NHC AL182005 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Rita (2005)
September 18, 2005 – September 26, 2005
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Rita peaked at Category 5 with 178 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 179 US cities, 48 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and NWS reports for Rita →
Rita in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Rita for 8 days, from September 18, 2005 to September 26, 2005. Its first position, at 21.3°N 69.9°W, records it as a tropical depression; its last, at 39.5°N 88.0°W, as a low. It reached tropical-storm strength on September 18, hurricane strength on September 20 and major-hurricane strength on September 21. Its peak was 178 mph (155 knots), Category 5, on September 22, and its lowest central pressure was 895 millibars on September 22. It spent about 4 days at hurricane strength. HURDAT2 marks a landfall within 50 miles of a US city on this site: on September 24 at 115 mph (Category 3), 20 miles from Port Arthur, TX. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 179 US cities, in 4 states, most in Texas (110) and Louisiana (57), between September 20 and September 25. The strongest pass was 115 mph (Category 3) 72 miles from Gueydan, LA; the centre came closest to Joaquin, TX, 1 mile away. 48 of the cities had it at hurricane strength at the closest point, 4 at major-hurricane strength. It reached more US cities than 55% of the 737 storms on this site, and ranks 3rd of the 9 storms of 2005 here.
- Peak strength
- Category 5
- Cities within 75 mi
- 179
- At hurricane strength
- 48
- States
- 4
178 mph
when closest
Cities Rita passed near, strongest first
Texas (110)
- GalvestonCategory 3 · 74 mi
- Crystal BeachCategory 3 · 62 mi
- Port ArthurCategory 2 · 7 mi
- GrovesCategory 2 · 5 mi
- AnahuacCategory 2 · 53 mi
- Bridge CityCategory 2 · 1 mi
- Port NechesCategory 2 · 7 mi
- NederlandCategory 2 · 9 mi
- WinnieCategory 2 · 35 mi
- OrangeCategory 2 · 7 mi
- La PorteCategory 2 · 75 mi
- BeaumontCategory 1 · 15 mi
- BaytownCategory 1 · 66 mi
- VidorCategory 1 · 5 mi
- HighlandsCategory 1 · 71 mi
- Sour LakeCategory 1 · 27 mi
- LumbertonCategory 1 · 13 mi
- CrosbyCategory 1 · 69 mi
- LibertyCategory 1 · 48 mi
- DaytonCategory 1 · 56 mi
- BunaCategory 1 · 5 mi
- SilsbeeCategory 1 · 7 mi
- HuffmanCategory 1 · 68 mi
- KountzeCategory 1 · 16 mi
- KingwoodCategory 1 · 72 mi
- ShepherdCategory 1 · 54 mi
- ClevelandCategory 1 · 54 mi
- SplendoraCategory 1 · 67 mi
- New CaneyCategory 1 · 68 mi
- PorterCategory 1 · 74 mi
- WarrenTropical storm · 18 mi
- GoodrichTropical storm · 50 mi
- ColdspringTropical storm · 62 mi
- KirbyvilleTropical storm · 10 mi
- LivingstonTropical storm · 47 mi
- WoodvilleTropical storm · 18 mi
- NewtonTropical storm · 21 mi
- OnalaskaTropical storm · 60 mi
- JasperTropical storm · 4 mi
- ColmesneilTropical storm · 15 mi
- TrinityTropical storm · 73 mi
- CorriganTropical storm · 41 mi
- BrookelandTropical storm · 7 mi
- GrovetonTropical storm · 58 mi
- ZavallaTropical storm · 16 mi
- HuntingtonTropical storm · 26 mi
- DibollTropical storm · 40 mi
- BronsonTropical storm · 5 mi
- HemphillTropical storm · 20 mi
- LufkinTropical storm · 37 mi
- PollokTropical storm · 46 mi
- San AugustineTropical storm · 4 mi
- NacogdochesTropical storm · 33 mi
- AltoTropical storm · 56 mi
- CenterTropical storm · 6 mi
- ShelbyvilleTropical storm · 11 mi
- RuskTropical storm · 64 mi
- GarrisonTropical storm · 26 mi
- CushingTropical storm · 46 mi
- JoaquinTropical storm · overhead
and 50 more
Louisiana (57)
- GueydanCategory 3 · 72 mi
- Lake ArthurCategory 3 · 64 mi
- Bell CityCategory 2 · 47 mi
- JenningsCategory 2 · 72 mi
- WelshCategory 2 · 62 mi
- IowaCategory 2 · 53 mi
- Lake CharlesCategory 2 · 41 mi
- WestlakeCategory 2 · 39 mi
- SulphurCategory 2 · 32 mi
- VintonCategory 2 · 19 mi
- KinderCategory 1 · 68 mi
- RagleyCategory 1 · 52 mi
- DequincyCategory 1 · 36 mi
- LongvilleCategory 1 · 49 mi
- MerryvilleTropical storm · 32 mi
- DeridderTropical storm · 49 mi
- PitkinTropical storm · 68 mi
- Fort PolkTropical storm · 52 mi
- New LlanoTropical storm · 49 mi
- LeesvilleTropical storm · 52 mi
- AnacocoTropical storm · 40 mi
- FlorienTropical storm · 39 mi
- ManyTropical storm · 32 mi
- ZwolleTropical storm · 26 mi
- RobelineTropical storm · 47 mi
- MontgomeryTropical storm · 72 mi
- NatchitochesTropical storm · 58 mi
- CamptiTropical storm · 57 mi
- LogansportTropical storm · 5 mi
- MansfieldTropical storm · 22 mi
- Grand CaneTropical storm · 16 mi
- CoushattaTropical storm · 43 mi
- StonewallTropical storm · 14 mi
- KeithvilleTropical storm · 10 mi
- Elm GroveTropical storm · 31 mi
- RinggoldTropical storm · 41 mi
- GreenwoodTropical storm · 2 mi
- ShreveportTropical storm · 14 mi
- Barksdale AfbTropical storm · 23 mi
- DoylineTropical storm · 37 mi
- HeflinTropical storm · 42 mi
- Bossier CityTropical storm · 19 mi
- HaughtonTropical storm · 27 mi
- PrincetonTropical storm · 29 mi
- SibleyTropical storm · 41 mi
- MooringsportTropical storm · 2 mi
- BentonTropical storm · 17 mi
- SareptaTropical storm · 35 mi
- SpringhillTropical storm · 37 mi
- HaynesvilleTropical storm · 54 mi
- HomerTropical storm · 57 mi
- VivianTropical storm · 2 mi
- Plain DealingTropical storm · 12 mi
- MindenTropical storm · 41 mi
- ArcadiaTropical storm · 63 mi
- SimsboroTropical storm · 70 mi
- GramblingTropical storm · 75 mi
Florida (4)
- Key WestCategory 2 · 43 mi
- Summerland KeyCategory 2 · 53 mi
- Big Pine KeyCategory 2 · 56 mi
- MarathonCategory 1 · 63 mi
Other storms of the 2005 season
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.