'A wow moment': how Hurricane Rita changed the way southwest Louisiana handles disasters

'A wow moment': how Hurricane Rita changed the way southwest Louisiana handles disasters

Hurricane Rita was the first major storm to hit the region in nearly 50 years, often overshadowed in the collective memory by Katrina. It challenged existing systems for preparing for and responding to disasters. But those changes better prepared both public officials and residents when another major storm, Hurricane Laura, approached southwest Louisiana 15 years later.