11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina 1. Hurricane Katrina was the largest and third strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S. 2. In New Orleans, the levees were designed for Category 3, but Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 miles per hour. 3. The storm surge from Katrina was 20-feet (six meters) high. 4. 705 people are reported as still missing as a result of hurricane Katrina. 5. Hurricane Katrina affected over 15 million people in different factors such as economy, evacuations, gas prices or drinking water. 6. The final death toll was at 1,836, primarily from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238). 7. An estimated 80 percent of New Orleans was under water, up to 20 feet deep in places. 8. Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages, but it is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion, earning the title of costliest hurricane ever in US history. 9. Hurricane Katrina impacted about 90,000 square miles. 10. The region affected by the storm supported roughly 1 million non-farm jobs, and still, hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed by the hurricane. 11. More than 70 countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance after the hurricane. Kuwait made the largest single pledge of $500 million, but Qatar, India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh made very large donations as well.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 23:33:40 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015