Portal:Tropical cyclones/Featured article/Effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans



The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans was catastrophic and long-lasting. The storm, which was the costliest hurricane as well as one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, made its second and third landfalls in the Gulf Coast region on August 29, 2005 as a powerful Category 3 hurricane (with a storm surge of a Category 5 hurricane). By August 31, 2005, eighty percent (80%) of the city was flooded, with some parts under 20 feet (6.1 meters) of water. Four of the city's protective levees were breached, including the 17th Street Canal levee, the Industrial Canal levee, and the London Avenue Canal floodwall.

Although more than 80% of residents evacuated, the rest remained. The Louisiana Superdome, used as a designated "refuge of last resort" for those who remained in the city, also sustained significant damage, including two sections of the roof that were compromised, and the dome's waterproof membrane had essentially been peeled off. As the city flooded, many who remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water, or remain trapped in their attics or on their rooftops.

The disaster had major implications for a large segment of the population, economy and politics of the entire United States, which lasted for several months, well into 2006.

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