Hurricane Katrina
Katrina
Catastrophic — mass casualties or destruction
Weather Event
Concluded
Weather Event
Concluded
Severity
8.2/10
Weather Event Details
Location
Gulf Coast, USA
Magnitude
Category 4 at landfall
Casualties
1,833 dead
Start Date
August 29, 2005
Damage Cost
$125 billion
Summary
Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005 as a Category 4 storm near New Orleans, Louisiana. The failure of the levee system flooded 80% of New Orleans. It killed 1,833 people and caused $125 billion in damage, becoming the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history at the time. The federal response under FEMA was widely criticized.
Timeline
Aug 23, 2005
Tropical depression forms over Bahamas.
Aug 28, 2005
Reaches Category 5 — mandatory evacuation of New Orleans.
Aug 29, 2005
Makes landfall. Levees fail. 80% of New Orleans flooded.
Sep 2005
1,833 deaths confirmed. Federal emergency declared.
Evidence & Sources
Created
4/6/2026
Last Update
7/15/2026