Rita's victims are wealthier than Katrina's

HURRICANE Rita smashed into a region that is wealthier, more mobile and much less densely populated than the one devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Most of Rita's victims are by no means wealthy. But they are less likely to live in poverty, more likely to own a car, and less likely to be a member of a minority group than were Katrina's victims.

Experts said the wealth and mobility of people in Rita's path - combined with a new sense of urgency following Katrina - led to a more thorough evacuation.