Hurricane Rita (2005)

After passing just south of the Florida Keys and crossing the Gulf of Mexico, Rita made landfall at 2:40 a.m. CDT on September 24, 2005, in extreme southwestern Louisiana just east of Sabine Pass, as a Category 3 hurricane with 100-knot (115 mph) winds and a central pressure of 937 mb.^1,2 On September 20, its surge flooded Key West streets up to about four blocks inland, to depths of about 3 feet.¹

NWS Lake Charles reports storm surge of 12 to 18 feet across most of Cameron Parish and 10 to 12 feet across most of Vermilion Parish.² Almost every structure in Holly Beach, Cameron, Creole and Grand Chenier was destroyed, and most structures in Pecan Island were destroyed.¹ Surge moved up the Calcasieu River into the Lake Charles area, reaching Interstate 10 in several places and standing up to about 6 feet deep in parts of downtown Lake Charles.¹ In Texas, 8 to 10 feet of surge across eastern Jefferson and Orange counties caused considerable damage in Sabine Pass and Bridge City.²

The strongest sustained wind at an official station was 71 knots (82 mph), with a gust to 86 knots (99 mph), at the Sabine River C-MAN station near the Louisiana border.¹ Temporary towers in extreme southeastern Texas measured gusts up to about 100 knots (115 mph).¹ Rain totaled 5 to 9 inches over many parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and extreme eastern Texas, with isolated totals of 10 to 15 inches.¹ At least 90 tornadoes were reported, mostly in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.¹ NHC attributes 7 deaths directly to Rita and at least 55 indirect deaths in Texas, and estimates total US damage at about $12 billion.¹