In 2005, Hurricane Katrina surged into New Orleans to create on the deadliest natural disasters the US has ever seen. It created more than $80 billion in damage, along with killing more than 1,800 people.

Looking at the event through the eyes of a civil engineer, Hurricane Katrina was significant because it showed that the levees around New Orleans were not sufficent to stand against a storm of its size. Because of this failure in the design of the levees, the whole city was flooded, forcing thousands to evacuate.

Hurricane Katrina also revealed the state's failure to have an effective evacuation plan, as all those trying to escape the flood soon realized. Criminals looted stores and homes and after the storm had passed, federal aid was very slow.

The whole event of Hurrican Katrina was evident to be a failure at the engineering, social, and political level. Much still has to be done, for politicals, for engineers, for volunteers, and for the residents of New Orleans.

Scroll down to view a documentery, a Google map, and several links to learn more about Hurrican Katrina and what is being done to prevent a similar disaster on these multiple levels.