When did Hurricane Katrina happen?

Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States on Aug. 29, 2005. The storm stretched 400 miles and topped out at 140 mph. Three Southeastern U.S. states, including Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, combined to suffer approximately $100 billion worth of damage.

The storm actually originated on August 23rd from a tropical depression. Many cities along the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans, began evacuations on August 28th. In the days after the hurricane struck the coast, hundreds of thousands of people in the affected states and cities were displaced. Volunteer efforts helped to provide food and refuge in the aftermath.