Monroe County. A total of four hospitals, three assisted living facilities, and two nursing homes were evacuated. Military support in the form of 7,000 soldiers, eight Black Hawk helicopters, two Chinook helicopters, three Kiowa helicopters, one Huron aircraft, one Short 360 aircraft, one Hercules aircraft, and one Metroliner aircraft was provided. A task force was put on standby in Homestead Air Reserve Base to quickly deploy in affected areas. The United States Department of Agriculture prepared food to deliver to affected areas after Rita. The United States Department of Defense deployed personnel to coordinate evacuations. The United States Department of Health and Human Services sent fully equipped medical teams and supplies if needed. The United States Department of Homeland Security pre-positioned over 100 trucks of ice and packed food to deliver following Rita. Two helicopters and one Cheyenne aircraft were also provided to assist with recovery efforts. The United States Department of the Interior shut down all national parks in Florida and evacuated workers in low-lying areas. Offshore Gulf of Mexico Ahead of the storm, oil companies evacuated workers on offshore platforms by helicopter and boat beginning on September 21. The hurricane threatened a large amount of oil infrastructure that was left undamaged by Katrina. Rita's passage closed 16 oil refineries, after ports the ports of Houston, Freeport, Port Arthur, and Corpus Christi were all closed. Including four facilities still damaged from Hurricane Katrina, the 20 closed refineries represented about one-third of the United States' refining capacity. The temporary closures caused the price of gas to rise about 10 cents per gallon. To conserve fuel for school buses, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared what he termed "snow days", requesting that all schools close for two days; all but four districts agreed. Louisiana On Tuesday, Sep 20, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco issued a state of emergency for all parishes in the southwestern region of Louisiana and requested in writing of President George W. Bush that he issue a federal state of emergency for the entire state. Refugees still at the New Orleans Convention Center and Superdome were being evacuated as a precaution, and national guard troops and other emergency personnel in for the Hurricane Katrina aftermath were being mobilized to evacuate. Select military personnel stayed in New Orleans for Hurricane Rita including Task Force California (2-185 Armor and 1-184 Infantry). By the morning of Wednesday, Sep 21, as Rita's strength, course and speed became clearer, officials of Cameron Parish, Calcasieu Parish, and parts of Jefferson Davis Parish, Acadia Parish, Iberia Parish, Beauregard Parish, and Vermillion Parish began to strongly encourage residents to evacuate ahead of the storm, with a 6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline set. Most residents followed the recommendations of their respective officials, hitting the road by the deadline, though many returned home and waited until early the next morning after encountering severe traffic delays. Southern Cameron Parish residents, used to frequent evacuations, were gone by noon on Thursday; when parish officials returned to the Hwy. 27 "Gibbstown Bridge" that crosses the Intracoastal Canal into Lower Cameron Parish two days later in preparation of damage inspection and rescue of any stranded or injured residents, no one was known to have remained. Texas during Hurricane Rita evacuation. Texas Governor Rick Perry recalled all emergency personnel, including almost 1,200 Texas National Guard, 1,100 Texas State Guard, and several hundred Texas Game Wardens from Katrina recovery efforts in anticipation of Hurricane Rita's arrival. In addition, the Federal Government deployed 11 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), staging them in mobile field hospitals across eastern Texas. The teams treated 7,500 patients during the response. On September 22, Governor Perry and the Texas Department of Transportation implemented a contraflow lane reversal on Interstate 45 north towards Dallas, on Interstate 10 west towards San Antonio, U.S. Highway 290 northwest to Austin. As part of the evacuation, Johnson Space Center in Houston handed off control of the International Space Station to their Russian counterparts. Mass evacuation Just three weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the northern Gulf Coast, the threat of yet another major hurricane prompted mass evacuations in coastal Texas. An estimated 2.5 – 3.7 million people fled prior to Rita's landfall, Nonetheless, many residents remained in the county because they were either unaware of the danger of the storm or believed that it was more important to protect their belongings, particularly in the wake of looting following Hurricane Katrina. The evacuation included transfer of all inpatients from the University of Texas Medical Branch hospital to other regional hospitals. 400 patients were prisoners under the ward of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. These patients were systematically transferred to the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. Also, people in certain zones were to be forced to go to certain cities in Texas and were not allowed to exit their designated routes except for food and gas – another feature of the evacuation plan which officials hoped would keep traffic flow orderly. The evacuation-destination cities included Austin, College Station, San Antonio, Dallas, Huntsville, and Lufkin, Texas. Evacuees were asked to try hotels in the Midland/Odessa area when hotels began to sell out in other areas. On Wednesday, Houston mayor Bill White urged residents to evacuate the city, telling residents, "Don't wait; the time for waiting is over," reminding residents of the disaster in New Orleans. After heavy traffic snarled roads leading out of town and gas shortages left numerous vehicles stranded, Mayor White backed off his earlier statement with, "If you're not in the evacuation zone, follow the news," advising people to use common sense. To the east of Houston, officials had set up evacuation routes in response to the slow evacuation of residents prior to Hurricane Lili. During the Rita evacuation, these preparations and their execution were overwhelmed by the enormous and unprecedented number of people fleeing from the Houston area prior to the departure of local residents. Traffic on designated evacuation routes was forced to go far slower than the speeds experienced with any previous hurricane. By late Thursday (22nd) morning, the contraflow lanes had been ordered opened after officials determined that the state's highway system had become gridlocked. The Texas Department of Transportation was unprepared to execute such a large-scale evacuation. Coordination and implementation of the contraflow plan took 8 to 10 hours as inbound traffic was forced to exit. Police were stationed to assist with traffic flow. Evacuees fought traffic Wednesday afternoon through mid-day Friday, moving only a fraction of the normal distance expected. Many motorists ran out of gas or experienced breakdowns in temperatures that neared . Traffic volumes did not ease for nearly 48 hours as more than three million residents evacuated the area in advance of the storm. According to local officials, the traffic reached a point where residents felt safer riding out the storm at home rather than being stuck in traffic when Rita struck. In addition to the heat-related deaths, 23 nursing home evacuees were killed after a bus caught fire on Interstate 45 near Wilmer. According to a resident near the site of the accident, there were three explosions. Many of the passengers were mobility-impaired making escape difficult or impossible. In June 2009, nearly four years after the fire, families of those who died in the accident won an $80 million settlement against the manufacturer of the bus and the company that provided the nursing home with it. == Impact ==

In some areas, the effects of Hurricane Rita were not nearly as severe as anticipated. The storm surge feared in Galveston and Houston struck farther east as the storm's center came ashore at the Louisiana border. Rain in New Orleans was lighter than expected. Still, a storm surge of up to struck southwestern Louisiana, and coastal parishes experienced extensive damage. In Cameron Parish, the communities of Holly Beach, Hackberry, Cameron, Creole and Grand Chenier were essentially destroyed. There were also severe impacts, mainly due to wind, in inland parishes and counties across Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas, respectively. Cities such as Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well as surrounding communities, suffered extensive wind damage. In the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane destroyed 66 oil platforms and four drilling rigs, while also causing severe damage to 32 platforms and 10 rigs. The hurricane halted the entirety of the country's gulf oil production, along with 80% of its natural gas production. Deaths The reported death toll for Hurricane Rita was 120. Only seven were direct deaths. One was caused by a tornado spawned in the storm's outer bands, one was due to storm surge flooding and three others were caused by trees blown down in the storm. The two Florida deaths both occurred in rip currents caused by Rita's distant waves. Strong winds were reported across the islands, but no damage resulted from the storm. The eye of the hurricane tracked north of Havana at around 4 p.m. local time on September 20. Heavy rains and strong winds associated with the outer rainbands of Hurricane Rita buffeted the northern coast of Cuba, Tropical storm-force winds were primarily limited to the northern coasts of Cuba's western provinces, with heavy rainfall extending into interior portions of the country. Rita's effects produced widespread damage both in northern and southern parts of Cuba, but did not cause fatalities. Slight damage was wrought to the Cuban power grid, resulting as many as 400,000 people losing power in Havana. High waves from Rita inundated 20 low-lying city blocks in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana between noon September 19 and the morning of September 20. Flash flooding also impacted parts of downtown Havana after roughly of rain fell over the city. The torrential rains led to the collapse of 34 homes in the city. Florida image of Rita as viewed from Key West on the evening of September 20|alt=Radar image of a passing hurricane with an apparent eye While passing south of the Florida Keys, Rita may have briefly produced hurricane-force winds along the southernmost parts of the islands. Sustained tropical storm-force winds affected much of the Keys, with peak sustained winds of 62 mph (100 km/h recorded at Key West International Airport, punctuated by a gust of 76 mph (122 km/h). A Coastal-Marine Automated Network station on Sand Key measured winds of 72 mph (117 km/h) from an elevated position, sustained over 10 minutes, and a peak gust of 92 mph (150 km/h). Tropical storm-force gusts extended farther into the southern Florida Peninsula south of Lake Okeechobee on September 20. The passing hurricane generated a storm surge along the Florida Keys, with the highest storm surge occurring along the southern shores of the Lower Keys. High waters also advanced over U.S. Route 1 at Islamorada. About 7,000 electricity customers were without power on the Florida Keys on the night of September 18. Flooding was also generally minor on the mainland, though the hardest-hit areas were affected by Hurricane Katrina a month prior. Power outages affected around 126,000 electricity customers in primarily Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The damage from coastal erosion amounted to roughly $200,000. Over a dozen people were rescued after venturing into the rough seas generated by Rita off Pensacola Beach. Two were hospitalized and one person died after collapsing offshore, though it was unclear whether the fatality was directly attributable to the hurricane. Another person drowned in a rip current off Miramar Beach. Louisiana Although Rita weakened before it made landfall in Louisiana, it still produced a significant storm surge, which reached in Cameron. The city also recorded sustained winds of , with gusts to , before the anemometer failed. As the eyewall moved ashore, Rita produced Category 3 winds in a very small area, although tropical storm-force winds extended as far east as Baton Rouge. Farther inland, Lake Charles recorded gusts to . Shreveport recorded a wind gust of and a minimum pressure of , their second-lowest on record. Much of the state's coastline had above normal tides, reaching above normal in southeastern Louisiana. The floodwaters adding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina a month earlier, damaging levees in Jefferson and Terrebonne parishes, as well as levees that had been repaired near New Orleans. The city, still flooded since Katrina, remained flooded until October 11. The hurricane also dropped heavy rainfall in Louisiana, reaching in Bunkie. It was decommissioned and turned into a reef site. Hurricane Rita left $4 billion in damage across southwestern Louisiana. The hurricane's impacts were varied across the state. One man drowned in Lake Charles near a sunken shrimp boat. In Cameron Parish in extreme southwestern Louisiana, the damage was estimated at $2.75 billion. More than 90% of the buildings in the parish were destroyed or severely damaged, including more than 5,000 houses. The storm surge and high waves destroyed nearly every building destroyed between Cameron and Creole, including many that were washed away. When assessing the hurricane's effects in its post-season report, the NHC noted that "since so many structures were completely destroyed, and because many gauges failed up to several hours before the center of the hurricane crossed the coast... measuring the storm surge [was] a daunting task." The peak storm surge was determined based on high water marks in Cameron reaching the second story of a courthouse and at the hospital. Also across the parish, strong winds knocked down trees and power lines. Other areas of Lake Charles also experienced severe flooding, with reports of water rising 6–8 feet, at one point inundating the lower floors of the Lake Charles Civic Center. At a hotel on a section of the Contraband Bayou near Interstate 210 and Prien Lake Road, water reportedly rose as high as the second floor. There was extensive minor-to-major structural wind damage across the entire area, including the near-devastation of the Lake Charles Regional Airport south of the city. Damage to the entire region's electrical and communications infrastructure was severe, and authorities warned returning residents that restoration of services to some areas would take weeks to months. In Vermilion Parish east of its landfall location, Rita's storm surge damaged dozens of homes and businesses, including most of the structures on Pecan Island. In southeast Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish, storm surge reached flooding an estimated 10,000 homes. Virtually every levee was breached. Some people were stranded in flooded communities and had to be rescued by boat. At least 100 people were reported rescued from rooftops. Along Lake Pontchartrain, flooding entered homes and businesses in Slidell and Mandeville. In New Orleans, the storm pushed water over gravel berms serving as temporary flood barriers in the Lower Ninth Ward. Much of northwest Louisiana experienced tropical storm force winds, causing damage mainly from falling trees. In Shreveport, heavy rainfall caused flash flooding on several streets, including a portion of I-20. Texas Making landfall in extreme southwestern Louisiana, Rita also produced widespread effects across southeastern Texas, with a significant inundation of at least at Sabine Pass. Most of the flooding occurred before Rita moved ashore. After it moved ashore however, northerly winds pushed the waters of Galveston Bay southward, causing flooding on Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Isolated parts of southeastern Texas experienced Category 2 sustained winds. The highest recorded sustained wind in the state was , recorded at Port Arthur. Wind gusts reached 105 mph (169 km/h) in Beaumont. Along western Galveston, the erosion left houses on top of the beach in front of the dunes. There were two deaths in Angelina County – one from a fallen tree, and one from an electrocution. At an apartment complex in Beaumont, six people died from carbon monoxide poisoning. On Galveston Island, a fire broke out during the hurricane, destroying three buildings and causing three injuries – a woman sustained severe burns, and two firefighters had minor injuries. Most homes on the island had roof damage, and a three-story building collapsed. Hurricane-force winds extended inland across eastern Texas, causing damage to an estimated 771,000 acres of timber. Cities in the "Golden Triangle" formed by Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange, sustained extensive wind damage. The water treatment plant in Port Neches was heavily damaged. According to an October 25, 2005, Disaster Center report, 4,526 single-family dwellings were destroyed in Orange and Jefferson counties. Major damage was sustained by 14,256 additional single-family dwellings, and another 26,211 single-family dwellings received minor damage. Mobile homes and apartments also sustained significant damage or total destruction. Coastal areas farther south in Texas were flooded, including low-lying roadways in Corpus Christi. High tides occurred as far south as South Padre Island. There, the high waves and tides breached the dunes, closing beaches and inundating parts of Texas State Highway 100. The sand entered beachside condominiums, although there was little damage in the region. North of Houston, the Lake Livingston dam sustained substantial damage from powerful waves driven by wind gusts of up to . The strong winds produced high waves and a storm surge along the dam, which caused $20 million worth of damage to the riprap, or support structure. Operators released water levels by to stabilize the structure. Alabama and Mississippi The effects of Rita extended into southern Alabama. Atmore recorded due to the hurricane, which was the state's highest precipitation from Rita. In Alabama, the storm produced 22 weak tornadoes, mainly rated F0, causing minor isolated damage amounting to roughly $1.2 million. Heavy rains also fell in association with Rita in the state. Most of the western portions of Alabama received more than , with south-central portions peaking around . Damage in Warren County was less than Yazoo, amounting to $2.7 million. Holmes, Hinds and Madison Counties also had flooding, with damage in all three counties amounting to $2 million. Several roads were also flooded in Monroe County after of rain fell. Winds up to downed numerous trees throughout the state. In Warren County, a mobile home was destroyed after a tree was downed by high winds. An unusually large amount of tornadoes touched down in the state due to Rita, with 49 confirmed in Mississippi alone. The size of the tornado outbreak ranked it as the largest recorded by the National Weather Service office in Jackson. Damage from tornadoes alone in the state amounted to $14.5 million. Another F1 tornado struck a mobile home park, destroying eleven homes, injuring seven people and leaving $2 million in damages. Six F2 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi. Throughout the state, 2,127 residences lost power due to high winds. Three F2 tornadoes touched down in the state, the first injured five people in Lonoke County, the second was a low-end F2 tornado that completely destroyed a double-wide mobile home. The third was rated as a high-end F2 with winds near ; it destroyed three structures and severely damaged several others. Throughout the state, winds gusted up to , Light rainfall occurred in neighboring Oklahoma, reaching at a station near Idabel. The outskirts of the storm produced rainfall that extended into Georgia and Tennessee.The outskirts of the storm produced rainfall that extended into Georgia and Tennessee. As a tropical depression, Rita also moved through southeastern Missouri, producing wind gusts of at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The storm also dropped worth of precipitation in Hornersville. The storm's passage knocked down trees, including a few that fell onto power lines, leaving more than 5,400 people without electricity. The disorganized low associated with Rita moved through eastern Illinois before dissipating. Light rainfall of occurred elsewhere throughout the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. == Aftermath ==

On September 24, president George W. Bush declared a federal disaster area for all counties in Texas and all parishes in Louisiana. This included 22 counties and 24 parishes eligible for individual assistance. FEMA set up 8 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in southwest Louisiana and another 5 DRCs in Texas. By March 2006, FEMA had issued more than $900 million in housing assistance to victims of Hurricane Rita in Louisiana and Texas. The combined effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was the destruction of an estimated of coastal wetlands in Louisiana. and water onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Ellington Field, Texas On September 24, 2005, following the havoc caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the National Guard named Brig. Gen. Douglas Pritt of the 41st Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, head of Joint Task Force Rita (formally called JTF Ponchartrain). The 1,400 Oregonian soldiers and airmen, including the 1st Battalion of the 186th Infantry which is designated a quick response unit, are joined by engineers and military police from Louisiana, the 56th Stryker brigade from Pennsylvania, and an engineering battalion from Missouri. By September 28, The American Red Cross extended its financial assistance and housing programs to victims of Hurricane Rita. AmeriCorps also extended aid to victims of Rita, with more than 2900 members assisting with recovery on the gulf coast from Katrina and Rita. In January 2006, contractors started repairing the damaged Lake Livingston Dam, at a cost of $9.6 million. FEMA provided 75% of the funds, and the other 25% came from the city of Houston. To restore the damaged riprap, 50 trucks each day hauled material to the site, and the restoration was finished on April 26, 2006. Hurricane Rita contributed to a decline in populations in coastal areas of Louisiana. A 2007 survey found that Cameron Parish saw a 26% decline from its pre-storm population. By September 2025, 20 years after Rita, the parish still had not recovered to its pre-Rita population, in part due to additional damage from later hurricanes. Retirement Because of the widespread property destruction along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the name Rita was retired from the Atlantic hurricane naming lists in April 2006 by the World Meteorological Organization. The name will never again be used for another tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin. It was replaced with Rina for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. == See also ==