Last updated October 15, 2021
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Hurricane Katrina 2005

United States

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in US history, causing US $170 billion in damages, more than 1,800 deaths and displacing 1.2 million people. Climate change contributed to the severity of Katrina's storm surge, increased Katrina's rainfall, and may have contributed to the storm's intensity. Katrina is an iconic example of how the impacts of climate change are disproportionately felt by low-income communities and communities of color. Systemic and structural inequities that keep incomes low made certain neighborhoods vulnerable to flooding and limited access to medical care.

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Large parts of New Orleans remain flooded two weeks after several levees failed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Bob McMillan, FEMA
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Global Warming
Sea Surface Temperature Increase
Land Surface Temperature Increase
Air Mass Temperature Increase
Intense Atlantic Hurricane Frequency Increase
Glacier and Ice Sheet Melt
Thermal Expansion of the Ocean
Atmospheric Moisture Increase
Storm Surge Increase
Sea Level Rise
Extreme Precipitation Increase
Coastal Flooding Increase
Runoff and Flood Risk Increase
Wind Damage Risk Increase
Hurricane Katrina 2005