Witnessing Hurricane Katrina and how it changed America

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,800 people. It was the most costly hurricane in U.S. history with damages estimated at $108 billion. The Category 5 storm made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005. The power of the storm and the ineffectiveness of government afterwards are still remembered by Americans who lived through that time. Today, Jeff Frame and Deanna Hence, professors of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recount where they were and how they studied Katrina and the aftermath.

Funding for Weather Realness is partially provided by the Backlund Charitable Trust.  If you have a weather or climate question for the scientists on this program, please leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu.