Hurricane Katrina: Before the Storm. The tropical depression that became Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and meteorologists were soon able to warn people in the Gulf Coast states that a major storm was on its way. By August 28, evacuations were underway across the region.
True firs are defined as all species of the genus Abies. About 50 true fir (Abies) species are scattered around the globe. Six are native to the Pacific Northwest, and three (noble, grand, and Shasta red) comprise the bulk of the commercial true fir Christmas tree harvest in the region. True firs comprise just over 35% of the Christmas tree
Trees in the genus Abies are called true firs to distinguish them from the Douglas-fir and other trees with similar names. All of the true firs are evergreen. North America has 9 of the 40 species that occur worldwide in the Northern Hemisphere. This genus tends to be conical with more or less whorled branches. All trees in this genus have needle-like leaves and cones that stand erect on the limbs until disintegrating in late summer.