The Power of Katrina

Posted on by jwroque

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The weather has changed people’s lives in a heart beat. A hurricane can flood out a whole city and cause up to billions of dollars of damage. Back in 2006, I still remember to this day watching the coverage of Hurricane Katrina making landfall around the New Orleans area. Seeing all the devastation of people’s homes and seeing some people walking through deep water just trying to find safety. The pictures and videos were horrifying to look at and it was hard to imagine just seeing a city go under water. 34,000 people were rescued after the storm hit on August 29th, 2006. Most of the flooding was due to the levees breaking because they could not stand the force of the hurricane.

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Some surprising facts about Hurricane Katrina

  • Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane to make landfall in the US.
  • In New Orleans, the levees were suppose to sustain Category 3 winds, but Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane winds.
  • Thefinal death toll was at 1,836, most of the people were from Louisiana and Mississippi.
    •  More than half of these victims were senior citizens.
  • 705 people are still missing to this date from the result of the Hurricane.
  • An estimated 80% of New Orleans was under water.
    • Some places in New Orleans were up to 20 ft deep in places.
  • Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages.
  • It is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion.
    • Costliest hurricane ever in US history.

 

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Even though Hurricane Katrina didn’t directly impact my life since I live in New England. It was still a pretty big storm when it moved up the east coast impacting 90,000 squared miles. Hurricane Katrina did teach me and many other people to not take hurricanes and weather in general lightly. When there is an evacuation in order for an area near you, don’t be daring and risk your own life and stay. Take the precautions and leave to find a safer shelter to stay in. If you do decide to stay have a hurricane kit filled with batteries, non perishable food, and all the necessities to survive. Even category one hurricanes can be extremely violent and deadly and cause a lot of damage.