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Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 Hurricane (top wind speed was 185 mph), turned out to be the costliest hurricane in U.S. History. Until 2005, Hurricane Andrew held the record for the most damaging hurricane in the U.S. .
Katrina was a Category 4 Hurricane at landfall, with sustained wind speeds of about 140 mph...so you may be wondering how in the world a Cat 4 Hurricane caused such catastrophic damage. The answer is quite simple. The levees that were supposed to hold back the storm surge from Katrina, completely failed. It didn't help that New Orleans is located below sea level as well. Those two factors were a prime reason for the submersion of New Orleans.
The catastrophe of Katrina was pretty bad, but to make matters worse, the government response was not very expedient. People pointed fingers at each other, with no one claiming responsibility for the disaster. Katrina's victims also should have been evacuated with greater effect but it's understandable that some people can't be moved and some people just choose not to evacuate.
If you would like to learn more about the levees, the organizations that faciliates the evacuation of citizens in emergency situations, or the federal agencies directly related to the engineering and humanitarian effects of Katrina, please view the links below.