Media and Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina: Storm History

In late August 2005, much of the United States tracked the progress of Hurricane Katrina, as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices, and news media. The hurricane strengthened considerably as it moved over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and caused devastating effects on the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana and Mississippi. Warnings and evacuation orders were issued well ahead of the storm, but many lives were lost, and there was tens of billions of dollars in property damage. Reporting on the storm and its aftereffects was a national focus for weeks, and reporting regarding recovery efforts and the effects of displacement on coastal residents continues years after the incident. Understanding the physical conditions of the storm, as well as its effects, is important for communications efforts (Lander, 1999, 137).

Since the 1980s, hurricane tracking and forecasting have improved significantly, as has the ability to communicate to more people through a variety of media. Tracking the development and movement of Hurricane Katrina and the early messages of its likely landfall locations epitomize our current capabilities with respect to storm warnings.

The storm began as a tropical depression on August 22, over the southeastern Bahamas, and intensified to become a tropical storm on August 24, at which time it was named Katrina. The storm reached hurricane status the afternoon of Thursday, August 25, as it approached landfall on the southeastern coast of Florida. Hurricane Katrina made its first U.S. landfall in the Miami area at 6:30 p.m. on August 25, with maximum sustained winds of about 81 miles per hour (mph). Very heavy rainfall occurred as the storm moved across southern Florida, bringing over 12 inches of precipitation in some locales. Six people died in Florida from the direct effects (wind and water) of Hurricane Katrina (Pasch, 1999, 581-610). Katrina weakened back to tropical storm status before entering the Gulf of Mexico early on August 26.

The storm rapidly regained hurricane status after reaching the Gulf of Mexico. At that time, gulf waters were exceptionally warm, providing Katrina with the energy to intensify. By Friday evening, August 26, Katrina was a Category 2 storm.

Once in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina intensified rapidly, becoming a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds by the morning of August 27. In addition to increasingly strong winds, the storm nearly doubled in size on August 27, with tropical storm force winds as far as 160 miles from the center. The hurricane turned toward the northwest and strengthened to a Category 5 storm on August 28, with winds at 167 mph; it reached a 173 mph peak intensity later that day, about 195 miles southeast of the Mississippi River delta. Katrina became very large, with hurricane force winds extending about 100 miles from the storm center and tropical storm force winds to about 230 miles (ScienceDaily, 2010).

Major Storm Effects

The potential for major hurricane storm surge impacts along the Gulf Coast is increased by ...