Katrina +5: Billions of Dollars Later, La. Has Made Strides
On August 29, 2005, the United States experienced the greatest natural disaster in the nation’s history when Hurricane Katrina bore down on the Gulf Coast. The damage caused by Katrina, compounded less than a month later by Hurricane Rita, resulted in the loss of 1,100 lives, 220,000 jobs, 215,000 homes, and 18,700 businesses, and displaced 785,000 residents. Overall, the financial impact on the entire Gulf Coast is estimated to be around $100 billion.
