Katrina's Devastation: Did We Learn Anything? | JQJO

Hurricane Katrina, hitting the Gulf Coast in 2005, remains the costliest and deadliest US hurricane. Initially a Category 1, it intensified to a Category 5 before weakening to a Category 3 upon landfall. The levee failures in New Orleans caused catastrophic flooding, leaving thousands stranded and resulting in nearly 1400 deaths. The federal response faced heavy criticism for its slowness, while the storm's impact extended beyond New Orleans, devastating Mississippi and Alabama. Even two decades later, some communities, especially the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, continue to struggle with the storm's long-term consequences.