With a surge height of 7-10 meters, and flooding at some locations extending 20 kilometers inland, Katrina caused catastrophic damage to the Gulf Coast, which has yet to be fully repaired. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck near Charleston, South Carolina, with a surge height of nearly four meters.
七年前，三级飓风卡特里娜摧毁了美国墨西哥湾沿岸。风暴潮达到了7—10米，洪水吞噬距离海岸20公里的内陆，墨西哥湾沿岸一片狼藉，至今仍未彻底复原。1989年，飓风雨果在南加州查尔斯顿（Charleston）附近登陆，掀起了近4米高的风暴潮。类似的案例还有很多。