Hurricane Katrina

• Hurricane Katrina was a category five hurricane with sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h)
• The city of New Orleans was severely affected by Hurricane Katrina due to being below sea level and protected by levees
• The Superdome stadium was set up as a centre for people who could not escape the storm, but faced shortages of food and unhygienic conditions
• Fatal flaws in flood engineering protection led to a significant loss of life in New Orleans
• Oil facilities were damaged during Hurricane Katrina, leading to a rise in petrol prices in the UK and USA
• Katrina caused massive tree loss along the Gulf Coast, particularly in Louisiana’s Pearl River Basin and among bottomland hardwood forests
• The National Guard was mobilised to restore law and order in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
• The US Government was heavily criticised for its handling of Hurricane Katrina, with the poorest and most vulnerable left behind
• The impacts of Hurricane Katrina included storm surges over six metres in height
• Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated $125 billion worth of damage
• Looting occurred throughout the city during Hurricane Katrina, leading to high tensions
• The levees in New Orleans, designed to cope with category three storm surges, failed, leading to catastrophic flooding and loss of life
• $105 billion was sought by The Bush Administration for repairs and reconstruction in the region after Hurricane Katrina
• 80% of the city of New Orleans and large neighbouring parishes became flooded after Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Florida and Louisiana, particularly the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas, in August 2005
• Hurricane Katrina caused oil spills from 44 facilities throughout southeastern Louisiana, leaking over 7 million US gallons (26,000 m3) of oil
• Many of the poorest people in New Orleans remained during Hurricane Katrina due to property protection concerns or inability to afford evacuation
• Hurricane Katrina is tied with Hurricane Harvey (2017) as the costliest hurricane on record
• The UK government sent food aid during the early stages of the recovery process after Hurricane Katrina
• The US government provided $50 billion in aid for Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Katrina

  Began as a very low-pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean, strengthened into a hurricane, moved west, and approached the Florida coast on the evening of the 25th August 2005
• The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused substantial beach erosion and devastated coastal areas
• 1,200 people drowned in the floods caused by Hurricane Katrina, and 1 million people were made homeless
• Some New Orleans residents are no longer able to get home insurance to cover them from the impact of hurricanes
• 2004 was reckoned to have been the worst hurricane season in the Caribbean before being superseded by 2005's events
• Katrina's development

  Tropical storms and hurricanes usually begin as a 'wave' on the African side of the Atlantic. Katrina developed as a tropical depression, approaching the southern tip of Florida from the southeast. It made landfall between Hallandale Beach and Aventura, then moved through levels 1-5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale as it curved across the Gulf of Mexico towards the Louisiana coastline around New Orleans
• Katrina was only the first of three high category hurricanes to hit the central Gulf Coast zone in quick succession
• The citizens of New Orleans and the surrounding area were led to believe that Hurricane Katrina would be 'the big one'


  August 2005
• US government policies should assume the impact of global warming and react accordingly
• Saffir-Simpson scale categories

  • 1: minimal (74-95 mph)
  • 2: moderate (96-110 mph)
  • 3: extensive (111-130 mph)
  • 4: extreme (131-155 mph)
  • 5: catastrophic (155 mph)
• New Orleans was heavily impacted by Katrina, especially the eastern side of the city
• On 28 August, Katrina was upgraded to a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts of 215 mph
• The Katrina/Rita/Wilma trio broke records
• Katrina hit the coastline as a Category 4 event with sustained wind speeds of 145 mph plus stronger gusts
• It is uncertain whether the extreme hurricane season in 2005 is due to global warming, natural climatic fluctuations, or sheer chance
• Sea surface water temperature in the Caribbean was at least 28°C, ideal for hurricanes to gather strength during Katrina's development
• Katrina's second landfall was at Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, causing major damage at small towns like Plaquemines and Slidell
• The US Gulf Coast is one of the world's main hurricane zones
• Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale

  Is catastrophic
• Biloxi recorded the largest ever storm surge in the USA at 10 metres