Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane, having weakened from its Category 5 peak over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm's catastrophic storm surge overwhelmed the levee system protecting New Orleans, flooding 80% of the city.
Katrina formed over the Bahamas, crossed South Florida as a Category 1, then rapidly intensified over the Gulf of Mexico to a Category 5 before weakening slightly before landfall in Louisiana.
Katrina killed 1,833 people, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The failure of the New Orleans levee system — not the storm itself — caused the majority of deaths. Over 1 million people were displaced, and the recovery took years.
Katrina fundamentally changed how the United States prepares for and responds to natural disasters. It exposed critical failures in emergency management at every level of government and led to the complete redesign of the New Orleans levee system at a cost of $14.5 billion.
Hurricane Katrina reached a peak intensity of Category 5 with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and a minimum central pressure of 902 mb. It made landfall as a Category 3.
Hurricane Katrina made landfall at Buras-Triumph, Louisiana on August 29, 2005.
Hurricane Katrina caused $186 billion (2023 dollars) in damage and resulted in 1833 deaths. Katrina killed 1,833 people, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The failure of the New Orleans levee system — not the storm itself — caused the majority of deaths. Over 1 million people were displaced, and the recovery took years.
Yes. Hurricane Katrina was so destructive that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) retired its name. It will never be used again for an Atlantic hurricane.