More than 2.5 million people fled the Texas and Louisiana coasts to safety from Hurricane Rita, one of the most intense hurricanes recorded over the Gulf of Mexico before coming ashore on the Texas-Louisiana border with 120 mph winds Saturday, Sept. 24. Houston was spared the worst, but more than a half-million homes in southeast Texas remained without power.
Heavy winds in east Texas collapsed some walls, tore roofs and left power lines dangling everywhere. In Louisiana, Rita brought similar wind damage, plus a 15-foot water wall that surged some 35 miles inland. Search and rescue continued in devastated rural areas.