Wild Weather
Hurricane Katrina
August 23 - 30, 2005 [ Category 5 ]
Katrina was an extraordinarily powerful and deadly hurricane that carved a wide swath
of catastrophic damage and inflicted large loss of life.
After a complex formation, Katrina quickly intensified into a category 1 hurricane
before making its first landfall over southern Florida (with 80 mph max. sustained
winds) where it caused much damage and 14 fatalities. After moving over Florida, Katrina
reached category 5 status (with 170 mph max. sustained winds) over the warm waters
of the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina weakened to a category 3 storm (with 125 mph max. sustained
winds) prior to making landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The northern Gulf of Mexico is especially susceptible to storm surge and it is this
that caused much of the devastation across the region. While we'll probably never know
the actual number of fatalities, Katrina was responsible for nearly 1,900 deaths, most
of which were in Louisiana and Mississippi. The economic and environmental impacts
from Katrina are widespread and will likely be long-lasting. A large number of the
1 million evacuees have not returned to the region. The total damage estimate is around
$108 billion, making it by far the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Considering
the scope of its impacts, Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters
in United States history.
Use your mouse or finger and slide across the image to see the tracks of Katrina.
Back to 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season Highlights 
