 Katrina at its final landfall near the border of Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | August 25–31, 2005 |
| Category 3 major hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 125 mph (205 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 920 mbar (hPa); 27.17 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1,392 |
| Damage | $32 billion (2005 USD) |
| Areas affected | South Florida, Gulf Coast of the United States (especially Louisiana and Mississippi), Ohio Valley |
Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The Southeastern United States, extending from South Florida to Louisiana and areas inland, was severely affected by Hurricane Katrina, which caused many deaths and billions in damages. After developing on August 23, Katrina made landfall near the border of Broward and Miami-Dade counties with 80 mph (130 km/h) winds on August 25. After emerging from the state, Katrina intensified into one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes, becoming a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It weakened slightly before making landfall on August 29, 2005. It struck the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane.[1] It moved ashore near the border of Louisiana and Mississippi and weakened as it moved inland, dissipating on August 31.
In Florida, the storm affected the southern portion of the state and in the panhandle. While it was crossing the state, the hurricane's convection was asymmetrical, primarily located to the south and east of the center. As a result, high rainfall totals occurred in the Miami area, peaking at 16.43 in (417 mm) in Perrine. The rains caused flooding, and the combination of rains and winds downed trees and power lines, leaving 1.45 million people without power. Damage in South Florida was estimated at $523 million (2005 USD), mostly as a result of crop damage. Further south, the hurricane spawned a tornado in the Florida Keys. In the island chain, Katrina caused heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The storm produced a 5.37 ft (1.64 m) storm surge in Pensacola along the panhandle. High waves caused beach erosion and closed nearby roadways. There were five tornadoes in northwestern Florida. Damage was estimated along the panhandle at $100 million. Throughout the state, the hurricane killed 14 people, of which 6 were directly related to the storm's effects. Due to damage from Katrina, 11 Florida counties were declared federal disaster areas.
Hurricane Katrina's winds and storm surge reached the Mississippi coastline on the morning of August 29, 2005,[2][3] beginning a two-day path of destruction through central Mississippi; by 10 a.m. CDT on August 29, 2005, the eye of Katrina began traveling up the entire state, only slowing from hurricane-force winds at Meridian near 7 p.m. and entering Tennessee as a tropical storm.[4] Many coastal towns of Mississippi (and Louisiana) had already been obliterated, in a single night.[5] Hurricane-force winds reached coastal Mississippi by 2 a.m.[2] and lasted over 17 hours, spawning 11 tornadoes (51 in other states[3]) and a 28-foot (8.5 m) storm surge[3] flooding 6–12 miles (9.7–19.3 km) inland. Many, unable to evacuate,[6] survived by climbing to attics or rooftops, or swimming to higher buildings and trees. The worst property damage from Katrina occurred in coastal Mississippi, where all towns flooded over 90% in hours, and waves destroyed many historic buildings, with others gutted to the 3rd story. Afterward, 238 people died in Mississippi, and all counties in Mississippi were declared disaster areas, 49 for full federal assistance.[7][8] Regulations were changed later for emergency centers and casinos. The emergency command centers were moved higher because all 3 coastal centers flooded at 30 ft (9.1 m) above sea level. Casinos were allowed on land rather than limited to floating casino barges as in 2005.
More than one million people in Mississippi were affected, and almost 6 months later, the extent of the devastation in Mississippi was still described as "staggering" in USA Today on February 16, 2006:[9] "The Mississippi Gulf Coast has been devastated. The extent of the devastation in Mississippi is also staggering. Since Katrina hit, more than half a million people in Mississippi have applied for assistance from FEMA. In a state of just 2.9 million residents, that means more than one in six Mississippians have sought help.
- ^ Staff, World Vision (November 20, 2023). "Hurricane Katrina: Facts, FAQs, and how to help". World Vision. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Gary Tuchman, Transcript of "Anderson Cooper 361 Degrees" (August 29, 2006) 19:00 ET, CNN, CNN.com, web: CNN-ACooper082906: GARY TUCHMAN, CNN Correspondent: Responds to Anderson Cooper that it felt like it would never end, saying winds were at least 100 miles per hour in Gulfport for seven hours, between about 7:00 a.m. and 2:01 p.m. For another five or six hours, on each side of that, they [Gulfport] had hurricane-force winds over 75 miles per hour; much of the city [Gulfport, Mississippi, in Harrison County] of 71,000 was then under water.
- ^ a b c US Department of Commerce, "Service Assessment: Hurricane Katrina August 23–31, 2005" (June 2006), pp. 10/16, NOAA’s National Weather Service, Silver Spring, MD, web: NWS-Katrina-PDF Archived July 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine: page 7 (storm surge 26–28 ft), p. 50: "Appendix C: Tornado Reports Associated with Hurricane Katrina" (62 tornadoes).
- ^ "Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Katrina." (post-analysis) National Hurricane Center. revised August 10, 2006.
- ^ In Mississippi, towns near the eye-path at night included: Pearlington, Lakeshore, Clermont Harbor, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, and Long Beach, MS; in Louisiana, the towns included Buras, Triumph, Meraux, and Chalmette, Louisiana.
- ^ As flood waters rose, many streets became swamped and impassable. Emergency crews rescued over 100 people, from rooftops or trees, in Mississippi.
- ^ "FEMA-1604-DR Mississippi Disaster Declaration as of October 27, 2005" (map), FEMA, ITS Mapping and Analysis Center, Washington, DC, 2005-10-27, webpage: FEMA-1604-pdf Archived September 23, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Information Relating to the Federal Appropriations for Katrina Recovery" (January 6, 2006), Office of the Governor, Mississippi, webpage: "Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour" GBarbour-Rec "Information". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2006..
- ^ "SIX MONTHS AFTER KATRINA: AN OVERVIEW" (short summary), Office of the House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, February 28, 2006, file: HouseGov-Katrina6.