Believe it or not, September 23 and September 24 mark 19 years since the landfall of one of the strongest hurricanes on record — and we’re not talking about Hurricane Katrina. (Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005 – less than 30 days before Rita.)
While Katrina gets a lot of the publicity, many along the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas coasts still remember Rita and the infamous and devastating class of 2005 hurricanes.
Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which included three of the top ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes in terms of barometric pressure ever recorded (along with Wilma and Katrina), Rita was the seventeenth named storm, tenth hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the 2005 season.
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Let’s look at some devastating facts about Hurricane Rita:
- Hurricane Rita was the 4th-strongest Atlantic hurricane currently on record.
- Rita became the 3rd Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2005.
- Sustained winds in the storm reached as high as 180 MPH.
- 120 people died in the storm.
- Damages from Hurricane Rita totaled over $10 billion.
More About 2005’s Hurricane Rita
I'm a weather geek from Florida who's been studying meteorology and watching weather patterns for years! I enjoy sharing little-known facts and fun stuff about the weather. I especially like sharing interesting details about weather events and conditions that can affect you… and how to prepare for Mother Nature's ever-changing weather patterns.
