Facts about Hurricane Katrina

Facts about Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was the costliest U.S. hurricane on record and one of the worst natural disasters in U. S. history. Hurricane Katrina will be remembered for its catastrophic flooding in New Orleans due to levee failure.

Katrina formed in the central Bahamas and moved northwest. It made landfall in south Florida on the Broward/Miami-Dade counties line as a category 1 hurricane. Virginia Key reported a gust to 93 mph. Heavy rain also fell. Key West had 10.05" and Homested 14.04". As Hurricane Katrina moved over the Gulf of Mexico, it turned north and strengthened into a category 5 hurricane with top sustained winds of 175 mph. Katrina was large in size and gererated a large wind field. This created huge waves in the Gulf Of Mexico where a buoy 74 miles south of Dauphin Island, AL measured a peak significant wave height of 55 feet. Katrina ingested some dry air and weakened into a category 3 hurricane as it made landfall near Buras, LA. It briefly passed over the Gulf of Mexico waters again and made its last landfall on the Mississippi - Louisiana border. In Louisiana, a storm surge of 11.8 feet was measured at New Orleans Lakefront airport. New Orleans International airport had a peak gust to 98 mph. New Orlean's wind damage was comparable only to a category 1 or 2 hurricane. The majority of the damage in New Orleans was due to levee failure. Up to 80% of the city of New Orleans was flooded with up to 20 feet of water. The Mississippi coast suffered catastrophic damage due to storm surge and wind damage. A surge of 24-28 feet was measured along the Mississippi coast with the highest near Pass Christian at 27.8 feet. The storm surge went inland for about six miles, but up to twelve miles along the rivers. Pearl River EOC at Poplarville recorded a wind gust to 135 mph. In all, total damage estimates were placed near $81 billion.

Hurricane Katrina Facts Summary

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Lowest pressure: 902 millibars / 26.64 inches

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Sixth strongest hurricane ever measured by pressure in the Atlantic basin.

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Third strongest hurricane ever to make a U.S. landfall measured by pressure.

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Pressure and sustained wind at landfall: (Broward/Miami-Dade county line) 984 millibars / 80 mph

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Pressure and sustained wind at landfall: (Buras, LA) 920 millibars / 125 mph

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Pressure and sustained wind at landfall: (LA-MS border) 928 millibars / 120 mph

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Maximum sustained winds at peak: 175 mph

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Fatalities: 1833

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Storm surge height: 27.8 feet, Pass Christian, MS

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Up to 80% of New Orleans was under water from flooding.

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression near the southeastern Bahamas

Hurricane Katrina Facts: Hurricane Katrina weakened and became extratropical in the Ohio Valley.

Source:TropicalWeather.net