List of Storms in The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

An area of disturbed weather over the Bahamas developed into a tropical depression on August 23, becoming a tropical storm on August 24 and a hurricane on August 25. It made landfall on August 25 in southern Florida, emerging a few hours later into the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina rapidly intensified to Category 5 status on the morning of August 28, becoming the fourth most intense recorded hurricane in the Atlantic basin. The hurricane weakened to a Category 4 as it turned northward, and weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph (200 km/h) winds as it made landfall in southeastern Louisiana (as confirmed by the post-storm report; initially it was estimated as a Category 4 landfall). Hours later, it crossed the Breton Sound and held its strength, making its third and final landfall with 120 mph (190 km/h) winds near Pearlington, Mississippi.

The Mississippi and Alabama coastlines suffered catastrophic damage from the storm's 30-foot (nine m) storm surge. New Orleans escaped the worst damage from the storm, but levees along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and 17th Street and London Avenue Canals ultimately were breached by storm surge, flooding about 80% of the city. 1,836 people have been confirmed dead across seven US states. Katrina is the costliest and one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with damage totals around $81.2 billion (USD; $110 billion 2012 USD). It is the deadliest storm of the 2005 season. The damage and fatality estimates remain incomplete.

• The NHC's archive on Hurricane Katrina
• The HPC's archive on Hurricane Katrina