Ten Years After Hurricane Katrina: Fact Sheet

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

From the U.S. Census Bureau

Hurricane Katrina is the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, and the deadliest to strike our nation since 1928. After initially making U.S. landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in South Florida as a Category 1, it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, rapidly intensified into a Category 5 and made its second landfall early the morning of Aug. 29 in Plaquemines Parish in Southeast Louisiana as a strong Category 3 with sustained winds of 125 mph. After briefly moving over water, it made a third landfall later that morning near the Louisiana-Mississippi border. Katrina weakened as it moved north-northeastward over land but remained a hurricane as far inland as the vicinity of Meridian, Miss., a straight distance of more than 130 miles from the coast. Ultimately, Katrina was responsible for 1,833 deaths and damage estimated at $151 billion, including $75 billion in the New Orleans area and along the Mississippi coast. Federal disaster declarations issued in the hurricane?s wake covered not only all of the coastal counties of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, but extended well inland to include cities such as Baton Rouge, La.; Jackson, Miss.; and Tuscaloosa, Ala.

This Fact Sheet focuses on the two areas that received significant damage: the New Orleans metro area and coastal portions of Mississippi. It compares statistics from before the hurricane struck to a year later, and currently, using a variety of demographic and economic measures.

The eye of the storm bears down on the Gulf Coast Hurricane Links Hurricane Katrina Timeline Hurricane Season 2008 Maps: Louisiana | Mississippi Deadliest Hurricanes in the United States Most Intense Hurricanes in the United States Costliest Hurricanes of the Century Atlantic Hurricane Names Retired Hurricane Names Hurricane Advisories and Warnings U.S. Hurricanes Other Hurricanes Encyclopedia: Hurricane Weather & Climate Other Great Weather Disasters 2008 Disasters Worst Weather of the Twentieth Century Weather Extremes Floods, Avalanches, and Tidal Waves Billion-Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters Additional Resources From Teachervision: Resources for Students and Teachers

Louisiana

Note: The New Orleans-Metairie, La., Metropolitan Statistical Area currently consists of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany parishes. St. James Parish was not part of the metro area in 2005 and 2006, but is included for those years in the data below for comparability.

Population

1.252 million

Population of the New Orleans metro area as of July 1, 2014.

50

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans returned in 2014 to the list of the nation?s 50 most populous cities, ranking 50^th at 384,320. The city?s population was 494,294 on July 1, 2005, before dropping to 230,172 one year later.

67.3%

Percentage of the city of New Orleans? population that was single-race black as of July 1, 2005. The black population was the largest race or ethnic group in the city before Katrina hit, and at 58.8 percent remained the largest race or ethnic group in the city immediately after Katrina hit in 2006. In 2014, the black population remains the city?s largest race or ethnic group at 59.8 percent.

City of New Orleans

Housing

553,627

Number of housing units in the New Orleans metro area as of July 1, 2014.

Business Establishments and Employment

29,794

Number of business establishments with employees in the New Orleans metro area in 2013. These businesses employed 475,098 people.

The Economy (New Orleans metro area)

Mississippi

Note: The Mississippi coastline counties consist of the three that lie on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock, Harrison and Jackson.

Population

386,144

Population of the Mississippi coastline counties as of July 1, 2014.

Race and Hispanic Origin

Housing

174,468

Number of housing units in the Mississippi coastline counties as of July 1, 2014.

Business Establishments and Employment

7,041

Number of business establishments with employees in the Mississippi coastline counties in 2013. These businesses employed 125,157 people.

The Economy (Mississippi coastline counties)

Additional Resources

Hurricane Katrina special reports:
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/emergencies/hurricane_katrina.html

Forced to Move: An Analysis of Hurricane Katrina Movers
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/publications/HK_Movers-FINAL.pdf

Hurricane Katrina resource maps:
http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/katrina_resource_maps.html

Migration flows:
http://flowsmapper.geo.census.gov/flowsmapper/flowsmapper.html

OnTheMap for Emergency Management provides reports on the workforce and population for current natural hazard and emergency related events.
http://onthemap.ces.census.gov/em.html