Corsicana —
My memory pales in comparison to others, you know, those folks who can recount things in their lives and tell you the years. I had to look Rita up.
Hurricane Isaac made me.
While Isaac pales in comparison to the storms Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were, it certainly conjures up old memories. Wednesday marked the seventh anniversary of Katrina’s landfall in Louisiana, and subsequent wrath of devastation through the state, namely — and most remembered nationally — in New Orleans.
Rita made landfall Sept. 24, 2005, a day after my 36th birthday. That’s not what I remember most. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember my birthday being spent with hundreds, maybe thousands of extra guests in our hometown and county.
Those “guests,” they are what I remember.
Katrina and Rita were both Category 5 hurricanes at some point in their brief stays on this earth. Both made landfall as Category 3s (up to 129 mph sustained winds). Katrina devastated Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. We all watched the horror of people trapped in New Orleans for days.
When Rita approached the Texas coastline about three weeks later, residents of our fine state did not need a reminder of the danger they faced. They loaded up and headed north.
And they should have.
It marked only the second time in history two Category 5 hurricanes formed in the Gulf, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was only the third time two had formed in the same year in the Atlantic Basin.
Rita is one of the strongest storms on record, with winds up to 175 mph, and still had hurricane force winds (at least 75 mph) 150 miles inland. In terms of weather, it was a monster. In terms of damage and loss of life, it — to use an expression for the third time — paled in comparison to Katrina.
More than 3 million people fled the regions of Texas in Rita’s projected path. I recall Houston becoming about as close to a ghost town as Houston can be.
With Interstate 45 being the major roadway north out of the Houston/Galveston area, we became a part of the story.
The weather part remains foggy. Driving home on U.S. Highway 287, and under I-45, after long days of work remains a vivid picture in mind. I remember seeing people parked at Richie’s Automotive on Business 45, some half-mile to a mile off of I-45. They had nowhere else to go, or at least wanted a break from traveling for the night.
The interstate was scary. Really, it was. The Interstate Shell and Mickey’s became make-shift camp grounds. People were in their cars, sitting on them, hanging out if you will. The drive home was one of those 5 mph, runner-neck strolls where your mouth hangs open as you try to take it all in, and make some sort of sense out of it.
People were running out of gas on the highway. They were panicked. Locals helped like they always do. I remember Heritage Oaks taking in bus loads of folks from the coast.
With Isaac, there has been no panic, no mass deluge of people fleeing to and through our little county. That’s certainly fine by me, and I am sure by everyone else that calls this place home. Or those on the coastline.
That’s a memory I won’t ever forget, nor care to re-live.
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Raymond Linex II is publisher of the Corsicana Daily Sun. His column appears on Thursdays. Want to “Soundoff” on his column? Email: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
Opinion
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Raymond Linex II is publisher of the Daily Sun.
Discussion
Isaac brings back memories of Rita’s effect locally
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