Interviewers collecting these oral histories can obtain information that might otherwise be left out of the records: They can explore the ways that individuals responded to the event the ways in which their lives were changed and how their lives remained the same. But eyewitness accounts-the personal stories of the people who actually lived through the event-can make the story even richer and more meaningful. And, of course, news and government reports supply important information about what happened, who was involved, and the timing of events. Another way is through maps, like those that show the extent of the hurricane filling the entire Gulf of Mexico or the areas of New Orleans that flooded. One way is through statistics and numbers, like the maximum wind speed of 274 kilometers per hour (170 miles per hour) or the 30,000 people who took shelter in the Superdome. Telling History’s Story There are numerous ways to tell the story of a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Katrina, each providing a different context and perspective. In the end, the damage from the storm was estimated to cost more than $160 billion, and more tragically, the loss of nearly 2,000 lives. Troops from the United States, Mexico, and Canada worked to rebuild the city, while people from around the world donated supplies and money to help with the reconstruction efforts.

Engineers began pumping water from the city as soon as they could, but the operation took 43 days. In the aftermath of Katrina, the city’s recovery was also slow. The military then helped evacuate people from the city. Five days after the flooding started, the federal government sent in soldiers and National Guard troops with food and water. Many of the local emergency services, such as the police and fire department, had been flooded as well and were incapable of providing assistance. Sanitation systems leaked bacteria-laden sewage into the floodwaters, and some people were sickened by infections. As the city remained mostly flooded, fresh water and food grew scarce. Helicopters circled overhead, pulling many people to safety. Those who remained near their homes, especially in a region of the city called the Ninth Ward, were forced to climb onto their rooftops to escape the rising waters. Many inhabitants were forced to find safety in areas at higher elevations, such as the Louisiana Superdome, which would eventually provide shelter to more than 30,000 people the city’s Convention Center took in another 25,000. By August 30, four-fifths of the city was flooded. The mayor of New Orleans ordered residents to evacuate, and although many people did so, others either chose not to leave or lacked the means to evacuate. Within hours, the water broke through the levees protecting the city and began to flood New Orleans. The deluge inundated the lakes that surround the city, causing their levels to rise. Although the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, was spared from a direct hit, Katrina’s torrential rains and brutal storm surge pushed farther west into Louisiana. The storm surge-a rise in sea level caused by a hurricane-was as high as eight meters (26 feet). The next morning, the behemoth hurricane, with slightly diminished winds, struck land in Mississippi and Louisiana. It was among the most powerful storms on record with winds as great as 274 kilometers per hour (170 miles per hour).

By August 28, Katrina filled almost the entire Gulf of Mexico.

Once past the peninsula of Florida, it continued out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which enhanced the storm’s strength. The storm, which soon gained force and was named Hurricane Katrina, smashed into Florida with winds of 113 kilometers per hour (70 miles per hour). A Catastrophic Storm On August 23, 2005, meteorologists began tracking a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean east of southern Florida in the United States.

Hurricane katrina aftermath articles