| Description: | Rita was an intense hurricane that reached Category 5 strength (on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) over the central Gulf of Mexico, where it had the fourth-lowest central pressure on record in the Atlantic basin. Although it weakened prior to making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the Texas/Louisiana border, Rita produced significant storm surge that devastated coastal communities in southwestern Louisiana, and its winds, rain, and tornadoes caused fatalities and a wide swath of damage from eastern Texas to Alabama. Additionally, Rita caused floods due to storm surge in portions of the Florida Keys. Rita weakened after making landfall, remaining a hurricane until only about 120 |
