Death Toll Climbs In Aftermath Of Rita

While much of Texas and Louisiana dodged the worst of Hurricane Rita, the damage to some small, rural towns was virtually complete — and the storm was being blamed on new deaths long after it moved away. The number of deaths rose to nine Monday when the bodies of five people were discovered in a Beaumont apartment. A man, his girlfriend’s three children and their aunt apparently were overcome by carbon monoxide from a generator they used to power fans to cool their home.