The Texas Tribune and the Beaumont Enterprise are pleased to present a special event marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Rita's landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast, and their forthcoming joint reporting project, Road From Rita.

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Video testimonial recordings

Lamar University
Setzer Center Ballroom
4400 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway
Beaumont, TX 77705
RSVP

Join us at Lamar University for a discussion on lessons learned from Hurricane Rita, and whether Texas is better prepared for such storms in its aftermath. The dialogue will include a look ahead to the future of emergency management and mass evacuation plans in Texas. Tribune Editor Emily Ramshaw will moderate.

In addition to the panel discussion, we invite storm survivors to come early to share video testimonials of their Rita experience. The testimonials will be filmed from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m. in the Setzer Center, Room 133, and will be shared on the website for the Road From Rita project.

This event will be held in the Setzer Center Ballroom at Lamar University in Beaumont. It is free and open to the public and includes a light lunch.

The conversation will also be livestreamed at texastribune.org/livestream. The video will be accessible for viewing afterward.

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Officials say steps have been taken to avoid another catastrophic evacuation, but others say the threat remains.

First-Time Evacuees

Many evacuees weren’t prepared ahead of Rita, and officials worry that history could repeat itself.

Keeping the Tanks Full

Hundreds of evacuees ran out of gas in 2005. A state partnership aims to prevent a repeat.

Aiding Fragile Populations

Officials work to avoid the pitfalls that occurred 10 years ago when evacuating elderly and disabled residents.

Better Technology

Emergency officials will be armed with several new tools for the next evacuation.

Stay Home or Leave?

Southeast Texas residents cite several reasons to follow or ignore evacuation orders.

The Difficult Return

Local officials are revamping how they let business owners, emergency responders and residents come home.