at 4:16 PM by Mallory Schnell

Hurricane Katrina – Nine Years Later

Nine years have passed since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. While much progress has been made since August of 2005, the devastating effects of Katrina can still be felt and seen today. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, as a Category 3 storm. According to The Data Center, 80% of New Orleans flooded due to levee failure, killing 986 Louisiana residents. Millions of people along the Gulf were displaced and over $135 billion worth of damage was reported.

Many feared Hurricane Cristobal would make landfall on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This, of course, did not occur, as Cristobal remained far from the coast as it made its way up the Atlantic. With many sources hyping up forecasts, here is what the National Hurricane Center had to say:

The bottom line really is: be alert, be prepared, but also be wary of long-range projections that go beyond what the science can offer. And make the NOAA National Hurricane Center www.hurricanes.gov your calm, clear, and trusted source for official forecast and warning information on tropical cyclones.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.