From the National Weather Service:

Only a month following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the Gulf Coast received another blow from Hurricane Rita near the end of September 2005

Hurricane Rita formed on Sept. 18, 2005 west of the southeastern Bahamas. Heading westward, Rita attained hurricane strength on September 20th while passing between the Florida Keys and Cuba. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, Rita rapidly intensified over the very warm waters of the loop current and within an environment of very weak vertical wind shear.

Rita produced a storm surge that did significant damage to coastal communities

Rita caused significant damage to coastal communities in southwestern Louisiana, and its winds, rain, and tornadoes caused fatalities and a wide swath of damage from eastern Texas to Alabama. Storm surge of 12 to 18 feet across most of Cameron parish, and 10 to 12 feet across most of Vermilion parish devastated these areas, with Holly Beach, LA completely leveled to the ground.

This animation from the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Rita from Sept.18-25, 2005 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. Satellite cloud data from NOAA/GOES is overlaid for context:

The visualization below shows the sea surface temperatures during Hurricane Rita. The data is from Sept. 17-22, 2005. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio)

The colors on the ocean represent the sea surface temperatures, and satellite images of the hurricane clouds are laid over the temperatures to clearly show the hurricane positions. Orange and red depict regions that are 82 degrees F and higher, where the ocean is warm enough for hurricanes to form. Hurricane winds are sustained by the heat energy of the ocean, so the ocean is cooled as the hurricane passes and the energy is extracted to power the winds. The sea surface temperatures are 3-day moving averages based on the AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite, while the cloud images were taken by the Imager on the GOES-12 satellite.

MODIS Visible Satellite Image of Hurricane Rita during the rapid intensifying trend at 2:20 PM CDT September 21, 2005:

Rita made landfall across western Cameron Parish just east of the Texas and Louisiana border around 2:40 AM CDT Saturday Sept. 24, 2005 as a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and a minimum pressure of 937 millibars (27.67 inches). 

Rita reached a peak intensity of category 5 with sustained winds of 180 mph (155 knots) and a minimum pressure of 895 millibars (26.43 inches) at 10 PM CDT Sept. 21st. By Sept. 22nd, the inner eyewall of Rita deteriorated and the system weakened to a category 4 with sustained winds of 145 mph (125 knots) by 1 PM CDT that day. By early on Sept. 23rd, a new outer eyewall had consolidated and the hurricane had grown in size, but weakened a bit further to a Category 3 with sustained winds of 125 mph (110 knots) by 1 PM CDT. Due to increasing southwesterly wind shear and slightly cooler waters, steady weakening continued for the remainder of the day.

Rita caused seven direct United States fatalities. Over a hundred indirect fatalities were associated with the evacuation and aftermath of Hurricane Rita within the United States.

Six individuals in Beaumont, Texas succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning when they used a generator inside their building. 

Images by National Weather Service Lake Charles staff

Devastation in Cameron parish, LA

Warm Waters in the Gulf of Mexico: The Loop Current

The Loop Current transports warm tropical water, which can intensify hurricanes by providing additional heat and moisture. The loop current flows northward from the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatán Channel, then loops eastward and southward, exiting through the Florida Straits to join the Gulf Stream.

The loop current is one of the fastest currents in the Atlantic, traveling at speeds of approximately 0.8 m/s, and is typically about 800 m deep. The extent of the loop current’s intrusion into the Gulf varies with eddies frequently breaking off when the current stretches far into the Gulf.