Hurricane (Typhoon) in Beauregard, Louisiana

Hurricane 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. This resulted in numerous trees and power lines downed. In parts of Beauregard, Jeff Davis, and Vermilion Parishes, winds blew over 90 mph. The remainder of southwest Louisiana saw wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. Only one direct fatality has been reported. A man drowned near a sunken shrimping vessel near the Calcasieu ship channel. Estimated damages in southwest Louisiana total near 4 billion dollars, with the bulk of that loss in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes. Entire towns were destroyed in Cameron Parish, including downtown Cameron, Creole, Holly Beach, and Grand Chenier. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of the homes in the parish were severely damaged or destroyed - over 5000 residences. Storm surge values are estimated around 15 feet in parts of Cameron Parish. The storm surge also moved up the Calcasieu ship channel, flooding portions of Calcasieu Parish, including sections of downtown Lake Charles near the civic center, where the storm surge was estimated between 6 and 8 feet. Storm surge also was a significant problem in Vermilion Parish, which saw locations 10 ft above sea level flooded - including all of Pecan Island, Intracoastal City, and Delcambre. The storm surge extended further east, into Iberia and St. Mary Parishes, where an estimated 5 to 10 ft storm surge damaged homes along and south of Highway 90, especially near Cypremort Point, Burns Point, and Franklin.