This Day in History: , Hurricane Katrina Slams
Into Gulf Coast.
August 29, 2005.
The Category 4 hurricane
became the worst natural
disaster in U.S. history. The city
of New Orleans bore the brunt.
145 mph winds turned cars
into projectiles and overwhelmed
poorly tended levees that protected
the city, located six feet below sea level.
Though an evacuation order had been issued by the New Orleans major, tens of thousands stayed behind, many with no other recourse.
80% of the city experienced massive flooding. A full-scale rescue effort took two days to begin.
As most of those who remained were African
American, the perceived poor response of U.S.
government agencies and President George W. Bush
brought racial inequalities in America to the surface.
Katrina led to more than 1,300 deaths,
displaced one million people, left almost a
half a million unemployed and caused up to $150
billion in damages to public and private property