It’s been 13 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, causing catastrophic damage to the Gulf Coast, New Orleans in particular. On the anniversary of this destructive hurricane, we thought we’d take a look back at some photos that show how devastating the storm really was.

The storm formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005.
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Quickly upgrading from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, it strengthened to hurricane status just hours before making its first landfall in Florida on August 25, 2005.
Hurricane Katrina then turned into the Gulf of Mexico, where it quickly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane.
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It was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico at the time (later that same season Hurricanes Rita and Wilma would break that record.) It weakened just before making its second landfall over the Gulf Coast.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall as a Category 3 hurricane over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi.
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Luckily, the storm had been downgraded right before it made landfall, but this massive storm stretched 400 miles across and carried sustained winds of over 100mph.
Katrina’s storm surge caused 53 levee breaches in New Orleans, flooding roughly 80% of the city and nearby parishes.
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The floodwaters stayed for weeks afterwards, leaving the many residents that stayed behind trapped with little access to food or water.

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The flood waters rose so quickly in some areas, it forced residents to their rooftops.
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Thousands were stranded with no where to go.
It completely decimated the Gulf Coast, totaling an estimated $125 billion in damages and over a thousand lives lost.
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Thousands of people lost everything--their cars, homes, everything they had.
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Overall, at least 1,200 people died due to Hurricane Katrina.
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Making it one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the United States since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The death toll from this devastating hurricane is uncertain, with reports varying from state to state, with Louisiana having the highest discrepancy. The numbers could easily be upwards of 1700.
An outpouring of support came in the wake of Katrina.
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Media covered it around the clock. People came to offer relief, support, food, water, and help in the recovery in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. While the rebuilding of New Orleans would continue for years to come, it was incredibly emotional that so many people donated their time and money to offer their assistance immediately afterwards.

Where were you when Hurricane Katrina hit? Share your experience in the comments below.

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