Lesson Learned: A Look Back at Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Rita was the first hurricane I experienced in my life before that I didn’t know what a hurricane really was. I also remember my family and I stayed at a convention center for shelter when Rita hit Houston, I was asleep throughout the whole storm while my grandma and aunt watched it passed by the windows. I was 10 years old at the time.

that evacuation was a nightmare. We were in a red zone so we left. I remember pouring ice water on top of my cat's head. It was so unbearably hot, and she was able to take it. She ended up running away during that evacuation :( . We stopped for the night in Shiner...went off the evacuation route, and that's where she escaped. Since the storm changed its course, we were no longer in a dangerous area and were able to evade traffic after that. I can only hope that someone found her and gave her care . Ripped my heart to shreds. If only I had left her home. Since the storm changed course, she would have been okay. (and cats CAN climb. There were plenty of climbing spots). Alas. Now Hurricane Ike was the longest night of my life and that storm wiped out several houses in our immediate area. .. Stilts helped immensely.

there were enough roads for everyone to evacuate . the idiots in austin just put deputies and DPS out to block all the roads except the interstates. it was like trying to cram an elephant through a gas funnel. those of us who know the state, know the roads, could have been turned loose and we would have made it without this trouble.

It was just stupid how people who weren’t in evac zones left. You don’t evacuate from a hurricane to take a vacation. You evacuate to save yourself from drowning in the storm surge. Besides, you have to come back to the pile of rubble that was once your house and start rebuilding it in 3 days anyway.

I remember Rita. People were going batshit back then

I hope I don’t die trying to evacuate from a hurricane.

I live in Baytown. It took me 27 hours to get to my relative's hours in Dallas. Took some crazy backroads using just an old Atlas. Slept in our cars on the side of the road. When it weakened and turned I said that I refused to leave for the next one even if the eye came right up Galveston Bay. Well.... the eye of Ike came right up Galveston Bay three years later and I stayed.

I was job shadowing at NWS Hastings, Nebraska when Rita made landfall.

I'm still in my house in Cameron, LA and refuse to leave, this home has way to much sentimental value to it. I couldn't bear see it destroyed....you take my home Laura than you take me with you. Got fridge full of beer 🍺 and got my canned beans. I'M WAITING FOR YOU LAURA!! BRING THAT CAT 5 ASS OVER!!

I stayed home. Very scary in Kountze, Tx

We bought all this stuff from Sam's Club due to the News anchor scares, but stayed home and literally NOTHING happened. I was juts happy school was closed lol

South West Louisiana remembers

Why i dont remember rita?

Brush who here after harvey

George Dubba Ya Bush