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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]

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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