09/23/2026
21 YEARS AGO…. Hurricane was taking aim and closing in on the Gulf Coast.
Rita intensified into a Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds at one point, and its intense pressure of 895 mb is tied with Milton for the lowest pressure recorded in the Gulf.
After peaking over the Gulf, Rita weakened somewhat before landfall. When it made landfall near Johnson’s Bayou, (near the Texas-Louisiana border), it was a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds around 115 mph. 
The storm caused estimated $18.5 billion (2005 USD) in damage. It caused about 120 deaths across four U.S. states. 
Among those deaths, many were indirect — notably during the evacuation. For example, during the mass evacuation, a number of deaths occurred from heat exhaustion, traffic delays, etc.
Rita prompted one of the largest mass evacuations in U.S. history: between 2.5 and 3.7 million people evacuated from the Gulf Coast areas, especially from . The evacuation was chaotic in parts, with traffic jams, shortages of fuel, food, and long travel times. 
Storm surge was significant: parts of Southwest Louisiana saw surges of about 15 feet above ground level in coastal areas. 
My family and I were evacuated in a Lake Charles hotel due to which made landfall just over three weeks earlier, and had to evacuate all over again due to Rita.
What are your memories of Rita?
