Hurricane Rita
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Rita was the most intense
In Louisiana, Rita's storm surge inundated low-lying communities along the entire coast, worsening effects caused by Hurricane Katrina less than a month prior, such as topping the hurriedly-repaired Katrina-damaged levees at New Orleans. Parishes in Southwest Louisiana and counties in Southeast Texas where Rita made landfall suffered from severe to catastrophic flooding and wind damage. According to an October 25, 2005 Disaster Center report, 4,526 single-family dwellings were destroyed in Orange and Jefferson counties located in Southeast Texas. 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.[2] In all, nine Texas counties and five Louisiana Parishes were declared disaster areas after the storm. Electric service was disrupted in some areas of both Texas and Louisiana for several weeks. Texas reported the most deaths from the hurricane, where 113 deaths were reported, 107 of which were associated with the evacuation of the Houston metropolitan area.
Moderate to severe damage was reported across the lower Mississippi Valley. Rainfall from the storm and its associated remnants extended from Louisiana to Michigan. Rainfall peaked at 16.00 in (406 mm) in Central Louisiana. Several tornadoes were also associated with the hurricane and its subsequent remnants. Throughout the path of Rita, damage totaled about $18.5 billion (2005 USD).[3] As many as 120 deaths in four U.S. states were directly related to the hurricane.
Became of the heavy and widespread destruction left by the storm, the name Rita was retired in the spring of 2006, and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced by Rina for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season.
Meteorological history
On September 7, 2005, a
In generally favorable conditions for tropical development, the depression quickly organized, and attained
Once in the Gulf of Mexico, Rita passed over the extremely warm
Rita maintained Category 5 hurricane intensity for 18 hours before an
Once inland on September 24, Rita began to rapidly weaken.[15] 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,[4] radar imagery indicated that the storm soon lacked winds of tropical storm-force. Therefore, the NHC classified the system as a tropical depression while it was over Arkansas by 0600 UTC on September 25,[16] 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 0600 UTC that day. The frontal boundary subsequently absorbed the remaining system six hours later over the southern Great Lakes region.[4]
Preparations
Bahamas
At 0300
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.[20] 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.[21] In Havana, power was turned off at noon on September 19 to protect transformers, this also led to the disruption of natural gas lines.[22] 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.[23]
Florida
On September 18, when Rita was declared a tropical storm, phased evacuations began in the
Five shelters were opened in southern Florida with a total capacity of 4,335 people. Tolls on northbound roads were lifted in
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.[29] Military cargo planes evacuated hospital patients from three acute-care hospitals in the Keys.[30]
Louisiana
On Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 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.[31] Select military personnel stayed in New Orleans for Hurricane Rita including Task Force California (2-185 Armor and 1-184 Infantry).[32] [33]
By the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 21st, as Rita's strength, course and speed became clearer, officials of
Texas
As part of the evacuation,
Concerns had been raised over the state of the oil industry in response to Rita. The storm threatened a large amount of oil infrastructure that was left undamaged by
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,[43][44] making it the largest evacuation in United States' history.[4]
Officials in
Officials of Harris County hoped that the designation of zones A, B, and C would help prevent bottlenecks in traffic leaving the area similar to those seen at New Orleans prior to Katrina and Hurricane Dennis earlier that year.[50] 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
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.[52] 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.[52] However, by 3:00 p.m. that afternoon, the freeway system in Houston was at a standstill.[53]
To the east of Houston, officials had set up evacuation routes in response to the slow evacuation of residents prior to Hurricane Lili.[54] 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.[45] By the time Jefferson County began their mandatory evacuation, local roads were already full of Houstonians.[55] Traffic on designated evacuation routes was forced to go far slower than the speeds experienced with any previous hurricane.[56][57]
By late Thursday (22nd) morning, the contraflow lanes had been ordered opened after officials determined that the state's highway system had become gridlocked.[58] The Texas Department of Transportation was unprepared to execute such a large-scale evacuation.[59] 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.[45] Average travel times to Dallas were 24–36 hours, travel times to Austin were 12–18 hours and travel times to San Antonio were 10–16 hours, depending on the point of departure in Houston.[60] Many motorists ran out of gas or experienced breakdowns in temperatures that neared 100 °F (38 °C). Traffic volumes did not ease for nearly 48 hours as more than three million residents evacuated the area in advance of the storm.[45]
Evacuation deaths
As an estimated 2.5 – 3.7 million people evacuated the Texas coastline, a significant heat wave affected the region. The combination of severe gridlock and excessive heat led to between 90 and 118 deaths even before the storm arrived.[43][44] Reports from the Houston Chronicle indicated 107 evacuation-related fatalities. Texas Representative Garnet Coleman criticized the downplay of the deaths in the evacuation and questioned whether the storm would be deadlier than the preparations.[61] 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.[43] Many evacuees periodically turned off their air conditioning to reduce fuel consumption as well as drank less water to limit the number of restroom stops. According to a post-storm study, which reported 90 evacuation-related deaths, nine people perished solely as a result of hyperthermia. However, it was suspected that most of the 67 deaths attributed to heat stress were a combination of hyperthermia and chronic health conditions.[44] In addition to the heat-related deaths, 23 nursing home evacuees were killed after a bus caught fire on Interstate 45 near Wilmer.[44] The bus erupted into flames after the vehicle's rear axle overheated due to insufficient lubrication.[62] According to a resident near the site of the accident, there were three explosions.[63] Many of the passengers were mobility-impaired making escape difficult or impossible.[64] 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.[62]
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. Winds blowing offshore in Texas actually flattened the surge, which was only 7 feet (2.1 m) in Galveston, well below the height of the seawall. The 5 inches (130 mm) of rain expected to fall overnight in New Orleans as Rita came ashore also did not happen, and the pressure on the levee system was eased. Still, a storm surge of up to 18 feet (5.5 m) 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.[65] 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.
An estimated two million people lost electricity.[66] Total damage is estimated at approximately $18.5 billion.
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.
Direct deaths are those caused by the direct effects of the
State | State total | County/Parish | Reported deaths |
Direct deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
Florida | 2[67] | Escambia | 1[67] | 1 |
Walton | 1[67] | 1 | ||
Louisiana | 1[67] | Calcasieu | 1[4] | 1 |
Mississippi | 4[68] | Humphreys | 1[69] | 1 |
Pike | 3[70] | 0 | ||
Texas | 113[68] | Angelina | 2[71] | 1 |
Dallas | 23[68] | 0 | ||
Galveston | 36[72] | 0 | ||
Harris | 35[73] | 0 | ||
Jefferson | 6[74] | 0 | ||
Liberty | 2[75] | 2 | ||
Montgomery | 2[73] | 0 | ||
Shelby | 1[76] | 0 | ||
Walker | 5[77][full citation needed] | 0 | ||
Totals | 120[78] | 120 | 7 | |
Because of differing sources, totals may not match. |
Caribbean
As Rita developed near the
In Cuba, Rita produced winds up to 65 mph (105 km/h) and more than 5 in (127 mm) of rain in some areas. This resulted in significant structural damage but no loss of life.[22][81] In the Bay Shore area of Havana, water levels rose and inundated 20 blocks of the city.[22] An estimated 400,000 people in the city lost power a result of the storm.[82] In a two-hour span, more than 8.2 inches (210 mm) of rain fell in Bauta.[83] The torrential rains led to 34 homes collapsing in Havana. Storm surge produced by Rita penetrated an estimated 330 ft (100 m) inland, flooding several towns.[82]
Florida
Rita produced moderate rains across southern
Louisiana
With an estimated cost of $8 billion in damages, Hurricane Rita's impact across Louisiana varied. One person is known to have drowned during the event.[4][89] Due to the hurricane's storm surge, which topped levees and inundated low-lying coastal communities, the greatest amount of damage extended across most of southern Louisiana, from the Mississippi River delta to the Sabine River. Widespread power outages affected roughly 1 million customers, with Entergy Louisiana reporting the largest outage of 601,183 customers losing power.[90]
In southeast Louisiana's
In south-central Vermilion Parish, storm surge reached all the way up to the communities of Abbeville, Gueydan, and Lake Arthur. The 10 ft (3.0 m) surge completely flooded Pecan Island, Intracoastal City, and Delcambre.[89] Nearly all of the structures on Pecan Island were destroyed.[4] Rescue efforts were undertaken for up to 1,000 people stranded by local flooding. On Saturday, September 24 alone, 250 people were rescued.[93]
However, the southwestern region of the state near where Rita made landfall was undeniably the worst impacted region in Louisiana.[4]
In Cameron Parish, the damage was catastrophic, particularly along the coastline and north to the Intracoastal Waterway. Coastal storm surge was estimated around 18 ft (5.5 m), with lower levels farther inland from the coast, yet much of north-western and north-central Cameron Parish experienced significant flooding. The southern Cameron Parish communities of Cameron, Creole, Grand Chenier, Holly Beach, Johnson Bayou, Little Chenier and Oak Grove were either heavily devastated or entirely wiped out by the storm surge, with nearly 95 percent of homes, businesses, and infrastructure completely destroyed. Closer to the Intracoastal Waterway, communities shared a similar fate; Big Lake, Deatonville, Gibbstown and Hackberry were all devastated or heavily damaged. In Hackberry, an unofficial wind gust of 180 mph was recorded on a boat tied up to a local dock. Above the Intracoastal Waterway in northern Cameron Parish, the damage was devastating, with the communities of Grand Lake, Hebert's Camp, Lowry, Pelican Point, and Sweetlake suffering from extensive flooding and wind damage. Over a decade later, many communities south of the Intracoastal Waterway are still recovering, with their populations significantly lower than pre-Rita levels.
To the north in Calcasieu Parish, the cities and communities of Iowa, Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Sulphur, and Westlake suffered severe wind damage, and some areas also received flooding due to both storm surge and heavy rain. In Lake Charles, the storm surge that travelled up the Calcasieu Ship Channel from the coast was estimated to be up to 8 ft (2.4 m). A casino boat secured at the north end of the lake, and several barges secured at the Port of Lake Charles, broke free from their moorings, floating loose until running into the Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River, causing minor damage. 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.[94] 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 the western Calcasieu parish communities of Vinton and Starks, wind damage was also severe. The roof was torn off of the Vinton Recreation Center, and many homes were damaged by fallen trees and utility poles. Damaged utility towers made power restoration problematic, with much of the area waiting months for utilities to be restored.
After weakening to a tropical storm, Rita entered
Mississippi
In Mississippi, Rita produced widespread rainfall upon its landfall in Louisiana;[96] however, most of the rain fell early on September 25 as a band of heavy rain developed over parts of western Mississippi, northeast Louisiana and southern Arkansas, resulting in up to 10 in (250 mm) of rain around the Big Black River[97] in the span of a few hours.[98] The heavy rainfall caused significant flooding in Yazoo and Warren Counties. In Yazoo, numerous homes had water inside and countywide damage amounted to $6 million.[99] Damage in Warren County was less than Yazoo, amounting to $2.7 million.[100] Holmes, Hinds and Madison Counties also had flooding, with damage in all three counties amounting to $2 million.[101][102][103] Several roads were also flooded in Monroe County after 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell.[104] Winds up to 70 mph (110 km/h) downed numerous trees throughout the state.[105] In Adams County, winds caused several trees to fall on homes in Natchez, leaving $270,000 in damage.[106] In Warren County, a mobile home was destroyed after a tree was downed by high winds.[107]
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.[97] Damage from tornadoes alone in the state amounted to $14.5 million.[105] An F1 tornado killed one person after tossing a mobile home into the air and destroying it. Two other occupants sustained serious injuries.[108] Another F1 tornado struck a mobile home park, destroying eleven homes, injuring seven people and leaving $2 million in damages.[109] Six F2 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi.[105] One of these tracked for nearly 18 miles (29 km) and grew to a width of 800 yd (730 m). The tornado caused $2.5 million in damage and injured three people after destroying one building and severely damaging several homes and farms.[110] Throughout the state, 2,127 residences lost power due to high winds.[90]
Texas
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2017) |
The impact of Rita, limited to Southeast and East Texas, varied, with both wind and storm-surge damage impacting communities in various ways. Hurricane-force winds extended over 100 miles (160 km) inland across eastern Texas, causing extensive damage to trees in the
In Galveston, Texas, parts of the coast not protected by the sea wall experienced minor storm-surge flooding. At the height of Rita's landfall, a fire broke out in the Strand Historic District; the Galveston fire department reacted quickly and was able to contain and douse the wind-whipped blaze, limiting damage and preventing the fire from spreading throughout the city. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported, though several historic buildings were either gutted or damaged; a fire-weakened wall of the vacated Yaga's Cafe and Bar collapsed several hours later, likely due to lingering wind gusts.[111]
For the most part,
North of Houston, the 2.5-mile-wide (4.0 km) Lake Livingston dam sustained substantial damage from powerful waves driven by wind gusts of up to 117 mph (188 km/h)[114] and officials started an emergency release of water to lessen pressure on the dam. A number of news outlets reported on Sunday, September 25, 2005, that the discharge put lives at risk downstream and threatened a major bridge. Repairs to the dam were expected to take months to complete.[115] After water levels were lowered and an inspection was conducted by national and local experts, the dam was declared stable late on Monday, September 26, 2005.[116]
Rita's landfall in extreme Southwest Louisiana spared southeast and east Texas far greater damage from storm surge. In particular, Texas's coastal communities around
Prudently, a mandatory evacuation of Southeast Texas had been issued before Rita's landfall by both local and state governments. As a result of Governor Perry's disaster declaration, many residents displaced by, and/or returning home to the aftermath of Rita were able to take advantage of up to 60 days of hotel rooms, generators, chainsaws, and monetary assistance by FEMA.
Elsewhere
As Hurricane Rita passed to the south of Florida on September 20,[4] outer bands to the north produced minor rainfall in parts of southern Georgia, peaking near 3 inches (76 mm).[96] In Alabama, the storm produced 22 weak tornadoes, mainly rated F0, causing minor isolated damage amounting to roughly $1.2 million.[105] Heavy rains also fell in association with Rita in the state. Most of the western portions of Alabama received more than 3 inches (76 mm), with south-central portions peaking around 7 inches (180 mm).[96] The remnants of Rita had little impact in Tennessee, only consisting of moderate rainfall, peaking near 5 inches (130 mm).[96] Up to 3 inches (76 mm) of rain fell in southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, most of Indiana, east and northern Ohio and southern Michigan before the storm merged with a frontal system on September 26.[96]
The weakened remnants of Hurricane Rita produced heavy rainfall and several tornadoes on September 24 in Arkansas.[105] Most of the state received at least 1 inch (25 mm) of rain with maximum amounts around 5 inches (130 mm).[96] Three F2 tornadoes touched down in the state, the first injured five people in Lonoke County,[117] the second was a low-end F2 tornado that completely destroyed a double-wide mobile home.[118] The third was rated as a high-end F2 with winds near 155 mph (249 km/h); it destroyed three structures and severely damaged several others.[119] Throughout the state, winds gusted up to 50 mph (80 km/h),[120] leaving 2,976 residences without power.[90] Damage in Arkansas amounted to roughly $1 million.[120]
Aftermath
Retirement
Because of the widespread property destruction along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the name Rita was retired from the
Economic effects
The heavy concentration of oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico makes hurricanes of Rita's intensity very problematic. Currently, very little spare crude oil capacity exists in the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico produces some 2 million barrels (320,000 m3) per day total, as well as having some 30% of the total refining capacity of the United States. Rita's path travelled through a dense area of offshore pipelines and oil platforms, and on land to an area with large refineries. With over half of Gulf production still shut down in the wake of Katrina, some economists have stated that a worst-case scenario is for gasoline prices to briefly touch $5/US gallon ($1.30/L), which would be easily the highest real price for gasoline paid in the United States during the internal combustion era. The most serious incident was the capsizing of the tension-leg platform Typhoon. Despite this, post-storm predictions estimated only minor price rises. With some 200,000 jobless claims attributed to Katrina, Rita may have been a further drag on a weakened US economy.[citation needed]
The most pessimistic projections had
Due to the impending oil shortage and increasing gas prices, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared what he termed "snow days," closing all Georgia public primary and secondary schools on September 26 and 27 to conserve fuel for buses.[citation needed]
The combined effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was the destruction of an estimated 562 square kilometres (217 sq mi) of coastal wetlands in Louisiana.[123]
Military relief operations
On September 24, 2005, following the havoc caused by Hurricanes
American Red Cross operations
The American Red Cross continued to provide disaster relief to Hurricane Katrina affected areas, but as a result of Hurricane Rita, had to open additional shelters in other gulf states. The Red Cross also expanded their Hurricane Katrina internet "Safe List" for use by those affected by Hurricane Rita.
AmeriCorps relief operations
See also
- Tropical cyclones in 2005
- List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present)
- List of Texas hurricanes (1980-present)
- Hurricane Wilma (2005) – A Category 5 hurricane that broke the record for the most intense Atlantic hurricane later in the season
- Hurricane Laura (2020) – A Category 4 hurricane that devastated similar areas
- Timeline of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Rita evacuation
Notes
- ^ A major hurricane is one that ranks at Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale.[1]
- ^ All values for sustained wind estimates are sustained over 1 minute, unless otherwise specified.
References
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External links
- Florida Keys evacuated in preparation for Rita
- Houston mayor urges evacuations as Hurricane Rita moves closer to shore
- Hurricane Rita turns toward Texas-Louisiana border
- Hurricane Rita makes landfall
- Massive traffic jams, gas shortages plug evacuation routes near Houston
- Oil price jumps as Rita heads to refineries
- The NHC's archive on Hurricane Rita
- The HPC's archive on Tropical Depression Rita
- The HPC's rainfall page for Rita
- Hurricane Rita: from wreckage to rebirth, from The Beaumont Enterprise
- NewsNow.co.uk's Hurricane Watch newsfeed
- The Disaster Center's Rita coverage
- TAOS Autorun - Real-time damage estimates
- Hurricane Rita Supply Availability Map
- "The Oil Drum: Rita Resource Page for Oil and Natural Gas Infrastructure Damage" The Oil Drum: Rita Oil and Gas Resources
- Research Model Advances Hurricane Intensity Prediction
- Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones
- Changes in Tropical Cyclone Number, Duration, and Intensity in a Warming Environment
- Beyond Katrina - Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, continuing recovery news, information, and resources five years post Archived 2019-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Science Magazine Katrina/Rita page
- Color Enhanced Infrared Satellite Video of Hurricane Rita
- Hurricane Digital Memory Bank Preserving the Stories of Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
- Workforce Redevelopment in the Gulf Coast
- Hurricanes Katrina & Rita Web Archive