Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina Katrina at peak intensity in the [Gulf of Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico "Gulf of Mexico") on August 28 Meteorological history Formed August 23, 2005 [Extratropical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extratropical_cyclone "Extratropical cyclone")August 30, 2005 Dissipated August 31, 2005 Category 5 major hurricane _1-minute sustained_ ([SSHWS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir%E2%80%93Simpson_scale "Saffir–Simpson scale")/[NWS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Service "National Weather Service")) Highest winds 175 mph (280 km/h) Lowest pressure 902 mbar "Bar (unit)") (hPa "Pascal (unit)")); 26.64[inHg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch_of_mercury "Inch of mercury") Overall effects Fatalities 1,392 Missing 652 Damage$125 billion (2005 [USD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar "United States dollar")) ([Costliest tropical cyclone on record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_costliest_tropical_cyclones "List of the costliest tropical cyclones") when adjusted for inflation) Areas affected* [Bahamas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas "Bahamas")
- [Southeastern United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_United_States "Southeastern United States") (especially [Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida "Florida"), [Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana "Louisiana"), and [Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi "Mississippi"))
- [Cuba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba "Cuba")
- [Northeastern United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States "Northeastern United States")
- [Eastern Canada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Canada "Eastern Canada")
IBTrACS
- * *
Part of the **[2005 Atlantic hurricane season](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season "2005 Atlantic hurricane season")**
**Hurricane Katrina** was an extremely powerful and catastrophic [tropical cyclone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone "Tropical cyclone") that affected the [Southeastern United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_United_States "Southeastern United States") in late August 2005, particularly in and around the city of [New Orleans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans "New Orleans"). Katrina became the United States' [costliest tropical cyclone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_costliest_Atlantic_hurricanes "List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes"), with an estimated $125 billion ($206 billion when adjusted for inflation) in damages.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-ct-1) The hurricane killed 1,392 people,[[nb 1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-2) making it the deadliest American hurricane since the [1928 Okeechobee hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Okeechobee_hurricane "1928 Okeechobee hurricane") and is the only [mainland U.S.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States "Contiguous United States") hurricane to have killed over a thousand people since then. Katrina was the twelfth tropical cyclone, the fifth hurricane, the third [major hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_hurricane "Major hurricane"), and the second [Category 5 hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir%E2%80%93Simpson_scale "Saffir–Simpson scale") of the [2005 Atlantic hurricane season](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season "2005 Atlantic hurricane season"). It was also the fourth-most intense [Atlantic hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_hurricane "Atlantic hurricane") to make landfall in the [contiguous United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States "Contiguous United States"), as measured by [barometric pressure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometric_pressure "Barometric pressure").
The hurricane [originated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclogenesis "Tropical cyclogenesis") on August 23 near the [Bahamas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas "Bahamas"), from the merger of a [tropical wave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_wave "Tropical wave") and the remnants of a [tropical depression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_depression "Tropical depression"). Katrina strengthened into a hurricane before making its first landfall in southeast Florida on August 25. Crossing the state, the hurricane entered the [Gulf of Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico "Gulf of Mexico") on August 26 and [rapidly intensified](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_intensification "Rapid intensification"). Early on August 28, Katrina peaked as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum central [pressure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_pressure "Atmospheric pressure") of 902mbar "Bar (unit)") (26.64[inHg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch_of_mercury "Inch of mercury")). Turning to the north, the hurricane weakened to a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall on August 29 near [Buras-Triumph, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buras-Triumph,_Louisiana "Buras-Triumph, Louisiana"), with a subsequent final landfall near the Louisiana–Mississippi border. Katrina also produced a widespread [tornado outbreak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina_tornado_outbreak "Hurricane Katrina tornado outbreak") while moving inland and weakening. On August 31, a [cold front](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_front "Cold front") over [Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio "Ohio") absorbed the circulation of the former hurricane. The remnants of Katrina continued to the northeast, later moving through Canada before losing their identity on September 7 over the eastern [Great Lakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes "Great Lakes").
Eighty percent of New Orleans, as well as large areas in neighboring [parishes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parishes_of_Louisiana "List of parishes of Louisiana"), were flooded. It is estimated that about 97,000 people remained in the City of New Orleans, despite mandatory evacuation orders. The flooding prompted a massive national and international response effort, including federal, local, and private rescue operations. The largest loss of life was due to flooding caused by engineering flaws in the federally built [hurricane protection system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1965#Lake_Pontchartrain_and_Vicinity_Hurricane_Protection_Project "Flood Control Act of 1965"), particularly the [levees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levee "Levee") around New Orleans. [Investigators concluded](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investigations_of_levee_failures_during_Hurricane_Katrina "Investigations of levee failures during Hurricane Katrina") that the [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers"), tasked by Congress in the [Flood Control Act of 1965](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1965 "Flood Control Act of 1965") to design and build the region's hurricane protection, was responsible for the breached [floodwalls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_levee_failures_in_Greater_New_Orleans "2005 levee failures in Greater New Orleans"). Later, a federal appeals court ruled that the Army Corps, despite being responsible, could not be held financially liable due to the [Flood Control Act of 1928](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1928 "Flood Control Act of 1928").
The preparation and emergency response from federal, state, and local governments was widely criticized, leading to the resignation of [Federal Emergency Management Agency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency "Federal Emergency Management Agency") (FEMA) director [Michael D. Brown.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Brown "Michael D. Brown") President [George W. Bush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush "George W. Bush") also faced criticism. However, several agencies, such as the [United States Coast Guard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard "United States Coast Guard") (USCG), [National Hurricane Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center "National Hurricane Center") (NHC), and [National Weather Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Service "National Weather Service") (NWS), were commended for their actions. The destruction and loss of life caused by the storm prompted the name _Katrina_ to be [retired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_retired_Atlantic_hurricane_names "List of retired Atlantic hurricane names") by the [World Meteorological Organization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Meteorological_Organization "World Meteorological Organization") in April 2006.
Meteorological history
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
On August 19, 2005, a weak [tropical wave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_wave "Tropical wave") combined with the mid-level remnants of Tropical Depression Ten "Tropical Depression Ten (2005)") and an [upper tropospheric trough](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_upper_tropospheric_trough "Tropical upper tropospheric trough") near the [Lesser Antilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Antilles "Lesser Antilles"). On August 23, this disturbance organized into Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas. The storm strengthened into [Tropical Storm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone#Tropical_storm "Tropical cyclone") Katrina on the morning of August 24. The tropical storm moved towards Florida and became a hurricane only two hours before making [landfall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfall "Landfall") between [Hallandale Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallandale_Beach "Hallandale Beach") and [Aventura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventura,_Florida "Aventura, Florida") on the morning of August 25. The storm weakened over land, but it regained hurricane status about one hour after entering the Gulf of Mexico, and it continued strengthening over open waters. On August 27, the storm reached Category 3 intensity on the [Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir%E2%80%93Simpson_hurricane_wind_scale "Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale"), becoming the third [major hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales#Atlantic,_Eastern_and_Central_Pacific "Tropical cyclone scales") of the season. An [eyewall replacement cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewall_replacement_cycle "Eyewall replacement cycle") disrupted the intensification but caused the storm to nearly double in size.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3) Thereafter, Katrina [rapidly intensified](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidly_intensified "Rapidly intensified") over the "unusually warm" waters of the [Loop Current](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_Current "Loop Current"), from a Category 3 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane in just nine hours.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:0-4)
After attaining Category 5 hurricane status on the morning of August 28, Katrina reached its peak strength at 1800 [UTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC "UTC"), with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum central [pressure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_pressure "Atmospheric pressure") of 902mbar "Bar (unit)") (26.64[inHg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch_of_mercury "Inch of mercury")). The pressure measurement made Katrina the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record at the time, only to be surpassed by Hurricanes [Rita](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Rita "Hurricane Rita") and [Wilma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Wilma "Hurricane Wilma") later in the season; it was also the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the [Gulf of Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico "Gulf of Mexico") at the time, before Rita broke the record.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3) The hurricane subsequently weakened due to another eyewall replacement cycle, and Katrina made its second landfall at 1110 UTC on August 29, as a high-end Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph (201 km/h), near [Buras-Triumph, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buras-Triumph,_Louisiana "Buras-Triumph, Louisiana").[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:1-5) At landfall, hurricane-force winds extended outward 120 miles (190 km) from the center and the storm's central pressure was 920 mbar (27 inHg). After moving over southeastern Louisiana and then [Breton Sound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breton_Sound "Breton Sound"), it made its third and final landfall near the Louisiana–Mississippi border, with Category 3 sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h).[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3) Katrina maintained hurricane strength well into Mississippi, finally weakening to tropical storm strength more than 150 miles (240 km) inland near [Meridian, Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian,_Mississippi "Meridian, Mississippi"). It was downgraded to a tropical depression near [Clarksville, Tennessee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville,_Tennessee "Clarksville, Tennessee"); its remnants were absorbed by a [cold front](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_front "Cold front") in the eastern [Great Lakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes "Great Lakes") region on August 31. The resulting [extratropical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extratropical "Extratropical") storm moved rapidly to the northeast and affected eastern Canada and was absorbed within a frontal zone over the eastern Great Lakes.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3)
Preparations
Federal government
Flanked by [Michael Chertoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Chertoff "Michael Chertoff"), [Secretary of Homeland Security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_Homeland_Security "Secretary of Homeland Security"), left, and Secretary of Defense [Donald Rumsfeld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld "Donald Rumsfeld"), President Bush meets with members of the Task Force on Hurricane Katrina Recovery on August 31, 2005.
The [United States Coast Guard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard "United States Coast Guard") began pre-positioning resources in a ring around the expected impact zone and activated more than 400 reservists. On August 27, it moved its personnel out of the New Orleans region prior to the mandatory evacuation.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-6) Aircrews from the Aviation Training Center, in Mobile, staged rescue aircraft from Texas to Florida.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-CG_leadership-7) All aircraft were returning towards the Gulf of Mexico by the afternoon of August 29.
[President George W. Bush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_George_W._Bush "Presidency of George W. Bush") declared a state of emergency in selected regions of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi on August 27. On Sunday August 28, Governor Kathleen Blanco requested that the President declare an "expedited major disaster for the State of Louisiana" including all the southeastern parishes including the City of New Orleans.[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-8) On Sunday, August 28, President Bush spoke with Governor Blanco to encourage her to order a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans."[[8.1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-10)
The Associated Press reported that federal officials warned President Bush before landfall that Katrina could 'breach levees', however the AP subsequently corrected that characterization, namely that the pre-landfall federal briefing warned about 'overtopping' not structural breach/failure.[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-11) The first suggestion that levees could fail structurally occurred at 1:47 a.m. August 29 in a memo from the Homeland Security Operations Center to the White House Situation Room, nine hours after the evacuation was already completed.[[10]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-12)
Data provided by FEMA indicate that over 1.2 million people along the northern Gulf coast from southeastern Louisiana to Alabama were under some type of evacuation order.[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-13)
#### National Hurricane Center (NHC)
The NHC issued 31 bulletins between August 23 and August 30.[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-14) Late on the afternoon of Friday August 26, the [Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center "National Hurricane Center")'s prediction models shifted in unison away from the Florida panhandle, and New Orleans was moved to the center of the cone of certainty.[[13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-NHC_disc_014-15) Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at Weather.com called this “one of the two most memorable forecast shifts I've seen in my 28-plus year career in meteorology, along with [Sandy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy "Hurricane Sandy").”[[14]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-16) At 10:00 a.m. CDT on Sunday August 28, the [NHC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center "National Hurricane Center") issued a bulletin predicting maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and urging that "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.[[15]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-17) At 10:11 a.m CDT, Robert Ricks in the Slidell office of the [NWS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Service "National Weather Service")[re-issued the bulletin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Service_bulletin_for_Hurricane_Katrina "National Weather Service bulletin for Hurricane Katrina") predicting that "high rise office and apartment buildings will sway dangerously... a few to the point of total collapse. All windows will blow out."[[16]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-18) In a noon teleconference on Sunday August 28, NHC Director [Max Mayfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Mayfield "Max Mayfield") said, "on the forecast track, if it maintains intensity, about twelve feet of storm surge in the lake, the big question is will that top some of the levees? ... I don't think any model can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not, but that's obviously a very, very grave concern."[[17]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Levee_Breach_Warning-19)
State government
#### Florida
In Florida, Governor [Jeb Bush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Bush "Jeb Bush") declared a [state of emergency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_emergency "State of emergency") on August 24 in advance of Hurricane Katrina's landfall.[[18]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Florida-preps-20) By the following day, Florida's Emergency Operations Center was activated in [Tallahassee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallahassee "Tallahassee") to monitor the progress of the hurricane.[[19]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-21) Before Katrina moved ashore, schools and businesses were closed in the Miami area. Cruise ships altered their paths due to seaports in southeastern Florida closing.[[20]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-22) Officials in Miami-Dade County advised residents in mobile homes or with special needs to evacuate. To the north in Broward County, residents east of the [Intracoastal Waterway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intracoastal_Waterway "Intracoastal Waterway") or in mobile homes were advised to leave their homes. Evacuation orders were issued for offshore islands in [Palm Beach County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Beach_County "Palm Beach County"), and for residents in mobile homes south of Lantana Road. Additionally, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for vulnerable housing in [Martin County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_County,_Florida "Martin County, Florida").[[18]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Florida-preps-20) Shelters were opened across the region.[[21]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-23) Officials closed the [Miami International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_International_Airport "Miami International Airport"),[[22]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-afp827-24)[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lauderdale%E2%80%93Hollywood_International_Airport "Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport"), [Key West International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West_International_Airport "Key West International Airport"), and [Florida Keys Marathon Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys_Marathon_Airport "Florida Keys Marathon Airport") due to the storm. In Monroe and [Collier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collier_County,_Florida "Collier County, Florida") counties, schools were closed, and a shelter was opened in [Immokalee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immokalee,_Florida "Immokalee, Florida").[[23]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-nyt826-25)
#### Alabama
On August 28, Alabama Governor [Bob Riley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Riley "Bob Riley") declared a state of emergency for the approaching Hurricane Katrina. On the same day, he requested President Bush to declare "expedited major disaster declaration" for six counties of South Alabama, which was quickly approved. Three hundred fifty national guardsmen were called on duty by August 30.[[24]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-26) The state of Mississippi activated its [National Guard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Guard "United States National Guard") on August 26 in preparation for the storm's landfall. Additionally, the state government activated its Emergency Operations Center the next day, and local governments began issuing evacuation orders. By 6:00 p.m. CDT "Central Time Zone (North America)") on August 28, 11 counties and cities issued evacuation orders, a number which increased to 41 counties and 61 cities by the following morning. Moreover, 57 emergency shelters were established on coastal communities, with 31 additional shelters available to open if needed.[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-CongressInvestigation-27)
By Sunday, August 28, most infrastructure along the Gulf Coast had been shut down, including all freight and [Amtrak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak "Amtrak") rail traffic into the evacuation areas as well as the [Waterford Nuclear Generating Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterford_Nuclear_Generating_Station "Waterford Nuclear Generating Station"). Since Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak's _[Sunset Limited](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset\_Limited "Sunset Limited")_ service has never been restored past New Orleans.[[26]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-28)[[27]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-29)[[nb 2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-30)
#### Louisiana
By August 26, many of the computer models had shifted the potential path of Katrina 150 miles (240 km) westward from the Florida Panhandle, putting southeast Louisiana and Mississippi near the center of their track probabilities; the chances of a direct hit were forecast at 17%, with strike probability rising to 29% by August 28.[[28]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-31) Emergency management officials in New Orleans feared that the storm surge could go over the tops of levees protecting the city.[[29]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-32)
Louisiana's hurricane evacuation plan used [contraflow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraflow_lane_reversal "Contraflow lane reversal"): turning all lanes of Interstate-10 into one-way lanes outbound from the city. The concept is simple, but it requires perfect coordination local parish governments and the state police in three phases, starting with the immediate coast 50 hours before the start of tropical-storm-force winds. Persons in areas designated Phase II begin evacuating 40 hours before the onset of tropical storm winds and those in Phase III areas (including New Orleans) evacuate 30 hours before the start of such winds.[[30]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-33) Governor Blanco initiated contraflow at 4 p.m on Saturday, August 27 and ended it at 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 28.[[31]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-34) The contraflow plan successfully evacuated about one million people[[32]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-35) and is considered the most successful rapid evacuation of a major city in American history.[[33]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-36) Louisiana's Emergency Operations Plan Supplement 1C (Part II, Section II, Paragraph D) calls for use of school and other public buses in evacuations.[[34]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-37) Although buses that later flooded were available to transport those dependent on public transportation, that option was not employed. Public officials instead directed transit-dependent residents to local emergency shelters, since that strategy had worked successfully during previous hurricanes.[[35]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-38) Some estimates claimed that 80% of the 1.3 million residents of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area evacuated.[[36]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-39) The [Louisiana National Guard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_National_Guard "Louisiana National Guard") delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MREs — short for "meals ready to eat."[[37]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-40)[[38]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-41)
Local government
#### New Orleans
On Sunday August 28th, at about 9:30 a.m. CDT, Mayor Ray Nagin began a news conference[[39]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-42) where he ordered the first-ever [mandatory evacuation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_evacuation "Emergency evacuation") of the city, calling Katrina "a storm that most of us have long feared".[[40]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-43) The mayor also announced that the [Louisiana Superdome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Superdome "Louisiana Superdome") would be "refuge of last resort" for citizens who could not leave the city. NOAA's official Katrina Service Assessment (2006) states that approximately 80% of New Orleans residents evacuated before Katrina. Using the city's approximately 485,000 residents, that implies roughly 97,000 remained.[[41]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-44)
Impact
Deaths by state[Alabama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama "Alabama")2 Florida 14 Georgia "Georgia (U.S. state)")2 [Kentucky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky "Kentucky")1 [Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana "Louisiana")986–1,577* [Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi "Mississippi")238 [Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio "Ohio")2 Total 1,245–1,836[[42]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-MWR_2005AHS-45)[[43]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-DHHLouisiana-46) Missing 652[[44]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-louisiana1-47)[[45]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-48) *Includes out-of-state evacuees counted by Louisiana
Katrina brought hurricane conditions to southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama.[[46]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-49) Storm surge flooding of 25 to 28 feet above normal tide level occurred along portions of the Mississippi coast.[[47]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-50) Almost half the total economic loss is the result of flooding in New Orleans [[48]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-51) where [storm surge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_surge "Storm surge") triggered multiple breaches in the [federal flood protection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1965#Lake_Pontchartrain_and_Vicinity_Hurricane_Protection_Project "Flood Control Act of 1965"). Katrina is the most costly [tropical cyclone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_costliest_Atlantic_hurricanes "List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes") in the history of the United States[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-ct-1) with total damage estimated at $125 billion (2005 U.S. dollars).[[49]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-52)[[50]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-katreport-53) Katrina was the deadliest storm to strike the U.S. since the [1928 Okeechobee hurricane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Okeechobee_hurricane "1928 Okeechobee hurricane") with a death toll that far outweighs any other storm during the modern era of weather forecasting.[[51]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-54)
Federal disaster declarations covered 90,000 square miles (230,000 km 2) of the United States, an area almost as large as the United Kingdom.[[52]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-55) The hurricane left an estimated three million people without electricity.[[53]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-56) On September 3, 2005, [Homeland Security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security "Homeland Security") Secretary [Michael Chertoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Chertoff "Michael Chertoff") described the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as "probably the worst catastrophe or set of catastrophes" in the country's history, referring to the hurricane itself plus the flooding of New Orleans.[[54]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-57)
The [National Hurricane Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center "National Hurricane Center") (NHC) originally attributed 1,836 fatalities to the storm: one in Kentucky, two each in Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio, 14 in Florida, 238 in Mississippi, and 1,577 in Louisiana.[[42]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-MWR_2005AHS-45)[[44]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-louisiana1-47) However, 135 people remain categorized as missing in Louisiana,[[44]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-louisiana1-47) and many of the deaths are indirect. A 2008 report by the Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal indicates that 966 deaths can be directly attributed to the storm in Louisiana, including out of state evacuees, and another 20 indirectly (such as firearm-related deaths and gas poisoning). Due to uncertain causes of death with 454 evacuees, an upper-bound of 1,440 is noted in the paper.[[43]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-DHHLouisiana-46) A follow-up study by the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals determined that the storm was directly responsible for 1,170 fatalities in Louisiana.[[55]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-DHHLouisiana2-58)
On January 4, 2023, the NHC updated the Katrina fatality data on the basis of the published studies of Rappaport (2014) and Rappaport and Blanchard (2016) which reduced the total number from an estimated 1,833 to 1,392.[[56]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-59)
Bahamas and Cuba
Before striking South Florida, Katrina traversed the Bahamas as a tropical storm. However, minimal impact was reported, with only "fresh breezes" on various islands.[[57]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-wmo-60)
Although Hurricane Katrina stayed well to the north of [Cuba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba "Cuba"), on August 28 it brought tropical-storm-force winds and rainfall of over 8 in (200 mm) to western regions of the island. Telephone and power lines were damaged and around 8,000 people were evacuated in the [Pinar del Río Province](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinar_del_R%C3%ADo_Province "Pinar del Río Province"). According to Cuban television, the coastal town of [Surgidero de Batabanó](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgidero_de_Bataban%C3%B3 "Surgidero de Batabanó") was 90% underwater.[[58]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Cuba_damage-61)
United States
Hurricane Katrina was one of the largest-diameter US Gulf Coast hurricanes.[[59]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-WashPost_20240926-62) Though large size does not imply _strength_—which is based on sustained wind measurements—it can mean that more people are exposed to its hazards.[[59]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-WashPost_20240926-62)
#### Florida
Damage to a mobile home in [Davie, Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davie,_Florida "Davie, Florida") following Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina first made landfall between [Hallandale Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallandale_Beach "Hallandale Beach") and [Aventura, Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventura,_Florida "Aventura, Florida") on August 25. The storm dropped heavy rainfall in portions of the [Miami metropolitan area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_metropolitan_area "Miami metropolitan area"), with a peak total of 16.43 in (417 mm) in [Perrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrine,_Florida "Perrine, Florida"). As a result, local flooding occurred in [Miami-Dade County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-Dade_County "Miami-Dade County"), damaging approximately 100 homes. Farther south in the Florida Keys, a [tornado](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado "Tornado") was spawned in [Marathon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon,_Florida "Marathon, Florida") on August 26. The tornado damaged a hangar at the airport there and caused an estimated $5 million in damage.[[60]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Marathon_Tornado-63) The rains caused flooding, and the combination of rains and winds downed trees and power lines, leaving 1.45 million people without power. Damage in South Florida was estimated at $523 million, mostly as a result of crop damage. Twelve deaths occurred in South Florida, of which three were caused by downed trees in Broward County, three from drowning in Miami-Dade County, three were from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by generators, one was due to a vehicle accident, one occurred during debris cleanup, and one was associated with a lack of electricity.
Significant impacts were also reported in the [Florida Panhandle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Panhandle "Florida Panhandle"). Although Katrina moved ashore in Louisiana and Mississippi, its outer periphery produced a 5.37 ft (1.64 m) storm surge in [Pensacola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensacola "Pensacola"). High waves caused beach erosion and closed nearby roadways. There were five tornadoes in the northwestern portion of the state, though none of them caused significant damage. Throughout the Florida Panhandle, the storm resulted in an estimated $100 million in damage. In the Florida Panhandle, 77,000 customers lost power.[[61]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-64) Overall, the hurricane killed 14 people and caused at least $623 million in damage.
#### Louisiana
Flooding in [Venice, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice,_Louisiana "Venice, Louisiana")
A fallen water tower in [Buras-Triumph, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buras-Triumph,_Louisiana "Buras-Triumph, Louisiana"), where Katrina made landfall
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near [Buras-Triumph, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buras-Triumph,_Louisiana "Buras-Triumph, Louisiana"), with 125 mph (200 km/h) winds, as a strong Category 3 hurricane. Although the storm surge to the east of the path of the eye in Mississippi was higher, a significant surge affected the Louisiana coast. The height of the surge is uncertain because of a lack of data, although a tide gauge in [Plaquemines Parish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaquemines_Parish "Plaquemines Parish") indicated a storm tide in excess of 14 feet (4.3 m), and a 12-foot (3.7 m) storm surge was recorded in [Grand Isle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Isle,_Louisiana "Grand Isle, Louisiana"). The hurricane made its final landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River "Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana)"), with the eye straddling [St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Tammany_Parish,_Louisiana "St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana"), and [Hancock County, Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancock_County,_Mississippi "Hancock County, Mississippi"), on the morning of August 29 at about 9:45 am. CDT.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3)
Hurricane Katrina also brought heavy rain to Louisiana, with 8–10 inches (200–250 mm) falling on a wide swath of the eastern part of the state. In the area around [Slidell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slidell,_Louisiana "Slidell, Louisiana"), the rainfall was even higher, and the highest rainfall recorded in the state was approximately 15 inches (380 mm). As a result of the rainfall and storm surge the level of [Lake Pontchartrain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Pontchartrain "Lake Pontchartrain") rose and caused significant flooding along its northeastern shore, affecting communities from Slidell to [Mandeville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandeville,_Louisiana "Mandeville, Louisiana"). Several bridges were destroyed, including the [I-10 Twin Span Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-10_Twin_Span_Bridge "I-10 Twin Span Bridge") connecting Slidell to New Orleans.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3) Almost 900,000 people in Louisiana lost power as a result of Hurricane Katrina.[[62]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Power_failures-65)
New Orleans
Katrina's storm surge inundated all parishes surrounding Lake Pontchartrain, including [St. Tammany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Tammany_Parish,_Louisiana "St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana"), [Tangipahoa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangipahoa_Parish,_Louisiana "Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana"), [St. John the Baptist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John_the_Baptist_Parish,_Louisiana "St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana"), and [St. Charles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Charles_Parish,_Louisiana "St. Charles Parish, Louisiana") Parishes. St. Tammany Parish received a two-part storm surge. The first surge came as Lake Pontchartrain rose and the storm blew water from the Gulf of Mexico into the lake. The second came as the eye of Katrina passed, westerly winds pushed water into a bottleneck at the Rigolets Pass, forcing it farther inland. The range of surge levels in eastern St. Tammany Parish is estimated at 13–16 feet (4.0–4.9 m), not including wave action.[[63]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-66)
Hard-hit [St. Bernard Parish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_Parish "St. Bernard Parish") was flooded because of breaching of the levees that contained a navigation channel called the [Mississippi River Gulf Outlet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_Gulf_Outlet "Mississippi River Gulf Outlet") (MR-GO.) In the months after the storm, many of the missing were tracked down by searching flooded homes, tracking credit card records, and visiting homes of family and relatives.[[64]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-67) According to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, in St. Bernard Parish, 81% (20,229) of the housing units were damaged. In St. Tammany Parish, 70% (48,792) were damaged and in Plaquemines Parish 80% (7,212) were damaged.[[65]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-68)
In addition, the combined effect of Hurricanes Katrina and [Rita](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Rita "Hurricane Rita") was the destruction of an estimated 562 square kilometres (217 sq mi) of coastal wetlands in Louisiana.[[66]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-69)
##### New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina making landfall at the Louisiana-Mississippi border
Flooded I-10/I-610/West End Blvd interchange "Interchange (road)") and surrounding area of northwest New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana
As the eye of Hurricane Katrina swept to the northeast, it subjected the city to hurricane conditions for several hours on August 29. The strongest sustained wind in New Orleans is subject to speculation since observations were sparse, due in part to the power failures that disabled ASOS stations in the area before peak wind conditions occurred. The [NHC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center "National Hurricane Center") concluded that much of the city likely experienced sustained surface winds of Category 1 or 2 hurricane strength.[[67]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-70)
Katrina's storm surge caused more than 50 levee breaches in the [federally built levee system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1965#Lake_Pontchartrain_and_Vicinity_Hurricane_Protection_Project "Flood Control Act of 1965") protecting metro New Orleans. The major levee breaches in the city included breaches at the [17th Street Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Street_Canal "17th Street Canal") levee, the [London Avenue Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Avenue_Canal "London Avenue Canal"), and the wide, navigable [Industrial Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Canal "Industrial Canal"), which left approximately 80% of the city flooded.[[68]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-71) A June 2007 report by the [American Society of Civil Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Society_of_Civil_Engineers "American Society of Civil Engineers") indicated that two-thirds of the flooding was caused by the multiple failures of the city's floodwalls.[[69]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-72)
Most of the major roads traveling into and out of the city were damaged. The only major intact highway routes out of the city were the westbound [Crescent City Connection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crescent_City_Connection "Crescent City Connection") and the Huey P. Long Bridge, as large portions of the I-10 Twin Span Bridge traveling eastbound towards Slidell, Louisiana had collapsed. Both the [Lake Pontchartrain Causeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Pontchartrain_Causeway "Lake Pontchartrain Causeway") and the Crescent City Connection only carried emergency traffic.[[70]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-73) According to the New Orleans Police, "although much of New Orleans was flooded, portions of the riverfront corridor remained accessible; police established operations at the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street and at a hotel on Convention Center Boulevard in the days following Katrina."[[71]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-74)
On August 29, at 7:40 a.m., most of the windows on the north side of the [Hyatt Regency New Orleans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_New_Orleans "Hyatt Regency New Orleans") had been blown out, and many other high rise buildings had extensive window damage.[[72]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-75) At 8:00 a.m, the National Hurricane Center warned, “winds affecting the upper floors of high-rise buildings will be significantly stronger then those near ground level."[[73]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-76) The next day, the [Times-Picayune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Times_Picayune "New Orleans Times Picayune") reported that the Hyatt and other downtown hotels illustrated that the practice of 'vertical evacuation' (i.e. sheltering in high-rise buildings instead of using roadways to evacuate) "is not without its hazards - or discomforts."[[74]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-77)
Katrina's wind combined with water from the floodwall breaches was damaging the communication infrastructure that local law enforcement, political leaders and emergency managers in Baton Rouge and Washington relied on. Electricity was now out, landlines and telephone switching stations were being submerged. Some cell towers had lost power while others had been knocked over. "One by one, police, city, state, and federal agencies were going blind."[[75]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-78) More than 1000 [base station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Transceiver_Station "Base Transceiver Station") sites were impacted. Some base stations had their own back-up generators but the long duration of power outages exceeded their capabilities.[[76]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-79) Eight days after the storm, [BellSouth Corp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BellSouth "BellSouth"). estimated it could take four to six months to restore service in New Orleans.[[77]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-80)
The [Superdome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Superdome "Mercedes-Benz Superdome"), which was sheltering many people who had not evacuated, sustained significant damage.[[78]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-Gibson-81) Two sections of the Superdome's roof were compromised and the dome's waterproof membrane was essentially peeled off. [Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong_New_Orleans_International_Airport "Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport") was closed before the storm but did not flood. On August 30, it was reopened to humanitarian and rescue operations. Limited commercial passenger service resumed at the airport on September 13 and regular carrier operations resumed in early October.[[79]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-New_Orleans_Airport-82)
A U.S. coast guardsman searches for survivors in New Orleans in the Katrina aftermath.
Levee breaches and flooding in New Orleans contributed to a significant number of deaths, with over 700 bodies recovered in New Orleans by October 23, 2005.[[80]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-83) Some survivors and evacuees reported seeing dead bodies lying in city streets and floating in still-flooded sections, especially in the east of the city. The advanced state of decomposition of many corpses, some of which were left in the water or sun for days before being collected, hindered efforts by coroners to identify many of the dead.[[81]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-84)
An estimated 195 bodies were found in hospitals in New Orleans,[[82]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:4-85) with the largest number being at [Memorial Medical Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Medical_Center_and_Hurricane_Katrina "Memorial Medical Center and Hurricane Katrina") where 45 corpses were recovered.[[83]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-86) Some 200 patients at Charity Hospital "Charity Hospital (New Orleans)") were not evacuated until Friday, September 2, having been without power or fresh water for five days.[[84]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-87) At the Convention Center, four bodies were recovered. One of the four is believed to be the result of a homicide.[[85]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-thevenot-88) An estimated 103 bodies were found in nursing homes.[[82]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:4-85)
There is evidence that many prisoners were abandoned in their cells during the storm, while the guards sought shelter. Hundreds of prisoners were later registered as "unaccounted for".[[86]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-89)[[87]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-90)[[88]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-91)
#### Mississippi
[U.S. Route 90](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_90 "U.S. Route 90")'s Bay St. Louis Bridge on Pass Christian was destroyed as a result of Katrina.
The Gulf coast of Mississippi suffered extreme damage from the impact of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, leaving 238 people dead, 67 missing, and billions of dollars in damage: bridges, barges, boats, piers, houses, and cars were washed inland.[[89]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-HBrecov-92) Katrina traveled up the entire state; as a result, all 82 counties in Mississippi were declared disaster areas for federal assistance, 47 for full assistance.[[89]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-HBrecov-92)
Katrina had made its final landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River at the Louisiana/Mississippi border, still as a Category 3 hurricane with an estimated intensity of 120 mph (190 km/h).[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina#cite_note-:5-3) Katrina's powerful right-front quadrant passed over the west and central Mississippi coast, causing a powerful 27-foot (8.2 m) storm surge, which penetrated 6 miles (10 km) inland in many areas and up to 12 miles (19 km) inland along bays and rivers; in some areas, the surge crossed [Interstate 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstat