The Atlantic hurricane season continues through November 30, and forecasters still monitor the Gulf and western Caribbean for late-season development. But for most of Texas, especially inland areas and the southern coastline, the most dangerous stretch of the season appears to be ending.

Stalled and overheated cars, endless gridlock and nearly 100 deaths. The deadly Hurricane Rita evacuation is still etched in the memories of many Houstonians 20 years later.

In 2005, the eye of Hurricane Rita made landfall at the Texas-Louisiana border. The Category 3 storm was responsible for more than 100 deaths and more than $18.5 million in damage, bringing a devastating storm surge that only worsened the effects of Hurricane Katrina weeks before.

FEMA has declared September as National Preparedness Month, and ABC13 Meteorologist Elyse Smith has what you need to know about the latest evacuation procedures for southeast Texas.

Allen vividly remembers the mark Rita left on East Texas. “That was the first time that Jasper County historically realized that if we are in the bullseye of a hurricane, it’s going to be just as powerful when it gets here as it was in the gulf,” Allen said.

It was both one of the most intense Atlantic Basin hurricanes on record, but also one of its most overshadowed. Here's why 2005's Hurricane Rita should never be forgotten.

The National Hurricane Center is watching two tropical disturbances in the Atlantic Ocean, both of which could become named storms.

Hurricane Rita made landfall on September 24th, 2005, as a Category 3 Hurricane, causing an estimated $10 billion in damage and resulting in 7 direct fatalities in the US.

Today marks 20 years since Hurricane Rita tore through the Texas-Louisiana border, bringing devastating winds and extreme rainfall “Rita actually was then and even to this day the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf,

Less than a month after Hurricane Katrina, a new, stronger storm that is often overlooked in the annals of history caused unprecedented evacuations ahead of its landfall.