Hurricane Katrina was a deadly and devastating tropical cyclone that was the cause of catastrophic damage in the southeastern United States and will likely become the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States with major global economic consequences caused by the severe disruption of oil supplies, exports, and imports.
Disaster relief plans are in operation in the affected communities. Some experts predict one million people could become homeless as a result of the storm. Currently five million people are without power in the Gulf Coast region, and it may be two months before all power is restored.
The aftermath of the storm compounded problems. In particular, the breaching of some the levees protecting New Orleans caused water to flow unabated into the city. There was also widespread looting, many people stranded due to flooding, and an ever present threat of contagious disease in affected areas.
Katrina may be the deadliest hurricane in the United States of America since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed around 8,000 (possibly up to 12,000) people. The death toll of Katrina so far is "in the thousands", stated by the New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin on August 31, but it will take weeks before accurate numbers are known. Katrina is also expected to be the costliest natural disaster in United States history, exceeding the 1992 Hurricane Andrew.
