Why was hurricane katrina so bad?

Katrina formed over the Bahamas on 23 August 2005 as a tropical depression, growing into a category one hurricane by the time it reached Florida but weakening to a tropical storm once again. On 26 August, as Katrina moved over the Gulf of Mexico, its winds increased to 120kmh and it was upgraded back to a category one. read more

Back in 1718, New Orleans was over 20 miles away from the Gulf Coast and it was not known as a bowl city. That part of New Orleans is known as the French Quarter, which survived Katrina intact. When New Orleans needed room to grow, the wetlands around the city were the only place to go. read more

Between Katrina and the hurricane right after it, Rita, over 200 square miles of coastal land was lost along the Gulf Coast. Naturally, the Mississippi would re-build all of that land, but because of it constriction, it is unable to repair the coastline. read more