I thought I would post some pics, of some of the damage done by hurricane Rita, in my area.
I lost power about 9:00 p.m. Friday night, Sept. 23, and got it back last night, at 11:30 p.m.
Rita hit us about 4:00 a.m., Saturday morning, Sept. 24.
The eye passed about 20 mi. to the west of Kinder, LA.
I live about 3 1/2 mi. east of Kinder.
We had sustained winds of 80-100 mph., gusting to 115.
These were taken the morning after, when we were still getting occasional showers, and winds gusting to 50 mph.
Damage wise, I lucked out, due to the wall of bamboo (15' thick, 40' high) on the west, and south side, of my property.
This deflected the worst of the wind, over the house.
I lost about a dozen shingles, and a couple of small branches, near the house, nothing major.
On the corner of the lot, I lost a large limb out of one of my pine trees.
Across the road, a pine tree was blown down.
Oak branch, down in back yard.
Chicken tree branch, down in the front yard.
Front yard looking east. The front steps is where I was sitting as Rita passed through.
Front yard, taken from the front steps.
Another view from the steps.
Leaves stripped off of bamboo.
Dead tree blown over.
Road flooded almost to my driveway.
Broken Pine limb, on corner of property.
Closer view of same limb.
Downed tree, across the road from Pine, with broken limb.
While I was outside during the storm, about 4:30 a.m., I heard a tornado behind the house.
It downed a couple of telephone poles, and hit one of the neighbors cow barn.
Luckily, it missed his house.
Downed telephone pole.
Another downed pole.
One more snapped pole.
Neighbors cow barn. Notice the gate on top of the barn.
These next images are from my closest (1/4 mi.) neighbors property.
Rent trailer, pushed 5' of it's blocks.
Downed tree, in front of storage shed.
A different view.
Part of roof, blown off of combine barn.
Colapsed roof on combine barn.
Another view.
One more view.
Tin, blown off of work shop barn.
View from other side.
A small tree fell on the house, causing minor damage.
Another neighbor's property.
Was, a two car garage, and a gazebo.
What's left of the gazebo
A tree that fell between his house, and his son's trailer.
The next images, are of the town of Kinder.
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Although you wouldn't know it from listening to the national news broadcast, Rita caused major damagr to southwest Louisiana.
The city of Cameron, in Cameron parish (a parish is the same as a county, in other states), took the full impact of the storm.
95% of the city was leveled, with flood waters still remaining in parts of the city.
The town of Holly Beach (the Cajun Riviera), west of Cameron, was literally, wiped off the map.
100% destroyed, with only the water tower remaining, no buildings.
Calcasieu parish, north of Cameron, also sustained heavy damage.
Until a couple of days ago, both parishes were closed to all incoming traffic.
The National Guard was stopping traffic, and turning them back.
They're both, still under curfew.
Power still hasn't been restored completely, to either parish.
A local news station has a good Photo Gallery of the destruction caused to Calcasieu, and Cameron, parishes.
Amazingly, not one single life was lost to Rita, in Louisiana.
If anyone else has any pictures of damage caused by hurricane Rita, please share them.