Human consequences
More than a million people displaced across the Gulf region; some never return.
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Hurricane & cycloneHurricane Katrina
1,833Deaths
1MDisplaced / homeless
$125bnEstimated cost
- About 1,400 to 1,800 deaths depending on the source.
- About 125 billion dollars in damage, one of the costliest hurricanes in history.
New Orleans’ levees fail under the storm surge: about 80% of the city is flooded. Thousands of residents, many of them poor, are stranded for days.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
Erosion of coastal marshes and numerous oil spills.
Economic consequences
Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is disrupted.
Political consequences
The response of the federal agency FEMA and the Bush administration is fiercely criticised; the levee system is completely redesigned.
Track
- Bahamas → Florida · 25 August
- Gulf of Mexico → Louisiana · 29 August
Further reading
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In the rankings : The deadliest hurricanes and cyclones No. 8The costliest disasters in history No. 5
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