- Hurricane Katrina was the largest and third strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S.
- In New Orleans, the levees were designed for Category 3, but Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 miles per hour.
- The storm surge from Katrina was 20-feet (six meters) high.
- 705 people are reported as still missing as a result of hurricane Katrina.
- Hurricane Katrina affected over 15 million people in different factors such as economy, evacuations, gas prices or drinking water.
- The final death toll was at 1,836, primarily from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238).
- An estimated 80 percent of New Orleans was under water, up to 20 feet deep in places.
- Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages, but it is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion, earning the title of costliest hurricane ever in US history.
- Hurricane Katrina impacted about 90,000 square miles.
- The region affected by the storm supported roughly 1 million non-farm jobs, and still, hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed by the hurricane.
- More than 70 countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance after the hurricane. Kuwait made the largest single pledge of $500 million, but Qatar, India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh made very large donations as well.
Be prepared for a natural disaster.GO
Sources:National Geographic , National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , Fox News , CNN , Discovery Channel, Live Science
