The bomb was named Name_conferral `` Gilda '' after Rita Hayworth 's character in the 1946 film `` Gilda '' , and was dropped Motion_directional from the B-29 Superfortress `` Dave 's Dream '' of the 509th Bombardment Group on July 1 , 1946 .

Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane Catastrophe ever recorded Recording and the most intense tropical cyclone Catastrophe ever observed Perception_active in the Gulf of Mexico .

Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season , which included Cause_to_be_included three of the top ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes Catastrophe ever recorded Recording ( along with # 1 Wilma and # 7 Katrina ) , Rita was the seventeenth named storm Catastrophe , tenth hurricane Catastrophe , and fifth major hurricane Catastrophe of the 2005 season .

Rita formed Coming_to_be near The Bahamas from a tropical wave on September 18 , 2005 that originally developed Coming_to_be off the coast of West Africa .

It moved Motion westward , and after passing Motion_directional through the Florida Straits , Rita entered Arriving an environment of abnormally warm waters .

Rapidly weakening Cause_change_of_strength over land , Rita degenerated Change into a large low-pressure area over the lower Mississippi Valley by September 26th .

In Louisiana , Rita 's storm surge inundated Motion low-lying communities along the entire coast , worsening effects caused Causation by Hurricane Katrina less than a month prior , such as topping the hurriedly-repaired Katrina-damaged levees at New Orleans .

Parishes in Southwest Louisiana and counties in Southeast Texas where Rita made landfall suffered Bodily_harm from severe to catastrophic flooding Catastrophe and wind damage Damaging .

Throughout the path of Rita , damage Damaging totaled about $ 18.5 billion ( 2005 USD ) .

Journalists such as Rita Sebastian of the `` Indian Express '' , David Husego of the `` Financial Times '' and local human rights groups such as the University Teachers for Human Rights have reported Reporting quoting eyewitness accounts that it was a massacre Killing of civilians .

The first edition took place Process_start on January 24 , 1982 , and was won by Italy 's Rita Marchisio .

Floyd triggered Causation the fourth largest evacuation in US history ( behind Hurricane Irma , Hurricane Gustav , and Hurricane Rita ) when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states were ordered Request from their homes as it approached Arriving .