Hurricane Rita, a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Index, passed within 50 miles (83 km) of the Flower Garden Banks on September 23, 2005. Soon after the hurricane, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) staff rapidly assessed damage at the Flower Garden Banks and found large, dislodged coral heads; corals gouged and damaged from waterborne projectiles; displaced sand and sediment, scoured coral heads; and an ongoing coral-bleaching event.