What did Hurricane Katrina hit land as?
Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour.
How did Hurricane Katrina impact the land?
The findings demonstrate how Hurricane Katrina caused significant ecological damage by altering coastal chemistry and habitat. When the hurricane hit land, the resulting surge extended six miles inland, breaching the levees of New Orleans and causing flooding to 80 percent of the city to depths of six meters.
Why did the formation of Hurricane Katrina make it unusual?
The most unusual aspect of Katrina was that its combination of strength and track allowed the storm surge to overwhelm the protective system that New Orleans had in place. New Orleans is the only major American city with a large portion of its population living below the level of the surrounding water.
How did Hurricane Katrina become a tropical storm?
Katrina then weakened to a tropical storm, since hurricanes require warm ocean water to sustain speed and strength and begin to weaken over land. However, the storm then crossed back into the Gulf of Mexico, where it quickly regained strength and hurricane status. ( Read a detailed timeline of how the storm developed .)
What was the political fallout from Hurricane Katrina?
Political Fallout From Hurricane Katrina In the wake of the storm’s devastating effects, local, state and federal governments were criticized for their slow, inadequate response, as well as for the levee failures around New Orleans. And officials from different branches of government were quick to direct the blame at each other.
Where was the beach erosion in Hurricane Katrina?
Many homes were engulfed by Katrina’s surge in Bayou La Batre, AL.Major beach erosion occurred from Dauphin Island to east of Destin. The west end of Dauphin Island was completely under water with most of the homes on the west end washed away.
What was the name of the hurricane that hit New Orleans?
Katrina was the earliest 11th named storm on record before being surpassed by Tropical Storm Kyle on August 14, 2020. Hurricane Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005, as the result of the merger of a tropical wave and the remnants of Tropical Depression Ten four days earlier.