Hurricane Katrina (2005)
August 23 – August 31, 2005
Fast Facts
- Active
- August 23 – 31, 2005 (9 days)
- Peak category
- Category 5
- Peak wind
- 175 mph
- Minimum pressure
- 902 mb (6th lowest Atlantic)
- US landfalls
- 3 (Florida + 2× Louisiana/Mississippi)
- Deaths
- 1,392
- Damage
- $125 billion (2005 USD) — ~$200B adjusted
- Rank
- Costliest US hurricane ever; 3rd deadliest of the modern era
- NHC report
- TCR-AL122005 (Knabb, Rhome, Brown — Dec 2005)
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center; HURDAT2 best-track database.
Path Map
Hover or tap any point for advisory details16 best-track points from NOAA HURDAT2. Segment color shows Saffir-Simpson intensity at the starting advisory.
Landfalls
| Location | Date | Category | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Miami Beach, FL | 2005-08-25 | Cat 1 | 80 mph |
| Buras-Triumph, LA | 2005-08-29 | Cat 3 | 125 mph |
| Pearl River mouth, LA/MS | 2005-08-29 | Cat 3 | 120 mph |
Formation and intensification
Landfall and the levee failures
Aftermath and legacy
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans?
Hurricane Katrina made its second and most destructive landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River on the Louisiana–Mississippi border at 10:00 a.m. CDT on August 29, 2005, as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds. The storm surge struck New Orleans hours earlier, with federal levees on the 17th Street, London Avenue, and Industrial Canals failing between roughly 6:30 and 9:00 a.m. CDT, flooding approximately 80% of the city.
What category was Hurricane Katrina at landfall?
Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane at both of its Louisiana/Mississippi landfalls on August 29, 2005, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph at Buras-Triumph and 120 mph at the Pearl River mouth. It had been a Category 5 with 175 mph winds 24 hours earlier over the central Gulf, but weakened during the final approach.
How many people died in Hurricane Katrina?
The NHC official report attributes 1,392 deaths to Hurricane Katrina, with most fatalities occurring in Louisiana (1,170) and Mississippi (238). The bulk of New Orleans deaths resulted from the post-landfall flooding caused by federal levee failures, not the storm itself. Several hundred additional deaths in subsequent months are commonly attributed to the storm in broader analyses.
How much damage did Hurricane Katrina cause?
Katrina caused approximately $125 billion in damage in 2005 dollars — about $200 billion adjusted to 2024 — making it the costliest natural disaster in US history. The figure includes residential, commercial, and infrastructure losses across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as substantial economic losses from the temporary shutdown of Gulf of Mexico oil production.
Where did Hurricane Katrina form?
Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the central Bahamas at approximately 18:00 UTC on August 23, 2005, from the merger of a tropical wave that had crossed the Atlantic and the remnants of a previous tropical depression. It was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina early on August 24 and reached hurricane status just two hours before its first landfall near North Miami Beach on August 25.
What was the lowest pressure of Hurricane Katrina?
Katrina's minimum central pressure was 902 mb (26.64 inHg), reached at 18:00 UTC on August 28, 2005, while the storm was at peak intensity in the central Gulf of Mexico. This made it the 6th-lowest pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane at the time (since exceeded only by a handful of even more intense storms).