The approach of Hurricane Rita towards the United States Gulf Coast in September 2005 triggered one of the largest mass evacuations in U.S. history. Between 2.5 and 3.7 million people evacuated from the Gulf coast, mostly from the Greater Houston area of Texas, with forecasts from the National Hurricane Center projecting Rita to strike the Texas Gulf Coast. Seeking to avoid a repeat of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi less than a month prior, local officials began issuing evacuation orders on September 21 before the issuance of hurricane watches and warnings. Although evacuation orders anticipated smaller numbers of evacuees, uncertainties in projections of Rita's path and the fresh memory of Katrina's aftermath led many to evacuate, including from otherwise safe areas outside the scope of evacuation orders; approximately two-thirds of evacuees were not required to evacuate. The unexpectedly large scale of the evacuation overwhelmed Texas highways, producing widespread gridlock that was exacerbated by the implementation of previously unplanned contraflow on Interstates 10 and 45 while the evacuation was ongoing. Most traffic associated with the evacuation was clear of the threatened coastal areas by the early morning of September 23.
Evacuees fleeing by road did not anticipate the 12–36 hour travel times and faced shortages of fuel, water, food, and medical attention, as well as temperatures reaching accompanied by high humidity. The mass evacuation was unusually deadly; 107 evacuees died during the mass evacuation, much more than the number of people directly killed by Rita's forces and accounting for a majority of the deaths associated with the hurricane. Many died as a result of factors related to heat exhaustion exacerbated by traffic congestion, and 23 nursing home residents died in a bus fire near Dallas.
Meteorological background and forecasts
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season featured an unprecedented amount of tropical cyclone activity and was the most active Atlantic hurricane season based on various metrics, including by number of tropical storms, by number of hurricanes, by number of hurricanes rated Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale, and by the total amount of accumulated cyclone energy. A record number of major hurricanes struck the U.S. in 2005, and collectively the over $100 billion in damage caused by the seven tropical cyclones making landfall on the U.S. made 2005 the costliest hurricane season on record.
Hurricane Rita was the first storm to make landfall on the U.S. following Hurricane Katrina, which had caused widespread destruction in Louisiana and Mississippi less than a month prior. Rita was first designated as a tropical depression by September 18, 2005, east of the Turks and Caicos. It strengthened into a tropical storm later that day while tracking towards the west-northwest across the southeastern Bahamas. Rita's intensification was initially gradual but accelerated as the storm moved through the Florida Straits. It strengthened into a hurricane within the straits on September 20 and continued to rapidly intensify as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Fueled by the very warm waters of the Loop Current, and within an environment characterized by low wind shear, Rita intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on September 21. Rita reached its peak intensity at around 10 p.m. on September 21, bearing maximum sustained winds of around 180 mph (285 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 895 mbar (hPa; 26.43 inHg). This made Rita the most intense hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and the fourth most intense hurricane in the Atlantic on record, until it was tied with Hurricane Milton in 2024. Rita was also a large hurricane at the time of peak intensity, with tropical storm-force winds extending up to 185 mi (285 km) from the storm's center. During its remaining time over the Gulf of Mexico, Rita curved towards the northwest and weakened to a Category 3 hurricane upon making landfall over southwestern Louisiana near the state border with Texas on September 24. Rita weakened as it progressed farther inland and its remnants were absorbed by a cold front on September 26 over the southern Great Lakes region. The hurricane ultimately caused at least $10 billion in damage, though it narrowly missed major population centers. Nonetheless, Rita's large size produced tropical storm-force winds over Southeast Texas and much of Louisiana.
On average, the error between forecast tracks from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Rita's actual path were substantially smaller than the agency's average over the preceding 10 years. Track forecasts from the NHC before Rita became a hurricane accurately predicted Rita's path into the Gulf of Mexico and the storm's subsequent curve towards the northwest. However, in response to unanimous shifts in the tracks projected by tropical cyclone forecast models, forecast tracks from the agency between September 20–21 were biased southward and were too slow in depicting Rita's northwestward curve. As a result, the forecast track pointed towards the central Texas Gulf Coast well west of where Rita ultimately made landfall. NHC track forecasts were more accurate afterwards leading up to landfall following a northward shift from the model guidance.
Timeline September 19 Galveston, Texas, officials plan for a voluntary evacuation of the city to begin at 2 p.m. on September 20. 10 a.m. – A conference call is held between members of the Texas state government and local officials, directing local jurisdictions to follow the state's hurricane preparedness plans.
September 20 Early – The State of Texas finalizes its mandatory evacuation timeline for storm surge zones. Texas Governor Rick Perry issues a proclamation underscoring the threat of Hurricane Rita and urges the evacuation of residents in coastal areas. Galveston County officials order the mandatory evacuation of coastal communities; the order is the first mandatory evacuation order in Texas in response to Hurricane Rita. The evacuation plan directs the evacuation of nursing homes and assisted living facilities at 6 a.m. on September 21 followed by evacuation of the general population beginning 12 hours later. The City of Houston orders a mandatory evacuation of the city's public shelters housing evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, including Reliant Arena and the George R. Brown Convention Center. Many of the evacuees are sent to shelters in Arkansas. Afternoon and evening – Other Texas cities and local jurisdictions join Galveston in ordering voluntary evacuations Late – Corpus Christi and Port Aransas, Texas, officials order the mandatory evacuation of high-profile vehicles from Flour Bluff, Mustang Island, and Padre Island
September 21
9:30 a.m. – Bill White, the Mayor of Houston, Texas, orders the mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas of Houston and recommends the voluntary evacuation of mobile homes and flood-prone neighborhoods. Early afternoon – The State of Texas implements its hurricane traffic management plan early for Texas State Highway 6 to alleviate traffic congestion 4:00 p.m. – The NHC issues a hurricane watch for coastal areas between Port Mansfield, Texas, and Cameron, Louisiana. The hurricane watch region is bracketed by a tropical storm watch that extends eastward to Grand Isle, Louisiana, and southward past the U.S.–Mexico border to the San Fernando River. 6:00 p.m. – The State of Texas orders a mandatory evacuation for Zone A and fully enacts the state's traffic management plan for the state's evacuation routes
September 22 Early morning – A shift in the NHC forecast track for Rita eastward prompts the immediate mandatory evacuation of the Texas Golden Triangle and parts of southwestern Louisiana 6:00 a.m. – Wharton County, Texas, begins mandatory evacuations. Governor Perry approves the use of contraflow. 8:00 a.m. – Mandatory evacuations begin in Victoria County, Texas. 10:00 a.m. – The NHC issues a hurricane warning for coastal areas between Port O'Connor, Texas, and Morgan City, Louisiana. 12:00 p.m. – Contraflow is implemented on of Interstate 45 in Texas. A total of of the interstate would be in contraflow by 2:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – Contraflow is implemented on of Interstate 10 in Texas between Katy and Seguin. A total of of the interstate would be in contraflow by 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. – Contraflow is implemented on of U.S. Route 59 in Texas beginning near Porter. A total of of the highway would be in contraflow by 8:00 p.m.
September 24 2:40 a.m. – Hurricane Rita makes landfall between Sabine Pass and Johnson Bayou, Louisiana. 10:00 a.m. – The NHC downgrades all remaining hurricane warnings to tropical storm warnings. 7:00 p.m. – All tropical cyclone warnings and watches issued by the NHC are discontinued.
Evacuation
Prior to Rita, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) engaged in several activities related to ensuring hurricane preparedness in Texas in 2005, coordinating drills, exercises, and workshops concerning mass evacuation and performing a review of the agency's evacuation plans. The TDEM also introduced Shelter Hubs and Evacuation Information Shelters to the state's evacuation procedures; Shelter Hubs were designated locations where state and local officials could quickly open shelters and provision resources while Evacuation Information Shelters were temporary roadside facilities at rest areas intended to provide information and supplies to evacuees. The 79th Texas Legislature passed and enacted a bill earlier in 2005 granting county judges and mayors the authority to order evacuations of their jurisdictions; Rita prompted the first exercise of those powers.
The mass evacuation prompted by Rita was one of the largest emergency evacuations in U.S. history. At least 2.5 million people evacuated ahead of Rita, with a majority leaving the Houston area. Most of the evacuations occurred in Texas, with fewer evacuees in Louisiana. The House Research Organization (HRO) of the Texas House of Representatives estimated that as many as 3.7 million people evacuated from the Texas coast between Corpus Christi and Beaumont. Approximately 1.7 million vehicles were involved in the mass evacuation in Texas compared to an anticipated 445,000. Evacuation orders in the Houston area included 400,000 people who had recently relocated there following Hurricane Katrina. Around 110,000 people evacuated from the Beaumont area. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston evacuated all patients and staff for the first time in its 114-year history. The airlifting of 1,100 patients to other hospitals in Texas was one of the largest air evacuations in U.S. history. Compliance with evacuation orders in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was around 100 percent while 85–90 percent of Galveston County, Texas, evacuated. Post-storm surveys suggested that over half of evacuees may have left within two days of Rita's landfall. A random survey of 651 people in eight Houston-area counties found that 76 percent of respondents in evacuation zones evacuated and 47 percent of respondents residing outside of evacuation zones evacuated.