Hurricane Katrina
The Turning Point
About Hurricane Katrina
Early in the morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale–it brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour–and stretched some 400 miles across. The storm itself did a great deal of damage, but its aftermath was catastrophic. Levee breaches led to massive flooding, and many people charged that the federal government was slow to meet the needs of the people affected by the storm. Hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were displaced from their homes, and experts estimate that Katrina caused more than $100 billion in damage.
How it has changed and impacted the United States
Hurricane Katrina affected 19% of U.S. oil production
Criticism of the Bush administration’s response to the storm prompts different responses to disasters by political leaders today
Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States. An estimated 1,836 people died in the hurricane and the flooding that followed in late August 2005, and millions of others were left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans, which experienced the highest death toll.
New Orleans
The disaster and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina hitting in New Orleans, estimated 1,836 people died.
Katrina At Her Worst
- Category 5 Hurricane
- Winds: 175 mph
- Gusts: 215 mph
- Pressure: 902 mb
- Waves: >40 ft
The Direction and States Hit by Katrina
The states that were directly hit by Hurricane Katrina were Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Alabama.