Hurricane Information

Katrina Timeline...

August 25th
- 2:00pm—Katrina was upgraded to a Tropical Storm when sustained winds topped 50 mph. At this time the storm was located 90 miles southeast of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
- 3:00pm—Tolls were suspended on Florida highways to aid those fleeing the storm.
- 4:00pm—Katrina is upgraded to Hurricane category 1 with sustained winds in excess of 80 mph.
- 11:00pm—Katrina is downgraded to a Tropical Storm as it passes over Miami.

5:00am—Katrina regains hurricane status as it moves back to see over the Gulf of Mexico.

9:00am—Katrina is upgraded to a category 3 Hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and Tropical Force wind gusts extending 100 miles from the center of the storm.

11:30am—Katrina is upgraded to a category 5 Hurricane, the highest level of the scale with winds in excess of 175mph. Winds in excess of 60 mph are already wreaking havoc in New Orleans.

2:00am—Mandatory evacuation ordered for New Orleans; 80% of residents comply.
9:00am—Katrina rips off a large section of the roof of the Louisiana Superdome, the emergency shelter for New Orleans residents unable to leave the city.
10:00am—Katrina makes landfall between Gulfport, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana.

11:00am—Katrina is downgraded to a Tropical Depression over Central Tennessee as sustained winds fall to 35 mph.
5:00pm—Several levies break in New Orleans causing the water level to rise and the evacuation of remaining inhabitants is ordered.

Photos by Associated Press