What Was 2005's Most Underrated Storm?

[jasons2k]

I say Ophelia. It was pretty much a non-event in the media. If I lived outside of SE Texas I might be inclined to say Rita, but she definitely wasn't underrated here.

[docjoe]

According to number of results on a Google search Wilma would be the most underreported storm out of Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, and Wilma. Searching by Hurricane storm name 2005 the results were as follows

Wilma 2,260,000
Stan 2,380,000
Dennis 2,600,000
Rita 7,260,000
Katrina 76,200,000

This probably doesnt translate well to the real world but thought it was interesting.

docjoe

[quandary]

Just as an addition to this poll question... what storm had a more profound impact? Rita or Wilma (in the US only). It seems that Wilma had a significantly higher damage total in the US (about 14 billion) than Rita (only 9 billion), but Rita seems to have caused complete and total devastation to an area. Meanwhile, Wilma seems to have done more of the "destroy numerous expensive buildings and windows in a metro area," which gave it more damage, but perhaps less impact?

[Terrell]

Not to mention that much of the damage from Rita got caught in the coverage of damage to NOLA by Katrina. BTW anyone know when the list of retired hurricanes from 2005 comes out?

[raisinsnacks]

Rita was probably the most hyped storm ever by the manistream media. For nearly a week you could not turn on the TV, or really be alive in the US, without hearing about her. I remember a Jon Stewart commenting a few days before landfall that apparantly, a black hole had formed in the eye and the entire Gulf Coast was going to be sucked in...

I voted for Emily, because I was in the eye, and no one locally even acknowledged it was coming until about 36 hours before landfall. The Mexican media is a very different beast, and the Mexican way of life is much more relaxed...When the warning went out, no one panicked; everyone knew what to do, took care of themselves and each other, and that's why a Cat. 4 made landfall with minimal loss of life.

I'd say Dennis was a close second.

[Audrey2Katrina]

since the question asks "which STORM" (singular) I'd have to go with Rita. this was a monster storm, and had there been no Katrina would have easily been the most covered storm of the Atlantic season, IMHO. The fact that the effects of Katrina were still dominating the news relegated this disaster to the well deserved title of "the forgotten hurricane"... and it was a beaut!

A2K

[Brent]

Rita was probably the most hyped storm ever by the manistream media. For nearly a week you could not turn on the TV, or really be alive in the US, without hearing about her. I remember a Jon Stewart commenting a few days before landfall that apparantly, a black hole had formed in the eye and the entire Gulf Coast was going to be sucked in...

But I think the hype was worth it... remember, she did get down to 892 mb, AND appeared to be headed right for Houston/Galveston and was only 4 weeks after Katrina. I think if Katrina had not happened the coverage, the evacuations, the hype wouldn't have been NEARLY as extensive.

[Brent]

Just as an addition to this poll question... what storm had a more profound impact? Rita or Wilma (in the US only). It seems that Wilma had a significantly higher damage total in the US (about 14 billion) than Rita (only 9 billion), but Rita seems to have caused complete and total devastation to an area. Meanwhile, Wilma seems to have done more of the "destroy numerous expensive buildings and windows in a metro area," which gave it more damage, but perhaps less impact?

Rita had a surge too, which, as we learned from Katrina is MUCH more damaging than wind. Wilma didn't have much of one at all(and it also didn't hit a populated area), and the damage she caused in Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach was all wind.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Just as an addition to this poll question... what storm had a more profound impact? Rita or Wilma (in the US only). It seems that Wilma had a significantly higher damage total in the US (about 14 billion) than Rita (only 9 billion), but Rita seems to have caused complete and total devastation to an area. Meanwhile, Wilma seems to have done more of the "destroy numerous expensive buildings and windows in a metro area," which gave it more damage, but perhaps less impact?

Rita had a surge too, which, as we learned from Katrina is MUCH more damaging than wind. Wilma didn't have much of one at all(and it also didn't hit a populated area), and the damage she caused in Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach was all wind.

I think wilma had a more profound imapct. Wilma caused 18-22 billion in damages and Rita caused less than 2. Also, Wilma's force was felt by MANY MANY more people (Rita mainly impacted lesser populated areas).
Wilma's TS force winds were felt north to Orlando and Cocoa Beach and her hurricane force winds were felt through most of Southern Florida and the Keys. In terms of population affected and damages Wilma takes the prize (and wilma did actually produce a large storm surge). As for the WORST storm surge though, I think Rita takes it. In the end though, Wilma had a much more profound impact. Now if Rita would have made landfall in Galveston and moved through Houston...then she probably would have been much worse than Wilma. The same or worse damage than seen in Miami would have occured in downtown Houston (Because Wilma had to cross a 50+ mile stretch of state before reaching Miami...that is ABOUT the same distance from the Texas coast to Metro Houston).

[Derek Ortt]

Brent,

Wilma had about a 20 foot surge. People think it had none because only the crocs experienced the surge. NOBODY lives where the bordelrine 3/4 winds hit

Also not convinced that the surge is more destructive than the wind. In the last 3 cat 4 or 5 landfalls in the USA (Andrew, Iniki, and Charley), it has been the wind that has levelled everything, much like a violent tornado does. I suspect that there is a turning point (likely at the border of 3/4) where the wind takes over

[Epsilon_Fan]

I'd have to say Rita, since it was the least famous of the Big Three storms in 2005. It came so soon after Katrina and once it was forecasted to hit West of NOLA people seemed to calm down a little (especially the media). Katrina always overshadowed the other two, although Wilma was more respected due to its title as the "strongest Atlantic cane ever".

[Brent]

Just as an addition to this poll question... what storm had a more profound impact? Rita or Wilma (in the US only). It seems that Wilma had a significantly higher damage total in the US (about 14 billion) than Rita (only 9 billion), but Rita seems to have caused complete and total devastation to an area. Meanwhile, Wilma seems to have done more of the "destroy numerous expensive buildings and windows in a metro area," which gave it more damage, but perhaps less impact?

Rita had a surge too, which, as we learned from Katrina is MUCH more damaging than wind. Wilma didn't have much of one at all(and it also didn't hit a populated area), and the damage she caused in Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach was all wind.

I think wilma had a more profound imapct. Wilma caused 18-22 billion in damages and Rita caused less than 2. Also, Wilma's force was felt by MANY MANY more people (Rita mainly impacted lesser populated areas).
Wilma's TS force winds were felt north to Orlando and Cocoa Beach and her hurricane force winds were felt through most of Southern Florida and the Keys. In terms of population affected and damages Wilma takes the prize (and wilma did actually produce a large storm surge). As for the WORST storm surge though, I think Rita takes it. In the end though, Wilma had a much more profound impact. Now if Rita would have made landfall in Galveston and moved through Houston...then she probably would have been much worse than Wilma. The same or worse damage than seen in Miami would have occured in downtown Houston (Because Wilma had to cross a 50+ mile stretch of state before reaching Miami...that is ABOUT the same distance from the Texas coast to Metro Houston).

Agreed Wilma was worse only because it affected a VERY populated area that also has very expensive and nice skyscrapers filled with glass. Rita missed Houston so she didn't bother those.

[Dr. Jonah Rainwater]

Wilma had a very damaging storm surge in the Florida Keys, IIRC.

My vote goes to Dennis. When people talk about the 2005 season, most people at least remember Rita and Wilma. Nobody remembers Dennis. Unless you happen to live in Cuba, where Dennis will be remembered for generations.

[Droop12]

I remember Hurricane Dennis. If I remember correctly I had to live in my house for 5 days without power in the July heat. I had to cut up 3 pine and one oak tree which were snapped in my yard. Its not something I want to do again. By the way, for most underrated I believe Dennis and Rita are 1 and 2. As has already been said, The strongest winds near 110mph-120mph were in Santa Rosa County, not Pensacola or Escambia county were all the media was. Since the area where the worst damage was was so small, it was reported that we had dodged a bullet. It could have been much worse though so Im thankful it wasnt. Kinda off topic but the eye went over my house, so that was a pretty amazing sight.

[quandary]

I think wilma had a more profound imapct. Wilma caused 18-22 billion in damages and Rita caused less than 2. Also, Wilma's force was felt by MANY MANY more people (Rita mainly impacted lesser populated areas).
Wilma's TS force winds were felt north to Orlando and Cocoa Beach and her hurricane force winds were felt through most of Southern Florida and the Keys. In terms of population affected and damages Wilma takes the prize (and wilma did actually produce a large storm surge). As for the WORST storm surge though, I think Rita takes it. In the end though, Wilma had a much more profound impact. Now if Rita would have made landfall in Galveston and moved through Houston...then she probably would have been much worse than Wilma. The same or worse damage than seen in Miami would have occured in downtown Houston (Because Wilma had to cross a 50+ mile stretch of state before reaching Miami...that is ABOUT the same distance from the Texas coast to Metro Houston).

Wilma's damages were around 15-20 billion, bu Rita's were a solid 9-10 billion, not 2. You might be confusing Rita with Dennis (1.8) or Ophelia (1.6). In which case, for you, I'd have to say that Rita was extremely underrated.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I think wilma had a more profound imapct. Wilma caused 18-22 billion in damages and Rita caused less than 2. Also, Wilma's force was felt by MANY MANY more people (Rita mainly impacted lesser populated areas).
Wilma's TS force winds were felt north to Orlando and Cocoa Beach and her hurricane force winds were felt through most of Southern Florida and the Keys. In terms of population affected and damages Wilma takes the prize (and wilma did actually produce a large storm surge). As for the WORST storm surge though, I think Rita takes it. In the end though, Wilma had a much more profound impact. Now if Rita would have made landfall in Galveston and moved through Houston...then she probably would have been much worse than Wilma. The same or worse damage than seen in Miami would have occured in downtown Houston (Because Wilma had to cross a 50+ mile stretch of state before reaching Miami...that is ABOUT the same distance from the Texas coast to Metro Houston).

Wilma's damages were around 15-20 billion, bu Rita's were a solid 9-10 billion, not 2. You might be confusing Rita with Dennis (1.8) or Ophelia (1.6). In which case, for you, I'd have to say that Rita was extremely underrated.

yes, you are right. I accidently put the wrong value down for the total damages of Rita...but as far as those affected goes...I still think Wilma had a higher impact. More media coverage+more people affected+more damages = worse storm...but as for underrated, then yes I guess that that would have been Rita. They only showed clips on the national news for about 2 days from that storm...when Wilma I was hearing about for over a week.

[HalloweenGale]

I voted Other, why? because VINCE. He landed in an are that never gets hurricanes

[docjoe]

I remember Hurricane Dennis. If I remember correctly I had to live in my house for 5 days without power in the July heat. I had to cut up 3 pine and one oak tree which were snapped in my yard. Its not something I want to do again. By the way, for most underrated I believe Dennis and Rita are 1 and 2. As has already been said, The strongest winds near 110mph-120mph were in Santa Rosa County, not Pensacola or Escambia county were all the media was. Since the area where the worst damage was was so small, it was reported that we had dodged a bullet. It could have been much worse though so Im thankful it wasnt. Kinda off topic but the eye went over my house, so that was a pretty amazing sight.

As I have posted before I agree with you 100%. I lost about 20 trees...which were no fun cutting up and hauling in 110 heat index. Also got a new roof, new chimney, and my first eye passage to boot. Not as bad overall as the "big 3" but bad enough for a few unfortunate souls over here in Santa Rosa. Plus coming on the heels of Ivan...it was quite a blow.

docjoe