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Hurricane Katrina - Florida
Hurricane Rita - US, Cuba
Earthquake - Pakistan
Hurricane Wilma - US, Mexio, Cuba
Landslide - Philippines
Hurricane Stan - Mexico
Explosion & fire - UK
Other events
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Catastrophe Report 8
August 8th to February 23rd 2006 |
Hurricane Katrina - Florida
| Territory: |
|
United States |
| Region: |
|
Florida, Gulf Coast |
| Date: |
|
25 – 29 August 2005 |
| Event: |
|
Hurricane Katrina |
| Impact: |
|
Hurricane Katrina broke many records, including
– with losses estimated at US$125 billion – the
costliest natural catastrophe ever. At US$38 billion, insured
losses arising from the storm also represent a record high.
An unprecedented storm surge, of more than 8 m in places, led
to breaching of the levees protecting New Orleans, causing flooding
of 80 percent of the city, with water depths of up to 7m. Key
lifelines were also destroyed or disrupted, including highways
into and through New Orleans, bridges across the northern Gulf,
and the Interstate 10 Twin Span Bridge, linking New Orleans
and Slidell. Massive destruction was also caused by wind, not
only due to velocities in excess of 230 km h, but also due to
the great size of the storm. Peak force winds occurred across
and area as wide as 55 km, while hurricane force winds extended
out to distances of 140 km from the centre of the storm. In
addition, Katrina produced 30 cm or more of rain in eastern
Florida, and more than 20 cm across much of SE Louisiana and
SW Mississippi. The storm also spawned 33 tornadoes in Florida,
Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. The death toll (as of December
2005) is set at 1,336, with most in Louisiana (1,090) and Mississippi
(228). Most deaths were the result of the storm surge and subsequent
flooding. Major damage was also caused by wind, which blew out
the windows of high-rise buildings and peeled off part of the
Superdome roof. The storm surge completely destroyed many communities
along the Mississippi coastline, leaving little standing. Katrina
had a major impact on the oil and gas industry, shutting down
most offshore platforms and wells in a region that supplies
25 percent of the country’s domestic oil. Refining capacity,
totalling 10 percent of the US total was also interrupted for
varying lengths of time. 108 oil and gas platforms were destroyed
and 53 seriously damaged. Over 300 spills poured around eight
million gallons of oil into the Louisiana marshes. The storm
suspended 95 percent of Gulf Oil production and 88 percent of
offshore gas production. Deliveries of foreign oil to the Louisiana
Offshore Oil Platform were also temporarily disrupted, while
the state’s Port Fourchon refinery, which processes 18
percent of domestic oil and gas, and 13 percent of US energy
imports, was also closed down due to wind and flood damage.
A number of serious oil spills resulted from damage to oil and
gas facilities, while oil prices rose worldwide in response
to the shortages arising from the event. Floating casinos were
also badly hit, with many destroyed or severely damaged, leading
to huge losses in tax revenue for the state of Mississippi,
which – in 2004 – were valued at US$2.4 billion.
1.2 million people were placed under evacuation order prior
to the storm’s arrival, and tens of thousands remain displaced. |
| Summary: |
|
Katrina developed as a tropical depression south-east
of the Bahamas on August 23rd, strengthening as it moved westwards
and achieving hurricane strength two days later. Katrina made
landfall, close to Hallandale, SE Florida, on the 25th as a
category 1 storm, with average wind speeds of 130 km h. After
crossing the state and heading into the Gulf, very high sea
surface temperatures led to the storm strengthening rapidly
to category 5 by the 28th. On the 29th, Katrina made a second
devastating landfall, this time as a category 4 storm, near
Buras-Triumph in Louisiana, with wind speeds of 230 km h causing
massive destruction and major loss of life. Katrina made a third
landfall, this time as a category 3 storm with wind speeds of
around 200 km h, near Waveland in Mississippi., before weakening
as it headed inland towards Tennessee. At its height, a central
pressure of 902 mb made Katrina the fourth most intense hurricane
ever recorded. |
| Data sources: |
|
NOAA Hurricane Katrina report
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL122005_Katrina.pdf
Colorado State University summary of 2005 Atlantic tropical
cyclone activity
http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/2005/nov2005/
|
| Additional sources: |
|
TSR Summary of 2005 Atlantic tropical cyclone
season
http://forecast.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/docs/TSRATL2005Verification.pdf
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