Key Takeaways
- Total economic damage from Katrina estimated at $125 billion (2005 USD)
- Insured losses from Katrina totaled $41.1 billion, the highest at the time
- Louisiana's offshore oil and gas industry losses exceeded $5 billion
- Official death toll from Hurricane Katrina was 1,833 people across 15 states
- In Louisiana alone, 1,577 fatalities were attributed to Katrina
- Over 1,400 deaths occurred in Orleans Parish, primarily from drowning
- 275,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the New Orleans area
- Levee failures along the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet caused 80% of New Orleans flooding
- Over 50 breaches occurred in the levee system protecting New Orleans
- FEMA provided shelter to 1.3 million evacuees in the first weeks
- Over 68,800 FEMA trailers were deployed for temporary housing
- U.S. Coast Guard rescued 33,541 people during Katrina operations
- Hurricane Katrina reached Category 5 intensity on August 28, 2005, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph
- The minimum central pressure of Katrina was 902 millibars on August 26, 2005, a record for the Gulf of Mexico
- Katrina's storm surge reached up to 28 feet in Pass Christian, Mississippi
Hurricane Katrina caused $125 billion in damages, killing 1,833 people and devastating New Orleans and Mississippi.
Economic Impact
Economic Impact Interpretation
Human Impact
Human Impact Interpretation
Infrastructure Damage
Infrastructure Damage Interpretation
Response and Recovery
Response and Recovery Interpretation
Storm Characteristics
Storm Characteristics Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Hurricane Katrina Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hurricane-katrina-statistics
Priyanka Sharma. "Hurricane Katrina Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hurricane-katrina-statistics.
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Hurricane Katrina Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hurricane-katrina-statistics.
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