#18 Hurricane Rita (2005)
Duration: September 18-26, 2005
Origin: Atlantic Ocean, near the Bahamas
Highest 1-minute Sustained Winds: 180 mph (285 kph)
Lowest central atmospheric pressure: 895 millibars
The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season that included three of the top ten strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record also brought in Hurricane Rita, a Category-5 hurricane that brought additional damage to the eastern gulf coast previously destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Rita was the fourth strongest hurricane ever recorded that originated in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. It left $18.5 billion in damages and 120 dead in its wake.
