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Millions who fled Rita told to halt return
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-25 11:09 "The damage is not as serious as we had expected it to be," said R. David
Paulison, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "The
evacuations worked."
Damage to the vital concentration of oil refineries along the coast appeared
relatively light, although industry officials said it was too early to assess
whether there would be an impact on oil prices. Valero Energy Corp. said its
255,000-barrel-per-day Port Arthur refinery sustained significant damage to two
cooling towers and a flare stack and would need at least two weeks for repairs.
Late Saturday, two environmental cleanup workers spread booms and
oil-absorbent pads along a perimeter fence at the refinery. Knee-deep
floodwaters were stained with dark brown crude oil, and the odor of petroleum
hung thick in the air.
![Vehicles drive through a neighborhood flooded by overflowing waters of the Vermillion River in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita in Erath, Louisiana September 24, 2005. [Reuters]](xin_290902251107479295899.jpg)
Vehicles drive through a neighborhood flooded
by overflowing waters of the Vermillion River in the aftermath of
Hurricane Rita in Erath, Louisiana September 24, 2005.
[Reuters] | Rita roared ashore at 3:30 a.m. EDT
close to the Texas-Louisiana border as a Category 3 hurricane with top winds of
120 mph and warnings of up to 25 inches of rain. By mid-afternoon, it was
downgraded to a tropical storm with top sustained winds of 50 mph as it moved
slowly through east Texas toward Shreveport, La.
Before it weakened, Rita showed its strength across a broad region between
Houston and New Orleans.
In Beaumont, trees of all sizes and power lines were down, street signs were
shredded, and one brick wall of an office building had collapsed. Said Dr.
Gaylon Gonzalez, a surgeon who spent the night at Christus Hospital St.
Elizabeth as Rita arrived: "It sounded like a power washer hitting the windows."
Perry surveyed Beaumont by air Saturday. "Considering it was a Category 5
storm 48 hours ago, I think we're probably pretty fortunate," he said.
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 | | | Anti-war demonstrators rally in Washington | | |  | | | Hurricane Rita causing havoc in U.S. | | |  | | | Moscow court rejects oil tycoon's appeal | | |
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