Hurricane Rita facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Hurricane Rita
Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
HurricaneRita21Sept05a.jpg
Hurricane Rita in the Gulf of Mexico on September 21, 2005.
Formed September 17, 2005
Dissipated September 26, 2005
Highest winds 1-minute sustained: 175 mph (280 km/h)
Lowest pressure 895 mbar (hPa); 26.43 inHg
Fatalities 7 direct, 113 indirect
Damage $10 billion (2005 USD)
Areas affected Bahamas, Florida, Cuba, Yucatán Peninsula, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas
Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Rita was a powerful hurricane in the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It hit the United States' Gulf Coast. At its peak intensity, it was a strong Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm, and caused more flooding in New Orleans, which already had weakened levees due to Hurricane Katrina. In addition, it caused massive power outages.

Related pages

Pre-1950s
"Cuba" • "Okeechobee" • "Bahamas" • "Labor Day" • "New England" • "Fort Lauderdale"
1950s
Dog (1950) • Easy (1951) • Janet • Cleo (1958)
1960s
Donna • Ethel (1960) • Carla • Hattie • Beulah • Camille
1970s
1980s
Allen • Gilbert • Hugo
1990s
2000s
Isabel • Ivan • Emily (2005) • Katrina • Rita • Wilma • Dean • Felix
2010s


Tropical cyclones of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
R
Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
1950s
Carol • Edna • Hazel • Connie • Diane • Ione • Janet • Audrey
1960s
Donna • Carla • Hattie • Flora • Cleo • Dora • Hilda • Betsy • Inez • Beulah • Camille
1970s
Celia • Agnes • Carmen • Fifi • Eloise • Anita • David • Frederic
1980s
Allen • Alicia • Elena • Gloria • Gilbert • Joan • Hugo
1990s
Diana • Klaus • Bob • Andrew • Luis • Marilyn • Opal • Roxanne • Cesar • Fran • Hortense • Georges • Mitch • Floyd • Lenny
2000s
Keith • Allison (TS) • Iris • Michelle • Isidore • Lili • Fabian • Isabel • Juan • Charley • Frances • Ivan • Jeanne
Dennis • Katrina • Rita • Stan • Wilma • Dean • Felix • Noel • Gustav • Ike • Paloma
2010s
Igor • Tomas • Irene • Sandy • Ingrid • Erika (TS) • Joaquin


Images for kids

  • Colorized satellite image of a tropical cyclone. Bluer colors indicate areas of warmer cloud tops, indicative of marginal convective activity; redder and whiter colors indicate areas of colder cloud tops, indicating stronger convective activity.

    Infrared image of Hurricane Rita at peak intensity on September 21

  • Satellite image of a rather weak tropical cyclone - the storm is an elongated mass of clouds, stretching horizontally.

    Tropical Storm Rita over the eastern Bahamas on September 18

  • Satellite image of a strengthening hurricane passing between two landmasses. The hurricane has also developed an eye.

    Hurricane Rita as a Category 2 hurricane crossing the Florida Straits

  • Stranded on Highway 60

    Motorists stranded on Highway 60 during Hurricane Rita evacuation.

  • Rita 2005 rainfall

    Hurricane Rita Rainfall

  • FEMA - 16669 - Photograph by Win Henderson taken on 10-03-2005 in Louisiana

    Holly Beach, a town along the Gulf Coast completely destroyed by Rita

  • FEMA - 20460 - Photograph by Marvin Nauman taken on 11-19-2005 in Louisiana

    Holly Beach was almost completely leveled by Rita's storm surge

  • HurricaneRitaFlooding AMO 20050925

    Two satellite images showing the extent of flooding caused by Rita in Louisiana and Texas.

  • Flooding in Galveston from Hurricane Rita

    Floodwaters and destruction left in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, in an area located near Galveston Bay, Texas.

  • FellowshipChurch

    Church in Beaumont with roof ripped off by Hurricane Rita.

  • Hurricane Rita projected path September 22

    Projected path of Hurricane Rita on September 22 highlighting refineries and oil rigs across southeast Texas and southern Louisiana.

  • JTF Rita

    Soldiers load hundreds of Meals, Ready-to-Eat and water onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Ellington Field, Texas


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Hurricane Rita Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.