#19 Typhoon Rita (1978)

Duration: October 15-29, 1978
Origin: Pacific Ocean, east of the Marhall Islands
Highest 1-minute Sustained Winds: 175 mph (280 kph)
Lowest central atmospheric pressure: 878 millibars

In 1978, the most powerful tropical cylone during the 1978 Pacific typhoon season wrought massive devastation in the Philippines. Typhoon Rita as it was called was a super typhoon that formed near the Marshall Islands travelling fast westwards and achieving an atmospheric pressure of 878 millibars. It crossed the Philippine main island of Luzon, inundating the capital of Metro Manila, leaving more than 300 dead in its wake and continuing on to the South China Sea and making land in Vietnam as a minimal typhoon.

#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.