A busted levee during Hurricane Katrina that left New Orleans in ruins (2005)

On the windy night of August 28th, 2005, FEMA issued a dire warning for all residents of New Orleans: the dangerous hurricane headed towards them would leave the city submerged in at least several feet of water. Even more concerning was the fact that over a 100,000 people in the city lacked the resources and transportation needed to evacuate. Their warnings would soon prove to be true, as Hurricane Katrina stands out as one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in American history. It had claimed the lives of an estimated 1,833 people, displaced millions more, and led to billions of dollars in damage. All of this was attributed to its unique Category 5 status, which is the most severe hurricane classification, characterized by violent winds of 157 mph or higher. [an article that details more on Hurricane Katrina and the government’s failure in handling it](https://www.fascinatingworld.org/post/hurricane-katrina-nature-s-fury-humanity-s-failure)

Container ship MSC Elsa 3 sinks off the coast of Kochi, India, 25 May 2025

Meirl