Hurricane Katrina formed in the southeastern Bahamas as a depression on the 23rd, reaching tropical storm status the next day. Katrina became a hurricane just before landfall in south Florida between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach on the evening of the 24th. Maximum sustained winds at the time of landfall were near 130 km/hr (70 knots or 80 mph). There were 11 fatalities in South Florida, including 4 by falling trees. More than 1.3 million customers lost electrical services, and preliminary insured losses estimates ranged from $600 million to $2 billion (USD) in the state of Florida

Katrina emerged in the Gulf of Mexico during the morning of the 25th and moved west-southwest into open waters of the Gulf while re-strengthening. [b] By the 27th, Katrina reached category-five intensity[/b] on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Katrina's minimum central pressure was observed by reconnaissance aircraft on the afternoon of the 29th at 902 millibars (26.64 inches of mercury), or the fourth lowest pressure ever recorded from a hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. The top three include Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and Hurricane Allen in 1980. Katrina made landfall in Plaquemines Parish in southeastern Louisiana early on the 29th with maximum sustained winds near 230 km/hr (125 knots or 145 mph), a strong category-four, and the third most-intense landfalling hurricane in U.S. history (according to a minimum landfall pressure of 920 millibars or 27.17 inches of mercury).

The center of the hurricane passed just east of New Orleans, where winds gusted over 155 km/hr (85 knots or 100 mph). Widespread devastation and unprecedented flooding occurred, submerging at least 80 percent of the city as levees failed. Farther east, powerful winds and a devastating storm surge of 6.1 to 10 meters (20-30+ feet) raked the Mississippi coastline, including Gulfport and Biloxi, where Gulf of Mexico floodwaters spread several kilometers (miles) inland. Rainfall amounts of 10-20 cm (8-10 inches) were common along and to the east of the storm's path. Katrina weakened to a tropical storm as it tracked northward through Mississippi and gradually lost its identity as it moved into the Tennessee Valley on the 30th, dumping heavy rainfall along its course.

n areas of southeastern Louisiana eastward along the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines, thousands of houses and buildings were damaged or destroyed and more than 2.3 million people lost power. Casualty numbers were still incomplete as of September 1, but fatalities will reach into the hundreds or perhaps thousands. Flooding in New Orleans was expected to make the city uninhabitable for months. Preliminary damage estimates are expected to exceed Hurricane Andrew, which would make Katrina the country's most expensive weather disaster

Commentary:
Katrina became a Category Five hurricane on August 27th. Cuba had a Category Five hurricane last year and they moved 1.3 million people. There were no fatalities. If Cuba can do it, why can't the US.

Since informed politicians knew the leaves were built to handle Category Three hurricanes, FEMA and Homeland Security should have moved military trucks into Louisiana to evacuate everyone on the Friday before the storm hit.