In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm cut a deadly swath through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, deluging coastal towns as surges of ocean water swept relentlessly ashore, driven by powerful winds. The sheer force of the surging waters overpowered levees meant to protect low-lying New Orleans from floodwaters; the levees failed, and about 80 percent of the city was inundated.
In all, the hurricane caused more than 1,800 fatalities, displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and was responsible for about $125 billion in property damage. It’s one of the two costliest Atlantic hurricanes on record, tied with 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.