Hurricane Rita swirled toward the Gulf Coast as a 165-mph, category 5 storm 15 years ago. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Essential needs, such as food and restrooms, were scarce along some evacuation routes and unattainable on highways along which local officials prohibited motorists from exiting. Could Houston be placed under a curfew order? … Copyright © 2020 KTRK-TV. This was shortly after Katrina had happened, so when they said to evacuate it was like, okay, let’s evacuate. 2-year-old injured after 4-vehicle crash in NW Harris Co. Man accused of setting woman on fire in custody, Man spends Thanksgiving homeless after being laid off in March. Click on the link below to go … 2-year-old injured after 4-vehicle crash in NW Harris Co. Man accused of setting woman on fire in custody, Man spends Thanksgiving homeless after being laid off in March. The news of Hurricane Rita less than a month after Hurricane Katrina triggered a massive evacuation in the states of Texas and Louisiana. The purpose of this redirect is currently being discussed by the Wikipedia community. All Rights Reserved. Hurricane Rita … Hurricane Rita was responsible for 120 deaths. 2 of 61 Martha Velazquez stands on the road during stalled traffic while she tries to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Rita in east Houston September 22, 2005. Also, I remember Hurricane Rita. JAMES NIELSEN/. Total damages resulting from Hurricane Rita amounted to over $10.5 billion (2005 USD), making it the ninth costliest hurricane affecting the United States. Please share your thoughts on the matter at this redirect's entry on the Redirects for discussion page. As Rita reached its peak intensity, America's fourth-largest city, Houston, was directly in the path, triggering a mass evacuation. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Many residents who are new to southeast Texas tell Eyewitness News they're nervous about Hurricane Laura's impact while long-time residents fear a repeat of previous disasters. This ScienceStruck article brings you more facts that you didn't know about it. Hurricane Rita swirled toward the Gulf Coast as a 165-mph, category 5 storm 15 years ago. People fled the area, and the exodus led to some … The natural disaster narrowly missed major population centers causing 10 billion dollars in damage but with only a few direct deaths related to the hurricane. Texas reports over 12K new COVID-19 cases as holidays arrive, No officers hurt after shots fired near HPD station, State can't ban offensive license plates, federal judge rules. Hurrican Rita. Some were actually associated evacuation efforts, such as the 23 passengers who died in a bus accident south of Dallas, TX. All Rights Reserved. Traffic crawled along highway 59 northbound as residents tried to flee in front of Hurricane Rita on September 22, 2005 in Houston, Texas. Weiss is now in Austin waiting out the storm. Copyright © 2020 KTRK-TV. Texas reports over 12K new COVID-19 cases as holidays arrive, No officers hurt after shots fired near HPD station, State can't ban offensive license plates, federal judge rules, READ MORE: Harris County storm evacuation zones and routes, READ ALSO: County by County: Breakdown of voluntary evacuations ahead of Laura. Hurricane Ike: Storm that hit Galveston on Sept. 13, 2008, Deadliest, costliest hurricanes of the past 38 years, Street flooding and tornadoes possible Friday, Woman killed in train accident days after giving birth to premature baby, Houston family commemorates Thanksgiving where son was killed, Holiday lights brighten up Houston's Uptown area, Flare sparks concerns for east Harris County residents. Show More Show Less 2 of 62 Cars jam interstate 45 and cross streets during the evacuation from Hurricane Rita Friday, Sept. 23, 2005, near Ennis, Texas. Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, and the ninth costliest to affect the U.S. At the time Hurricane Rita hit in 2005, I was living in League City. Hurricane Rita hit in 2005 not long after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. From Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Andrew to Hurricane Harvey, these storms will go down in history. Recommendations to improve this include pre-staging portable toilets along … We decided to go ahead and beat the traffic." The evacuation was just so bad on [US-290]. I-10 in Louisiana jammed with evacuees ahead of Delta, Lake Charles scrambling to prepare for Hurricane Delta, Houston SPCA evacuates 238 animals before Laura's landfall, METRO resumes service for bus, METRORail, and Park & Ride, Street flooding and tornadoes possible Friday, Woman killed in train accident days after giving birth to premature baby, Houston family commemorates Thanksgiving where son was killed, Holiday lights brighten up Houston's Uptown area, Flare sparks concerns for east Harris County residents. Could Houston be placed under a curfew order? Abstract PURPOSE: A massive evacuation of more than 2.5 million people along the Texas gulf coast was initiated in preparation for Hurricane Rita in September 2005. https://abc13.com/hurricane-rita-galveston-texas-evacuation/995281 The outcome of the discussion may result in a change of this page, or possibly its deletion in accordance with Wikipedia's deletion policy. Hurricane Rita's death toll remains uncertain because there's no central authority responsible for defining and counting "hurricane-related deaths." Evacuation before Hurricane Rita’s landfall also highlighted a number of shortcomings in exit routes for residents that the state still needs to address.