Hurricane Rita
One of the tropical cyclone disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $29 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($19 billion at the time) and 119 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 149 most significant tropical cyclone episodes filed in these dates, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Losses, 2024 dollars
- $29 billion
- Losses at the time
- $19 billion
- Deaths
- 119
The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.
By state, as filed
| State | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 93 | 1 | 3 | $4.5 billion |
| Texas | 31 | 5 | 3 | $2.2 billion |
| Minnesota | 90 | 1 | 5 | $301 million |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 0 | 0 | $30 million |
| Mississippi | 109 | 1 | 13 | $30 million |
| Alaska | 9 | 0 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| Arkansas | 66 | 0 | 5 | $1.7 million |
| Alabama | 30 | 0 | 2 | $1.1 million |
| Kansas | 8 | 0 | 0 | $890,000 |
| Michigan | 23 | 0 | 0 | $340,000 |
| Indiana | 4 | 0 | 0 | $100,000 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 0 | 0 | $9,000 |
| Ohio | 3 | 0 | 0 | $7,000 |
| California | 2 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Idaho | 2 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Florida | 9 | 0 | 1 | |
| Puerto Rico | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hawaii | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missouri | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Colorado | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Dakota | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Tornado in Illinois, September 19, 2005A tornado first formed in a valley east of Liberty and moved south crossing County Road 2675. The tornado dissipated near the intersection of County Road 2675 and 800. One machine shed was destroyed and several trees were damaged.
- Flash Flood in Indiana, September 19, 2005Water was reported flowing over several county roads, making some of these impassable.
- Flash Flood in Missouri, September 19, 2005Rainfall from severe thunderstorms produced flash flooding across Columbia. Several roads were reported flooded with up to 2 to 3 feet of water.
- Tornado in Missouri, September 19, 2005A small tornado formed in a corn field and caused a distinct path of damage for about 0.1 of a mile.
- Tropical Storm in Florida, September 20, 2005Rita formed from a tropical depression near the Turks and Caicos Islands on September 17th.
- Hurricane and Storm Surge in Florida, September 20, 2005Hurricane Rita passed 45 miles south of Key West as a category two hurricane. Over the Monroe County Upper Keys, maximum winds were sustained 39 knots (45 mph) with gusts to 52 knots (60 mph) at Long Key. Minimum pressure recorded was 1003.3 mb at Long Key.
- Heavy Rain in Puerto Rico, September 20, 2005NWS Coop observer reported 5.48 inches of rain, pea size hail, and flooding along road114.
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, September 20, 2005Road 355 flooded by River Luchetti.
- Heavy Rain in California, September 20, 2005Locally heavy rain caused street flooding in and near the intersection of Highways 219 and 99.
- Heavy Rain in California, September 20, 2005Heavy rain caused rock and mud slides along Highway 49 in Sonora resulting in minor road damage.
- Flash Flooding in Idaho, September 21, 2005A downpour in downtown Pocatello dropped 1.7 inches of rain in an hour reported by the KPVI television rain gauge. Many downtown streets were flooded and the Center Street underpass closed briefly. Oak Street and 6th and 8th Avenues flooded as well.
- Heavy Rain in Florida, September 21, 2005Poor drainage area/street flooding caused by locally heavy rainfall. Debarry Road was covered with water and was almost impassable.
- Heavy Rain in Florida, September 21, 2005Poor drainage area/street flooding caused by locally heavy rainfall. Water covered many streets with golf courses beginning to flood.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Minnesota, September 21, 2005Hail covered the ground.
- Heavy Rain in Colorado, September 21, 2005Heavy rainfall resulted in mud and water flowing across roads several inches deep.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Wisconsin, September 21, 2005Hundreds of houses damaged from wind driven large hail. Numerous car windows shattered. The local newspaper reported that one auto glass replacement company estimated about 200 different jobs were required.
- Heavy Rain in Colorado, September 21, 2005Heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused storm drains to back up and streets to flood around Mesa Mall and in portions of the Redlands.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Michigan, September 22, 2005A warm front moved north into southeast Michigan on the 22nd, triggering a few severe thunderstorms. The warm front proceeded to stall out along I-69, which caused the training of thunderstorms which produced the flash flooding across Genesee and Lapeer counties.
- Storm Surge and High Wind in Alaska, September 22 to 24, 2005A low pressure center moved north over the eastern Bering Sea on the 22nd reaching the western Seward Peninsula early on the 23rd and deepening to 966 mb.
- Flood in Alaska, September 22 to 23, 2005A storm rapidly intensified to 962 MB as it moved from the central Aleutians to the northern Bering Sea Thursday afternoon. The storm produced strong southwest wind across the southern Bering Sea into the Bering Sea coast of Alaska.
- Flash Flood in Puerto Rico, September 22, 2005River Rio Blanco was reported out of its banks at La Pitina Sector, and flooding parts of road 31.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kansas, September 23, 2005Up to six inches of heavy rain from overnight thunderstorms brought extensive flooding and flash flooding along the Kansas River Valley from near St. Marys to Lawrence.The 5.61 inches of rain that fell in Topeka broke the one-day rainfall record for the city.
- Flood and Damaging Winds in Ohio, September 23, 2005Powerlines and a transformer were blown down.
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, September 22 to 23, 2005Heavy showers in coastal and upslope areas of eastern and southern parts of the Big Island of Hawaii caused small stream and drainage ditch flooding, and ponding of roadways. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.
- Storm Surge in Louisiana, September 23 to 24, 2005Hurricane Rita produced extensive storm surge flooding across coastal areas of southern Terrebonne, southern Lafourche, and southern Jefferson Parishes where numerous homes and businesses were flooded.
- Tropical Storm in Louisiana, September 23 to 24, 2005A tropical depression moving west through the Turks and Caicos Islands developed into Tropical Storm Rita on the afternoon of September 18th.
- Hurricane in Louisiana, September 23 to 24, 2005Hurricane Rita made landfall around 230 am on September 24th in Cameron Parish near Johnson Bayou as a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph. Wind gusts over 110 mph were recorded in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes.
- Hurricane in Texas, September 23 to 24, 2005Although Hurricane Rita made landfall just east of the Texas - Louisiana border, she moved northwest and moved across southeast Texas in the morning hours of September 24th as a dangerous category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph.
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, September 23, 2005Heavy showers and thunderstorms produced ponding on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding in northern and eastern parts of Oahu. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
- Flood in Indiana, September 23, 2005Scattered thunderstorms developed along a nearly stationary frontal boundary. Two to three inches of rain fell across Dearborn County in a little over an hour, causing flooding of roads near Aurora.
- Hurricane in Texas, September 23 to 24, 2005The eye of Hurricane Rita moved ashore in extreme southwest Louisiana between Sabine Pass and Johnson's Bayou In Cameron Parish with a minimum central pressure of 937 mb and maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, September 23, 2005Drenching downpours from showers and thunderstorms caused flooding along portions of Kamehameha Highway in windward coastal sections of Oahu. Streets became flooded near the Windward Mall in Kaneohe, and some homes suffered flood damage in Hauula.
- Flash Flooding in Indiana, September 24, 2005Slow-moving early morning thunderstorms on 24 September 2005 dumped heavy rain in some locations across central Indiana, closing city streets in Muncie and causing mudslides near Martinsville.
- Hurricane in Texas, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita moved onshore the Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana coast during the early morning hours of September 24, 2005 and moved northward into portions of East Central Texas during the predawn hours.
- Hurricane in Louisiana, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita came on shore across the Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana coast and moved north northeast across East Central Texas and Northwest and North Central Louisiana during the morning and afternoon hours of September 24, 2005.
- Hurricane in Louisiana, September 24 to 25, 2005See narrative for Mississippi.
- Hurricane in Mississippi, September 24 to 25, 2005Hurricane Rita made landfall during the morning of September 24th near the Texas, Louisiana state line at the Sabine Pass.
- Hurricane in Arkansas, September 24 to 25, 2005See narrative for Mississippi.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down around Dummy Line Road and tore off numerous limbs and downed a few trees.
- Flash Flooding in Texas, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita produced over 10 inches of rain in parts of Jasper and Tyler counties, resulting in some serious street flooding.
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 24, 2005Flooding was reported across Hwy 96 just south of Center as the outer feeder bands of Hurricane Rita moved northward into east central Texas.
- Tropical Storm in Texas, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita made landfall in the early morning hours on Saturday, September 24. Rita was a dangerous Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale as she moved over Sabine Pass, Texas. Rita was downgraded to a Tropical Storm by early afternoon.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado touched down just Northwest of Utica and crossed Cayuga Road. Several trees were snapped with a few uprooted.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down in extreme West-Central Hinds county very near the Claiborne county line. This area can best be described as the area where Hinds, Claiborne and Warren county meet in the Big Black River bottom just south of Highway 27.
- Tropical Storm in Arkansas, September 24 to 25, 2005Hurricane Rita made landfall along the Gulf Coast near the Texas and Louisiana line on September 24th. The storm weakened as it moved inland, and was a Tropical Depression by the time it reached southern Arkansas.
- Tornadoes in Arkansas, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down just Northwest of Hamburg and tracked 7 miles north-northwest to Fountain Hill. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along the path.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado was spawned in southwest Drew County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 75 mph, with minor damage noted.
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 24, 20058.46 inches of rainfall fell across Center, Texas as a result of Hurricane Rita. The excessive heavy rainfall led to widespread flooding through the city with numerous roads underwater.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down near the Lynchburg Community. A few trees were snapped and damaged.
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita dumped several inches of rainfall across the city in a short amount of time.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This strong tornado touched down a few miles southeast of Downtown Greenville on Dodd Road. The tornado tracked 2 miles to the northwest, crossed Highway 82 and dissipated at the Delta Village mobile home park.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado was spawned in southeast Desha County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 60 mph. The tornado caused minor damage to a couple of company buildings along the Mississippi River.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down in an open field just to the southwest of Lamont near the Washington/Bolivar county line. The tornado was photographed as it moved across farm land. No damage occurred as the tornado stayed in the open fields.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado was spawned in southern Arkansas County roughly 8.5 miles south of Gillett. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 60 mph.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado moved from Arkansas County into southeast Jefferson County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 60 mph.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado touched down on the western edge of Silver City and tracked north-northwest for 4 miles to the Belzoni Municipal Airport. Damage was limited to snapped limbs and minor damage to the roof of one home.
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, September 24, 2005Bands of thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the Downtown area for a little over an hour causing several roads to be covered by nearly a foot of water. These bands of rains produced a quick 2 to 3 inches of rain.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down just north of Belzoni and tracked for 1.5 miles before dissipating. This tornado downed numerous trees and blew irrigation equipment across a field. Additionally, one home and a church sustained major roof damage.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down just east of Isola and tracked north-northwest for 3 miles and dissipated just as it moved into extreme southern Sunflower county. The damage began just south of Tram Road where numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This strong tornado touched down 4 miles south-southeast of Belzoni on Gunn Bayou Road, in Humphreys county. As the tornado approached Highway 12 and the City of Belzoni, it grew larger and more intense. Before it reached Belzoni, numerous trees and power lines were taken down.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down in Shaw and damaged a shed as well as uprooting a large tree and taking down a power pole.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A strong tornado was spawned in Lonoke County roughly 2 miles east-southeast of Bevis Corner. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 120 mph.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado was photographed by an editor of the Indianola local newspaper as it briefly touched down in an open field for a minute or two then lifted back up. No damage occurred during the brief touchdown.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down off Highway 442 near the Sunflower/Bolivar county line and tracked northwest to around the Boyle Community. As the tornado moved into Bolivar county it crossed Sawmill and Sandpit Roads.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 24, 2005This tornado briefly touched down west of Transylvania and moved north-northwest across an open field. Law enforcement officials watched the funnel cloud develop and then touch down. No damage occurred as the tornado moved across an open field.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado was photographed near the Swiftown Community as it briefly touched down across farm land. The photo showed and impressive looking tornado along a tree line a mile or so away. Damage was confined to many trees snapped and uprooted.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down between Cleveland and Ruleville about 3 miles southeast of Dockery in Western Sunflower county. The tornado then tracked northwest into Bolivar county just east of Cleveland and then toward Merigold where it dissipated.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005This tornado was spotted just west of Eudora damaging trees and power lines. The tornado was briefly on the ground as it moved northwest.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado touched down just south of Itta Bena and tracked northwest for 2 miles before dissipating. Several trees were damaged along the path.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado touched down over northwest Lonoke County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Damage along the tornado consisted of minor roof damage to several residences and some trees blown down.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down just north-northwest of Cruger, in Holmes county, on the extreme southern end of Mosquito Lake and tracked northwest for 9 miles across southern Leflore county.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado entered northeast Pulaksi County from Lonoke County about 4 miles northeast of Jacksonville. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado touched down over northeast Pulaski County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Damage along the tornado path consisted of some trees blown down or snapped off.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down on the southeast side of Itta Bena and tracked into town for about a mile. Numerous trees were damaged a large limbs scattered along the path through town. One home sustained roof damage and the roof of the High School was damaged. All damage was minor.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado entered Faulkner County from Pulaski County about 1 mile south of Otto. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Damage along the tornado consisted some trees blown down or snapped off.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This brief tornado damaged a number of large limbs and power lines when it touched down just southwest of the Acona Community.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005This tornado was spotted between Lake Village and Montrose moving across farm land. This tornado was on the ground for nearly 2 miles and damaged numerous trees and power lines.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 24, 2005Spotters observed this tornado near the Holly Grove Community moving northwest. The tornado remained over bottom land and only damaged trees. Total path length was 3 miles.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A strong tornado briefly touched down in northern Conway County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 125 mph. All of the damage observed was on a hilltop.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado briefly touched down southwest of Meadville and uprooted a few trees and twisted limbs off several more.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A strong tornado was spawned on White County 5 miles to the southeast of Center Hill. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Winds with the tornado were estimated to be about 155 mph.
- Flash Flood in South Dakota, September 24, 2005Heavy rain caused flooding of numerous streets, especially at intersections, with up to three feet of water on some roads. Several vehicles stalled on the flooded streets. Basement flooding was also reported.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This strong tornado touched down briefly on the northeast side of Newton causing significant damage to the Lazy Boy factory building. A large part of the factory roof was torn off and large pieces of metal were thrown 1/3 of a mile to the north-northwest.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado was spawned in southwest Cleburne County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 70 mph. The tornado snapped large limbs off of several trees and blew over an old barn.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down on the north end of Cocodrie Lake on Highway 565. Some awning was torn from a house and 1 tree was uprooted. Minor debris was scattered in the field to the north. The tornado continued moving north-northeast and crossed Highway 129.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado was spawned in southwest Cleburne County from the same storm that produced the tornado at Hopewell. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were about 90 mph.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down on the western side of Anguilla uprooting and snapping several trees. The damage was near Deer Creek and just to the northwest.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down on the west side of Nitta Yuma and caused damage to homes and downed a few trees. Nearly 20 homes had shingles blown off the roof, one tree was down on a house and 3 power poles were blown down.
- Tornado in Arkansas, September 24, 2005A weak tornado touched down over eastern Arkansas County. The tornado moved to the northwest around the remnants of Hurricane Rita. Estimated winds with the tornado were around 90 mph.
- Flash Flood in Minnesota, September 24 to 25, 2005Heavy rain caused flooding of streets, parking areas, parks, fields, basements, and garages. Up to three feet of water flooded some roads, including the main intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and State highway 60. One street was partially washed out under the curb.
- Flash Flood in Minnesota, September 24 to 25, 2005Heavy rain caused widespread street flooding, with basement flooding also reported. Water was two to three feet deep on some roads, and numerous vehicles stalled.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 24, 2005This tornado touched down just southeast of Archie and tracked for nearly 9 miles to the northeast. Numerous trees were downed with many snapped and broken. Additionally, 2 homes sustained roof damage with many shingles blown off.
- Flash Flood in Minnesota, September 24 to 25, 2005Heavy rain caused widespread flooding of roads and fields, with basement flooding also reported.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Minnesota, September 24 to 25, 2005Golf ball sized hail fell in and around Minnesota Lake, west to County Road 17 N (460th Avenue), east to County Road 29 (570th Avenue), and south to 200th Street. Hail drifts and considerable corn and soybean crop damage were reported.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 24, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down outside of the Pace Community and caused minor roof damage to 1 home and blew down a fence. Additionally, several large limbs were snapped and torn off a few trees.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 24, 2005This weak tornado touched down just south of Clayton and tracked northeast for 1 mile. It crossed Highway 65 and 900 where it tore off some limbs from trees and uprooted 6 trees.
- Tornadoes in Louisiana, September 24 to 25, 2005This tornado first touched down in Clayton and tracked to the northeast for 14 miles to 6 miles north of Waterproof. The tornado was on the ground for 3 miles in Concordia parish before it moved into Tensas parish.
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, September 25, 2005Several streets were flooded along with a few road around the parish.
- Flash Flood in South Dakota, September 25, 2005Heavy rain caused flooding of roads and fields.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down south of Crowville and damaged the roof at Ward 3 School. Additionally, few trees had broken limbs.
- Tornado in Louisiana, September 25, 2005This weak tornado touched down in an open field and tracked northeast for 4 miles. An outbuilding was blown over and tin was scattered across the field. Several trees were blown over in a bayou along Highway 603.
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, September 25, 2005Locally heavy rain flooded many streets around Cleveland. Some roads were impassible due to high water.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This strong tornado touched down a few miles west-southwest of Fayette and tracked north-northeast for 10 miles. Extensive tree damage occurred along the path with hundreds of trees snapped and uprooted.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado briefly touched down north of Fayette and snapped the tops off a number of trees.
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This strong tornado touched down in the Red Lick Community, of Jefferson county, and tracked northeast into Claiborne county. Extensive tree damage occurred along the path with hundreds of trees uprooted and snapped.
- Flash Flooding in Mississippi, September 25, 2005Early Sunday morning several bands of thunderstorms developed across Southwest, West-central and Central Mississippi. These bands repeatedly moved over the same locations for a few hours and produced locally heavy rainfall.
- Flash Flooding in Louisiana, September 25, 2005Early Sunday morning, a band of persistent rain and thunderstorms moved over a corridor of Concordia and Tensas Parishes. This persistent band produced a swath of 5 to 7inches of rain in just a few hours.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, September 25, 2005A couple of trees were blown down.
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, September 25, 2005Locally heavy rain caused significant street flooding in and around Greenville. Over a 10 hour period, 5 to 7 inches of rain fell across Washington county.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down southeast of Fayette and took down a few power lines and damaged several trees. One mobile home sustained minor damage.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A weak tornado touched down just south of Highway 136 near Excel. The tornado tracked north and dissipated near Highway 84. Several trees, power lines and out buildings were damaged by the tornado. Some roofs were also damaged by the tornado.
- Tropical Storm and Flash Flood in Mississippi, September 25, 2005Tropical depression Rita moved across northern Mississippi. A large tree was blown down in Clarksdale (Coahoma County) and some large tree limbs were blown down near Tunica Elementary School (Tunica County). Rita also brought heavy rain to northeast Mississippi.
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, September 25, 2005A large oak tree and several power lines were knocked down.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado briefly touched down and damaged a roof and a porch to a well built home. Additionally, a number of trees were downed and damaged.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down off Halls Ferry, Timberlane and Sweetgum Roads. Several trees were snapped and uprooted along with a few power lines taken down.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado touched down briefly in Redwood and crossed US Highway 61. A man drove his truck through the tornado as it crossed the Highway. The tornado destroyed a metal overhang, knocked over a fence and snapped a few small trees and limbs.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005Storm Spotters witnessed a brief tornado touch down just west of Crossville. The tornado occurred immediately to the north of State Highway 18, just east of Hudson Road. The tornado snapped off or uprooted a few trees. No structures were affected.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down about 6 miles southeast of Kosciusko and tracked northeast for about 2 miles. This tornado rolled over a camper trailer, downed some power lines and uprooted or snapped a dozen or so trees.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A weak tornado touched down near the Cochrane Recreation Area along the Tombigbee River. The weak tornado moved northeast, crossed the Tombigbee River and lifted before the city of Aliceville. The tornado affected many rural open countryside.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado touched down just off the Natchez Trace and moved northeast for 3 miles causing minor tree damage across Sharon Road, Pine Grove Road and Barnes Road. Several trees were uprooted with a few having limbs snapped.
- Tornadoes in Alabama, September 25, 2005Emergency Management Officials performed an aerial survey and determined a tornado occurred across far southern Lamar and southwest Fayette counties. A tornado touched down just outside Kennedy, west of County Road 2.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado briefly touched down just west of Raleigh and and moved east-northeast for about a mile. A man watched the tornado damage his barn and knock down a few trees as it moved to the east-northeast.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed the damage across southern Marion County and determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado touched down just north of the Fayette-Marion County line near the intersection of County Road 69 and County Road 27.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down on the southeast side of Starkville, just southwest of the MSU Campus, in the Sherwood Forest subdivision and tracked northeast for 3.5 miles through the MSU Campus then dissipated at Highway 82.The Sherwood Forest subdivision had several trees uprooted…
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down just on the southwest side of the Carthage county airport. Three small aircraft were destroyed as one was flipped over and another thrown nearly 1/4 mile into a wooded area. The airport hanger sustained minor damage as the door was blown in.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A weak tornado touched down near the Black Pond community southeast of Double Springs. The tornado started just west of County Road 8 northwest of Black Pond. The tornado moved northward and crossed County Road 8 near the Union Grove Freewill Baptist Church.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005National Weather Service meteorologists performed aerial and ground surveys across northwest Tuscaloosa County. The damage that occurred along Robertson Road was determined to be a tornado.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005The tornado touched down just east of County Road 89 south of Fairview at approximately 257 PM CDT. The tornado moved northeast and crossed US 278 just east of Fairview. The tornado lifted around 301 PM CDT along County Road 91.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005Storm Spotters witnessed a brief tornado touch down just north of the Hubbertville community, west of State Highway 129. The tornado affected rural countryside and little to no damage occurred. The tornado path was less than 0.1 miles long and 20 yards wide at its widest point.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado was witnessed by spotters touching down just west of Montrose and moving across an open field for a few minutes. No damage was reported other than some minor damage to some trees.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005National Weather Service meteorologists performed aerial and ground surveys across northern Tuscaloosa County. It has been determined that a brief tornado occurred along Mormon Road.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A brief tornado touched down along County Road 17 just east of State Highway 13. The tornado snapped off a few tree tops and knocked down a few power lines. The tornado occurred at approximately 306 PM CDT.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado quickly spun up off Elton Road, between the Railroad tracks and the Pearl River, and damaged several trees before dissipating.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005Storm Spotters in western Tuscaloosa County reported a brief tornado touch down near the Tuscaloosa and Pickens County line. The brief tornado touched down at approximately 339 PM CDT in far southeastern Pickens County.
- Tornadoes in Alabama, September 25, 2005Several storm spotters in western Tuscaloosa County reported a brief tornado touch down on the Greene and Tuscaloosa county line in the Sipsey Swamp. The tornado occurred between 354 and 355 PM CDT. The tornado snapped off a few trees along its short path.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005National Weather Service meteorologists performed extensive aerial and ground surveys across northern Tuscaloosa County. It has been determined that a tornado produced damage along a large stretch of the Sipsey River Basin.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down near Hemphill Drive and moved northeast dissipating just north of Old Lake Road. As the tornado moved through a residential area, it destroyed a few dozen trees and several power lines.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005The second tornado that affected the Buhl community within an hour touched down at approximately 405 PM CDT. The tornado began just east of County Road 19 near Cornelius Church Road. The tornado traveled northeast and produced significant damage in the Buhl community.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado touched down off Thompson Road and Tobe Henry Road, near the power lines, and moved northeast for about 1 mile. Several trees were uprooted along with a few large limbs broken off some trees.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005The parent thunderstorm that produced the tornado on the west side of Lake Lurleen re-organized and developed another tornado on the east side of the lake. The tornado touched down just west of Lake Lurleen Road near the southern end of the lake at approximately 419 PM CDT.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This tornado touched down just west of Van Zyverden Road and moved northeast for almost 2 miles and passed near Northeast High School. The tornado dissipated less than 1 mile south of the intersection of Ponta Hills Road and Lizella Road.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005The Lake Lurleen parent thunderstorm re-organized again and produced a weak tornado near Lake Tuscaloosa. The tornado touched down east of State Highway 171 near Rue Road at approximately 424 PM CDT.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Alabama, September 25, 2005Several trees were blown down across County Road 8.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005This weak tornado touched down in the Rufus Community slightly east of Highway 43 and moved east-northeast for almost a mile. This tornado moved across a small lake and dissipated just to the northeast of the lake.
- Tornado in Mississippi, September 25, 2005Spotters witnessed a tornado briefly touching down and moving across a field just northwest of Brooksville.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A tornado touched down just east of County Road 20 near Trussells Creek. The tornado moved roughly parallel to Trussells Creek and lifted before the town of Clinton. This tornado primarily affect rural countryside in west central Greene County.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A tornado touched down at approximately 552 PM CDT along Sipsey Valley Road between Buhl and Romulus. The tornado damaged three homes and snapped off several trees near Sipsey Valley Road. The tornado lifted in the rural countryside east of Sipsey Valley Road around 553 PM CDT.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005The third tornado to affect the Buhl community in one afternoon touched down at approximately 559 PM CDT. The tornado started just east of Sipsey Valley Road and moved due north. The tornado damaged several homes near Sipsey Valley Road and Sipsey Lane.
- Tornado in Alabama, September 25, 2005A brief and weak tornado touched down right in Lake Lurleen at approximately 614 PM CDT. The short lived tornado was visible to many people and was captured on camera as it pulled water up and out of the lake.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2005The 2005 hurricane seasonTornadoes in 2005
Sources
NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.