Hurricane Katrina: The Most Destructive Storm to Make U.S. Landfall

On the morning of August 29, 2005, a storm named Katrina slammed into the Louisiana coast, rating as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Before making landfall, this storm had briefly reached Category 5 wind speeds--even at a Category 3, the storm caused widespread flooding throughout Plaquemines Parish.

In Mississippi, Katrina wiped out entire neighborhoods in Biloxi; the structural damage led to pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. In New Orleans, the Superdome took heavy damage from Katrina’s winds-- thousands of residents unable to leave the city were stranded at the Superdome for several days.

Floodwaters blown up during the storm caused low-lying levees surrounding New Orleans to breach and flood, causing flooding devastation to areas of the city. As of the time of publication, that damage is still being cleaned up. To learn more about Hurricane Katrina, read our Bright Hub guides.

Image: Seawater Over a Pier FDP Credit Evgeni Dinev: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1256