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> Katrina wasn't even that impressive of a hurricane I guess that depends on your definition of impressive. It was a Category 5 storm and the 4th most intense
by importantbrian 4y ago
> Katrina wasn't even that impressive of a hurricane
I guess that depends on your definition of impressive. It was a Category 5 storm and the 4th most intense hurricane on record to make landfall in the United States. At the time it was the 5th most powerful Atlantic storm on record and the most powerful ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. That season was so crazy that it ended up getting passed by Rita and Wilma later in the year, but it's still the 7th most powerful Atlantic storm by pressure and 10th by sustained winds. Your overall point might be correct, but you're wrong about Katrina just being some run of the mill storm.
- selimthegrim 4y agoI think it made landfall just below Cat 5
- aperson_hello 4y agoIt was cat3 at landfall, though a strong cat3
- aperson_hello 4y agoIt weakened significantly before landfall though. Still a major hurricane, but the human toll was a failure of systems, not because the storm was that strong
- importantbrian 4y agoAlmost all hurricanes weaken significantly before making landfall. Maybe the wording was confusing but Katrina was the 4th most intense atlantic storm on record at the time of landfall. The Hurricane Severity Index which combines size and intensity has Katrina tied for 3rd at the time of landfall. I agree the human toll was primarily a systems failure, but the destructive power of Katrina was a major contributing factor. A less intense storm with milder storm surge likely wouldn't have breached all the levees that were breached.