Research Assignment - Hurricane Katrina Flashcards
What category of hurricane was Katrina?
Category 5
When and where did hurricane Katrina make landfall?
It made landfall on Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2005.
What was the main reason for the loss of life?
Flooding - caused largely as a result of fatal engineering flaws in the flood protection system (levees) around the city of New Orleans.
How did the storm form?
from the merger of a tropical wave and the remnants of a tropical depression which then intensified into a tropical storm
Where did the storm first make landfall?
Florida (August 25) - it had strengthened into a hurricane only two hours before.
What happened to Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico after its first landfall?
The storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
What category of hurricane was Katrina on its second landfall?
Category 3 hurricane, over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi.
How many people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods?
an estimated 1,245–1,836 people
In Mississippi how far inland did water reach?
6–12 miles from the beach
What was the total property damage estimated at?
$125 billion (2005 USD)
What was the cause of the majority of the death and destruction during Katrina?
Over fifty breaches in surge protection levees surrounding the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
How much of New Orleans was flooded by the hurricane?
80% of the city
How many people were left without electricity due to the hurricane?
an estimated three million people
How many people were displaced by hurricane Katrina?
over one million people
