Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina, one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent history, struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2005. This Category 5 hurricane left a trail of destruction, causing widespread devastation and prompting a massive humanitarian and recovery effort.Katrina originated as a tropical depression over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, gaining strength as it moved westward into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm quickly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds reaching up to 175 mph (280 km/h) and a central pressure dropping to 902 millibars.On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast, striking Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with unprecedented force. The city of New Orleans, located below sea level and surrounded by levees, faced catastrophic flooding as the storm surge overwhelmed the inadequate flood protection infrastructure.The failure of the levee system led to sever