Hurricane Katrina is one of the most powerful storms to threaten the United States in the last 100 years. It is the third most powerful hurricane to hit the United States. The duration of the storm was from August 23 to August 31, 2005. The storm was short in time but its damage was so tragic that it left long-term damage (Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2 you can see that on August 23, Hurricane Katrina initially appears to be just a tropical depression in the southeastern Bahamas. Then the tropical depression developed into a tropical storm on August 24. It made landfall in South Florida in the afternoon with stronger winds, and on August 25 it developed into a Category 1 hurricane (wind speeds of 75 miles per hour or higher). Hurricane Katrina strengthened and the worst was about to begin. (NOAA National Climate Data Center, 2005) On August 26, atmospheric and sea surface conditions contributed to the rapid growth of the cyclone that resulted in Katrina reaching major hurricane status (Figures 3 and 4). Katrina continues to strengthen and move northward. Katrina had sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) at which time the storm was labeled a Category 5 hurricane (Figure 5). A Category 5 hurricane is the most intense type of hurricane. As a Category 5 hurricane Katrina continues to cause damage in many states for five days. (NOAA National Climate Data Center, 2005) Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage along the central Gulf Coast states of the United States. It affected cities such as New Orleans, the Bahamas, South Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Hurricane Katrina caused approximately $100+ billion in damage and is the costliest tropical cyclone of all time. It killed an estimated 1,383 people and could potentially be more. The hurricane also left millions of people homeless and with nothing to look forward to. Many people lost their homes, some their families, friends and everything they owned. The impact of Katrina's forces will require weeks and months of recovery efforts to restore normalcy. We hope that the United States will not face another hurricane like Katrina for a long time. (Wikipedia, 2005) Rising seas and violent winds hitting the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were not the only ones responsible for the damage left by Hurricane Katrina. The area's natural environment underwent human-caused changes that increased the storm's effects; giving it the opportunity to become one of the largest natural disasters in the nation's history.