Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina started off as a tropical storm in the Bahamas, on August 23, during the prime of the hurricane season, when the temperature of the Oceans reached 80 Fahrenheit. Soon Katrina drew energy from the warm oceans and upgraded it self to a category 1 hurricane, it then traveled across Florida on August the 25th. Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico Katrina intensified significantly, she promoted to a category 5 hurricanes with a central pressure of 902 hPa. It hit Louisiana on August 29th with its central pressure of 920 hPa, and a sustained wind speed of 140 mph.   Katrina then continued into the central United States gradually depressing into a tropical storm lasting about 9 days, finally she dissipated over Canada. Katrina had hurricane force winds sweeping across 250 miles of the gulf coast land. It encircled three states and reached more than 100 miles inland.
Hurricane Katrina is the most costly hurricane in American history. Authorities state even if the New Orleans did not flood, Hurricane Katrina still would have been the most destructive hurricane on record due to its large size and strong winds, and the unique path it took (targeting on areas with a high density of people, buildings and infrastructure.) Katrina’s first took a direct hit on New Orleans, the 24th largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population over 1.3 million. Katrina’s strongest winds and surges also hit the Mississippi towns of Biloxi, Gulfport, and Camp Shelby. An estimated 1.5 trillion worth of properties were caused by Katrina with its potentially damaging winds (above 50 mph), creating the most costly footprints in America’s Hurricane history.
Hurricane Katrina drove a severe storm surge onshore. The coastal surge was estimated to be 18 to 22 feet, with locally higher surges of up to 28 feet. The storm surge was commensurate with a category 5 hurricane, while the winds experienced along the coastline were on the order of 140 mph,...