Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, during the early morning hours. The category 3 hurricane, which also hit parts of Mississippi and Alabama, sustained winds of 100 to 140 miles per hour, killed almost 2,000 people and caused more than $100 billion in damages. read more
Many people acted heroically in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard, for instance, rescued some 34,000 people in New Orleans alone, and many ordinary citizens commandeered boats, offered food and shelter, and did whatever else they could to help their neighbors. read more
On September 3, 2005, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as "probably the worst catastrophe, or set of catastrophes," in the country's history, referring to the hurricane itself plus the flooding of New Orleans. read more