FUNFACT OF KATRINA

• The word "hurricane" is derived from Hurican, the god of evil of the Carib people of the Caribbean. Hurican was himself inspired by the Mayan god Hurakan, who destroyed humans with great storms and floods.

• Hurricane Katrina was the sixth strongest hurricane ever recorded and the third strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S.

• Hurricane Katrina was the most costly hurricane in history. It flooded 80 percent of New Orleans and destroyed more than 100,000 homes.

• The first water that flowed into New Orleans was clear clean ocean water from the storm surges. But in a couple of day’s time, the water turned black and was incredibly foul from raw sewage and dead bodies. People develop rashes on their legs from standing in it.

 
 

• There were a lot of hazards besides the water and wind after Katrina passed through. There were fires and explosions from exposed gas lines and electric wires were down too. A number of people were electrocuted days after the hurricane.

• Nearly 2,000 people were killed by Hurricane Katrina.

• The global risk of hurricane disaster is increasing due to human activity. Populations are concentrating along the world's coastlines—particularly in large urban areas.

• Improved forecasting and emergency response have lowered hurricane casualty rates, but as more people and infrastructure move into harm's way, storms are likely to become more destructive.

• 81.2 billion dollars. The total cost of the damage was 81.2 billion with more than 1,833 fatalities. Sadly, the true number will never be known. Many were still on the missing list 12 months later.

• The storm surge from  about 90,000 square miles were affected by Katrina.

• Before the hurricane, the region supported approximately one million non-farm jobs, with 600,000 of them in New Orleans, but hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed by the hurricane. Katrina was 20-feet (six meters) high.

• Even five years later, people who have been displaced by the storm are still living in temporary facilities.

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