Hurricane Katrina

Guide Note

Hurricane Katrina was a powerful storm that flooded vast areas of New Orleans, Louisiana in late August 2005. The delayed government response to the tragedy and inefficient reconstruction efforts have been the subject of ongoing controversy.

Fast Facts

1. Formed on August 23, 2005
2. Highest Winds: 175 mph
3. Casualties: 1,836
4. Damage: About $84 billion

Initially forming over the Bahamas, Katrina traveled over Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. Moving over the Gulf Coast, Katrina gained strength, topping out at Category 5, before being downgraded to Category 3 when it hit Mississippi and Louisiana.

Causing roughly $84 billion in damage, this is the most costly U.S. national disaster on record. In addition to property damage, least 1,836 people were killed by the storm, the majority of whom were Louisiana residents.

Dozens of levees broke, causing flooding to 80 percent of New Orleans. The government declared 90,000 square miles national disaster area. Over three million people were left without electricity following the storm.

The former mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin was highly criticized following the storm. Many claim he and the governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, waited too long to order evacuations in New Orleans. Critics say had the evacuation been ordered sooner, the death toll would be much less. Some 60,000 residents were not evacuated in time, 35,000 of whom were later rescued by the National Guard.

FEMA and President George W. Bush were also criticized over their handling of the hurricane. Many feel FEMA and the President failed to properly prepare for and deal with the aftermath due to racial issues.

Rapper Kanye West addressed this issue during a September 2, 2005, benefit concert for Katrina. While on stage with actor Mike Myers, West stated in his speech that "George Bush doesn't care about black people."