Katrina made landfall in Louisiana, bringing with it 120mph winds and torrential rains that would change the face of New Orleans forever. The city's levees, which were supposed to protect it from flooding, failed miserably, and soon the streets were filled with water, like a giant bathtub overflowing. It's hard to imagine what it must have been like to be trapped in a city that was rapidly becoming a giant lake.
But what's really interesting is the science behind hurricanes like Katrina. You see, warm ocean waters heat up the air, which rises and creates a kind of vacuum that pulls in more air, creating a cycle that can strengthen the storm. It's like a giant game of cosmic tug-of-war, with the storm pulling in one direction and the environment pushing back in the other.
And then, of course, there's the human side of the story. Thousands of people were displaced by the storm, forced to flee their homes and leave everything behind. It's like imagining your entire city being turned upside down, with emergency shelters and food banks becoming the new normal. The images of people stranded on rooftops, waiting for rescue, are still etched in our collective memory.
Hurricane Katrina Facts | Britannica
