Hurricane RitaToday marks the 7th year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Rita during the early hours of the 24th between Sabine Pass, TX and Johnson Bayou, La. The storm caused $12 Billion in damage to the U.S. Coast.
Rita was responsible for 7 direct deaths and several others due to the massive evacuations. An estimated 250,000 evacuated from SE TX and SW LA.
At its peak, the 4th strongest storm had sustained winds of 180 mph with a gust recorded by reconnaissance air craft to 235 mph. The minimum pressure was 26.43 inches of mercury.
The storm weakened to a Cat 3 when it made landfall with winds of 120 mph. Hurricane-force winds were experienced across Southeast Texas for hours causing severe damage.
