HurricanesHurricanes occur around the world, at different times, but commonly until June 1st and the end of November. However, in late August 2005, a catastrophic hurricane occurred. This was Hurricane Katrina. With winds traveling at over one hundred miles per hour, ranking it in category five on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, it is said to have caused billions of dollars in damage. Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly forty thousand homes and killed at least two thousand people (“Hurricane”). An average category five hurricane has enough energy to power streetlights for more than twenty-seven thousand hours (Williams 58). Learning about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation to the city of New Orleans would be helpful. Additionally, general hurricane information can help civilians and people in higher authority better understand and prepare for damage that may once strike their city and community. Because experts know general information about these storms, they can help explain to the public why and how Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes occur. It is hoped that in the future civilians will know and use this information to their advantage against hurricanes. A hurricane is a type of natural disaster that can be damaging and destructive to anything in its path. Five to six hurricanes form each year, damaging and destroying people's homes, landmarks and anything in their path (“Hurricane”). Before a hurricane develops, it is known as a tropical storm. To be a tropical storm, wind speeds must be at least thirty-eight miles per hour ("hurricane"). Once wind speeds reach seventy-four miles per hour, it can be classified as a hurricane ("Hurricane"). Large-scale storms, such as hurricanes, have a variety of ways to measure sev...... middle of paper ...... the Louisiana government soon came up with new criteria for how to build the future structure for withstand more natural disasters like these. Not only knowing the basic information, knowing how to prepare, and seeing how Hurricane Katrina was so destructive should help the forty-five million citizens living on hurricane-prone coasts prepare for something similar in the future. Work cited Allaby, Michael. Hurricanes. United States: Facts on File, 2003. Print. “Emergency Preparedness.” National Security Council. National Safety Council, 2014. Web. May 8, 2014. “Hurricane.” National geographic. np National Geographic. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014. Torres, Giovanni. Hurricane Katrina. Delaware: Mitchell Lane, 2006. Print.Waple, Anne. Hurricane Katrina. December 2005. NOAA National Climate Data Center. December 29, 2005. Web. May 8 2014.