Hurricane Katrina, 2002 Gulf Coast
Many people have debated what the worst natural disaster was, but there is a clear winner. The worst natural disaster was Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane that stormed through new orleans and the surrounding areas
“The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exposed a series of deep-rooted problems, including controversies over the federal government's response, difficulties in search-and-rescue efforts, and lack of preparedness for the storm, particularly with regard to the city's aging series of levees—50 of which failed during the storm, significantly flooding the low-lying city and causing much of the damage. Katrina's victims tended to be low income and African American in disproportionate numbers, and many of those who lost their homes to the tragedy”
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Hurricane Katrina killed lots of people and injured many others, The storm overflowed the levees and floodwalls in southeast Louisiana and also made the levees and floodwalls in New Orleans to fail or breach in more than 30 locations. “Water rushed into New Orleans and flooded over 80% of the city and over 10 feet deep in some neighborhoods. It affected many families and caused about 2000 deaths. “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. “By the following afternoon Katrina had become one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, with winds in excess of 170 miles (275 km) per hour.”
The tragedy inspired many books and movies; such as I Survived: Hurricane Katrina by Lauren Tarshis, The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley, and What Was Hurricane Katrina? By Robin