Why was Hurricane Katrina significant?

Besides the death toll, hurricane Katrina left many people homeless as more than 800,000 housing units were destroyed or damaged in the storm. Katrina is the costliest U. S hurricane, with estimated damage over $81 billion and costs over $160 billion (2005 US dollars). Map of New Orleans showing flooding depths.

Early in the morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale-it brought sustained winds of 100-140 miles per hour-and stretched some 400 miles across.