Four overarching factors contributed to the failures of Katrina: 1) long-term warnings went unheeded and government officials neglected their duties to prepare for a forewarned catastrophe; 2) government officials took insufficient actions or made poor decisions in the days immediately before and after landfall; 3) ...
The all-time record for highest U.S. storm surge is Hurricane Katrina's 27.8 feet in Pass Christian, Mississippi in 2005 (measured from a “still water” mark found inside a building where waves couldn't reach).
On August 27 Katrina strengthened to a category 3 hurricane, with top winds exceeding 115 miles (185 km) per hour and a circulation that covered virtually the entire Gulf of Mexico.
Known for its storm surge, Katrina's highest surge was found in a zone from just east of the eye near Bay St. Louis, MS east to the northern reaches of Mobile Bay. The Mobile State Docks measured the highest storm surge of 11.45 feet, while the lowest was 4.1 feet in the Santa Rosa Sound in northwest Florida.
Tsunamis and storm surges are caused by different events but both result in flooding and damage to coastal areas. Tsunamis are immense sea waves (10 metres or more), which are produced by underwater events such as earthquakes, mudslides and volcanic eruptions.
A Design Pressure or DP rating measures the strength of a window. Standard residential windows have DP values between 15 and 50. A DP 15 window can reasonably be expected to sustain winds of roughly 77 mph before shattering. A DP 50 window is expected to sustain winds up to 173 mph.
#1: Hurricane Maria (2017) With maximum sustained winds over 175 miles per hour, Hurricane Maria blasted Puerto Rico to claim more than 3,000 lives and generate nearly $100 billion in property damage. It remains the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.
Great Galveston HurricaneThe 30 Deadliest U.S. Mainland HurricanesRankName/AreaDeaths1.Great Galveston Hurricane (TX)8,0002.Lake Okeechobee (FL)2,5003.Katrina (LA/MS/FL/GA/AL)1,2004.Cheniere Caminanda (LA)1,100-1,40026 more rows
Category 5Hurricane Katrina was the largest and 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the US. In New Orleans, the levees were designed for Category 3, but Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 mph.
The eye of the storm hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana on August 29. On the morning of August 29, 2005, Katrina made landfall around 60 miles southeast of New Orleans. Within an hour, nearly every building in lower Plaquemines Parish would be destroyed.
Katrina, which cut across Florida, had intensified into a Category 5 storm over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 175 mph (282 km/h ) before weakening as it neared the coast.
Depending on the size and track of the hurricane, storm surge flooding can last for several hours. It then recedes after the storm passes. Water level heights during a hurricane can reach 20 feet or more above normal sea level. With powerful waves on top of it, a hurricane's storm surge can cause catastrophic damage.
Storm surge can reach heights of more than 12 m (40 ft) near the center of a Category 5 hurricane, and fan out across several hundred miles of coastline, gradually diminishing away from the hurricane's center. Coastal flooding can reach far inland, tens of miles from the shoreline.
Higher storm surge occurs with wide, gently sloping continental shelves, while lower storm surge occurs with narrow, steeply sloping shelves. Areas along the Gulf Coast, especially Louisiana and Mississippi, are particularly vulnerable to storm surge because the ocean floor gradually deepens offshore.
25 miles inlandStorm surges have been known to go 25 miles inland, submerging cars and flooding houses in its path.
Hurricane Michael brought catastrophic storm surge to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend areas. One of the hardest hit locations was from Mexico Beach to Indian Pass where 9 to 14 feet of peak storm surge was observed.