Katrina then moved north into the Gulf of Mexico, rapidly intensifying into a Category 2 hurricane. Governors of Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency as the storm’s winds reached 115 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane. With New Orleans in its path, city officials urged residents to evacuate. Traffic jams clogged highways as thousands of vehicles tried to flee.
Katrina continued to grow into a Category 4 hurricane, and soon after, it escalated to Category 5—the highest rating—bringing winds over 175 mph. By August 28, all New Orleans residents were ordered to evacuate. For those unable to leave, shelters were set up, but many chose to stay in their homes to ride out the storm.
By the morning of August 29, Katrina weakened slightly back to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall near New Orleans at 6 a.m. with winds of 140 mph. It devastated the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Although the eye of the storm missed New Orleans, the city faced catastrophic flooding when its levees broke, allowing the waters of Lake Pontchartrain to rush in. By 8 a.m., 80% of the city was underwater, with some neighborhoods submerged under 20 feet.
As Katrina weakened to a tropical storm and moved north into Tennessee and Kentucky, the damage left behind was immense. Coastal towns in Mississippi were destroyed, and hundreds of lives were feared lost. New Orleans was in chaos, with widespread flooding, no power, and limited access to clean water. Many residents were stranded on rooftops, while bodies floated in the streets. Looting broke out, and thousands of people sought refuge at the Superdome and Convention Center, where conditions deteriorated due to a lack of food, water, and sanitation.
Rescue operations were halted as police dealt with rising violence. The situation at the Superdome and Convention Center became increasingly dire, with reports of violent assaults and thousands waiting for evacuation buses that never arrived. The National Guard eventually arrived, restoring order and bringing in food, water, and supplies. Major evacuations began soon after.
By the following Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers had plugged the major breaches in the levees, and the draining pumps began to operate, allowing floodwaters to subside. As residents of the Gulf Coast returned home, they found their lives forever changed by the destructive power of Hurricane Katrina.
