PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
620 AM CDT FRI MAY 25 2007

...HURRICANES RITA AND AUDREY...
...WRITTEN BY NWS LAKE CHARLES LOUISIANA...

SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA RESIDENTS EXPERIENCED A NEW
LANDMARK STORM FOR THIS AREA...AS WE WILL NEVER FORGET RITAS
LANDFALL DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 24...2005. EVEN
THOUGH RITA WEAKENED TO A 115 MPH HURRICANE AT LANDFALL...THE SIZE
OF THE STORM INCREASED...WHICH SPREAD HURRICANE FORCE WINDS FROM
INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA TO THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA TEXAS...AND
INLAND TO TOLEDO AND SAM RAYBURN RESERVOIRS. WITH A STORM OF THIS
SIZE...A LARGER THAN NORMAL STORM SURGE WAS GENERATED ALONG THE
EXTREME SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTLINES. HIGHEST STORM
SURGE VALUES RANGED FROM OVER 15 FEET NEAR CAMERON AND HOLLY BEACH
TO 10 FEET AS FAR EAST AS VERMILION BAY.

EVEN THOUGH THE RESULTS OF THE WIND AND STORM SURGE WERE
DEVASTATING...ONLY ONE FATALITY WAS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO RITA IN
THE LAKE CHARLES FORECAST AREA. THIS LOW NUMBER CAN BE DIRECTLY
ATTRIBUTED TO THE ADVANCES IN DETECTION AND EDUCATION OF
HURRICANES...AS WELL AS MUCH BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE AREAS EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND THE
PUBLIC.

THE OTHER LANDMARK STORM FOR THIS AREA WAS HURRICANE AUDREY...THE
STRONGEST...DEADLIEST AND MOST DESTRUCTIVE JUNE HURRICANE TO HIT THE
UNITED STATES IN MODERN RECORD KEEPING. AUDREY MADE LANDFALL NEAR
SABINE PASS ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 27...1957. AUDREY WAS ALSO A
LARGE STORM THAT INCREASED IN FORWARD SPEED BEFORE LANDFALL...THE
STORM SURGE WAS THE BIGGEST KILLER. TO THIS DATE...THE EXACT NUMBER
THAT PERISHED IS STILL IN QUESTION...BUT ESTIMATES ARE OVER 500.