Nicole J. Moncrief was caring for her wheelchair-bound mother and her two nieces as Hurricane Rita barreled toward their Lake Charles home 20 years ago.

Ahead of previous storms, none of which caused major damage, her mom was the one to secure the family home and evacuate everyone to safety. But those responsibilities fell to Moncrief, then 34, ahead of Rita.

While her family evacuated north, Rita’s winds ripped open the roof of their family home, destroying most of their clothing and furniture. Moncrief tried to salvage what she could. Her neighbors, friends and family were largely in the same predicament.

It’s been 20 years since the storm tore through southwest Louisiana, but the anniversary observations for it have been much quieter than the commemorations for Hurricane Katrina .

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