About Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a long-lived
hurricane that made landfall three times along the United States
coast and reached Category 5 at its peak intensity. The storm
initially developed as a tropical depression in the southeastern
Bahamas on August 23, 2005. Two days later, it strengthened into
a Category 1 hurricane a few hours before making its first
landfall between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach,
Florida. After crossing the tip of the Florida peninsula,
Katrina followed a westward track across the Gulf of Mexico
before turning to the northwest toward the Gulf Coast. Hurricane
Katrina made its second landfall as a strong Category 4
hurricane in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on August 29, 2005.
Wind speeds of over 140 miles per hour (mph) were recorded in
southeastern Louisiana and winds gusted to over 100 mph in New
Orleans, just west of the eye. As Katrina made its third and
final landfall four hours later along the Mississippi/Louisiana
border, wind speeds were approximately