Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane; total property damage was estimated at $81 billion.
2005 Hurricane Katrina
When did this happen? August 23, 2005
Where did this happen? South East United States
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Quick Facts about 2005 Hurricane Katrina
175mph
highest wind speed
1,833
fatalities
$108 billion
in damages
3 million
people without electricity
2005 Hurricane Katrina: What happened?
Living in Nashville, TN I was blessed to get to know many of the people who were able to flee New Orleans ahead of the hurricane as well as those who made it through the storm & had nowhere to go in its aftermath.
Nashville was one of the cities where those who had nowhere to turn were welcomed in with open arms. One man – his name is Danny and he is in his 60s – went home to New Orleans a few weeks after the hurricane with the hopes of finding his home & neighborhood in better shape. When he returned, I could see the defeated look in his eyes. I asked him – trying to be upbeat – if he was going to be headed home. He just lowered his head & said, “This (Nashville) is home now. There isn’t a damn thing left back there.”
I had my feet planted firmly in Utah when this natural disaster occurred. And as I watched from my safe vantage point, I was frustrated that there was nothing much I could do. Those poor people trapped in that awful stadium, and what about the people in the cities which were taken over by gang lords? It was the perfect storm of societal meltdown. Interestingly enough, many of the refugees from New Orleans, came to Utah and made their new homes with us. One thing I learned from seeing this event unfold is to always have a 72 hour emergency kit packed with food, water and medical supplies. Simple things can make a big difference in a case like Katrina.