Jefferson Davis--What Happened

Early on the morning of Sept. 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita struck the southwest coast of Louisiana and moved inland toward Jefferson Davis Parish.  Because it was buffered from the storm surge by Cameron Parish to the south, Jefferson Davis Parish sustained only limited damage in its southern-most areas. 

As Rita traveled to the northwest, it carried hurricane-force winds in excess of 100 mph[1] and spawned multiple tornados in the area.  The storm caused substantial wind damage to trees, power distribution systems, residential and commercial properties in the parish, and left tons of debris to be removed.  While some properties were heavily damaged by falling trees and blowing debris, the most extensive damage was confined to roofs. The storm caused a surge of Lake Arthur that flooded areas adjacent to the waterfront. The hurricane conditions subsided approximately six to eight hours after moving into the parish.

Approximately 600 evacuees from other parishes joined the 500 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who were already living in Jefferson Davis Parish.[2]  No deaths or injuries associated with the storm have been confirmed.