Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Track map, landfall & timeline · Atlantic · August 23–31, 2005

Peak wind
173 mph
278 km/h · Aug 28
Peak category
Cat 5
Saffir–Simpson
Lowest pressure
902 mb
Landfalls
3
Louisiana · Florida
Lifetime
7.5 d
Aug 23 – Aug 31
Distance
2,106 mi
3,388 km
ACE
20.0
storm energy
Deaths
1,833
per Wikidata
Damage
$125 B
nominal USD

TD TS Cat 1 2 3 4 5 · dashed = post-tropical / remnant low. During the replay the shaded rings show the storm’s wind field as analysed by NHC — 39+, 58+ and 74+ mph winds, quadrant by quadrant. Click any point or table row to jump there.

01 · The story

What happened with Katrina

Hurricane Katrina (2005) was a Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic season. It formed on August 23, 2005, 153 mi NNE of Banes, Holguín Province, Cuba, reached its peak of 173 mph (278 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 902 mb on August 28, 2005, and made landfall 3 times — first near Hollywood, Florida on August 25, 2005 as a Category 1 hurricane (81 mph). Later landfalls: 53 mi SSE of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane (127 mph); 12 mi ESE of Slidell, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane (121 mph). It rapidly intensified by 58 mph in 24 hours (to 173 mph on August 28, 2005). The storm lasted 7.5 days and travelled about 2,106 miles (3,388 km). According to Wikidata, it caused 1,833 deaths and about $125 billion in damage (nominal USD).

02 · Intensity

Wind and pressure, hour by hour

Maximum sustained wind (mph) — hover or drag to scrub the map

03 · Impact

Landfalls and cities in the path

Landfall (UTC)WhereStrengthPressure
August 25, 2005 · 23:00 UTCnear Hollywood, FloridaCat 1 81 mph984 mb
August 29, 2005 · 11:00 UTC53 mi SSE of New Orleans, LouisianaCat 3 127 mph920 mb
August 29, 2005 · 15:00 UTC12 mi ESE of Slidell, LouisianaCat 3 121 mph928 mb

Closest approach to major cities

CityDistance to centerWhen (UTC)Storm strength then
Fort Lauderdale, Floridadirect hitAug 25 · 23:00 UTCCat 1 81 mph
Miami, Florida11 miAug 26 · 00:00 UTCCat 1 81 mph
Hialeah, Floridadirect hitAug 26 · 00:00 UTCCat 1 81 mph
New Orleans, Louisiana28 miAug 29 · 14:00 UTCCat 3 123 mph
Nashville, Tennessee40 miAug 30 · 16:00 UTCTD 35 mph
Louisville, Kentucky11 miAug 30 · 23:00 UTCTD 35 mph
Lexington, Kentucky61 miAug 31 · 00:00 UTCTD 35 mph
Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky59 miAug 31 · 00:00 UTCTD 35 mph
Cincinnati, Ohiodirect hitAug 31 · 02:00 UTCTD 33 mph
Columbus, Ohio11 miAug 31 · 06:00 UTCTD 29 mph

Distance from the city to the storm’s center, interpolated hourly between official fixes. Damaging winds, surge and rain reach far beyond the center.

04 · Timeline

Every official fix 34 positions

Date · UTCStatusWindPressurePositionNearest place
Aug 23 18:00TD 35 mph1008 mb23.1°N 75.1°W153 mi NNE of Banes, Holguín Province, Cuba
Aug 24 00:00TD 35 mph1007 mb23.4°N 75.7°W154 mi SE of Nassau, Bahamas
Aug 24 06:00TD 35 mph1007 mb23.8°N 76.2°W113 mi SE of Nassau, Bahamas
Aug 24 12:00TS 40 mph1006 mb24.5°N 76.5°W65 mi SE of Nassau, Bahamas
Aug 24 18:00TS 46 mph1003 mb25.4°N 76.9°W36 mi NE of Nassau, Bahamas
Aug 25 00:00TS 52 mph1000 mb26.0°N 77.7°W69 mi NNW of Nassau, Bahamas
Aug 25 06:00TS 58 mph997 mb26.1°N 78.4°W34 mi SSE of Lucaya, Bahamas
Aug 25 12:00TS 63 mph994 mb26.2°N 79.0°W31 mi SW of Lucaya, Bahamas
Aug 25 18:00TS 69 mph988 mb26.2°N 79.6°W32 mi ESE of Boca Raton, Florida
Aug 25 23:00Cat 1 LANDFALL 81 mph984 mb26.0°N 80.1°Wnear Hollywood, Florida
Aug 26 00:00Cat 1 81 mph983 mb25.9°N 80.3°Wnear Hialeah, Florida
Aug 26 06:00Cat 1 75 mph987 mb25.4°N 81.3°W46 mi SE of Marco Island, Florida
Aug 26 12:00Cat 1 86 mph979 mb25.1°N 82.0°W40 mi NNW of Key West, Florida
Aug 26 18:00Cat 2 98 mph968 mb24.9°N 82.6°W57 mi WNW of Key West, Florida
Aug 27 00:00Cat 2 104 mph959 mb24.6°N 83.3°W95 mi W of Key West, Florida
Aug 27 06:00Cat 2 109 mph950 mb24.4°N 84.0°W116 mi NNW of Bahía Honda, Artemisa, Cuba
Aug 27 12:00Cat 3 115 mph942 mb24.4°N 84.7°W134 mi NNW of Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Aug 27 18:00Cat 3 115 mph948 mb24.5°N 85.3°W158 mi NNW of Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Aug 28 00:00Cat 3 115 mph941 mb24.8°N 85.9°Wopen ocean
Aug 28 06:00Cat 4 144 mph930 mb25.2°N 86.7°Wopen ocean
Aug 28 12:00Cat 5 167 mph909 mb25.7°N 87.7°Wopen ocean
Aug 28 18:00Cat 5 173 mph902 mb26.3°N 88.6°Wopen ocean
Aug 29 00:00Cat 5 161 mph905 mb27.2°N 89.2°Wopen ocean
Aug 29 06:00Cat 4 144 mph913 mb28.2°N 89.6°W118 mi SE of Houma, Louisiana
Aug 29 11:00Cat 3 LANDFALL 127 mph920 mb29.3°N 89.6°W53 mi SSE of New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 29 12:00Cat 3 127 mph923 mb29.5°N 89.6°W42 mi SE of New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 29 15:00Cat 3 LANDFALL 121 mph928 mb30.2°N 89.6°W12 mi ESE of Slidell, Louisiana
Aug 29 18:00Cat 1 92 mph948 mb31.1°N 89.6°W24 mi SW of Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Aug 30 00:00TS 58 mph961 mb32.6°N 89.1°W28 mi NW of Meridian, Mississippi
Aug 30 06:00TS 46 mph978 mb34.1°N 88.6°W12 mi SSE of Tupelo, Mississippi
Aug 30 12:00TD 35 mph985 mb35.6°N 88.0°W46 mi E of Jackson, Tennessee
Aug 30 18:00TD 35 mph990 mb37.0°N 87.0°W29 mi ENE of Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Aug 31 00:00TD extratropical35 mph994 mb38.6°N 85.3°W10 mi SSE of Madison, Indiana
Aug 31 06:00TD extratropical29 mph996 mb40.1°N 82.9°W11 mi NNE of Columbus, Ohio

⬇ Download track data (CSV) · public-domain NOAA best track

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When and where did Katrina make landfall?

Katrina made landfall 3 times: near Hollywood, Florida on August 25, 2005 at 23:00 UTC, as a Category 1 hurricane with 81 mph winds; 53 mi SSE of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 at 11:00 UTC, as a Category 3 hurricane with 127 mph winds; 12 mi ESE of Slidell, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 at 15:00 UTC, as a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds.

What category was Katrina?

At its peak on August 28, 2005, Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 173 mph (278 km/h) and a central pressure of 902 mb. At its first landfall it was a Category 1 hurricane.

How long did Katrina last?

7.5 days, from August 23, 2005 to August 31, 2005, including 97 hours at hurricane strength (54 as a major hurricane). It travelled about 2,106 miles.

How many people died in Katrina?

Wikidata records 1,833 deaths for Hurricane Katrina. Casualty figures for tropical cyclones vary between sources; see the linked encyclopedia article for context.

Where can I download the track data for Katrina?

The 6-hourly positions, winds, pressure and wind radii are available as CSV on this page (track.csv) — they come from the NOAA National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database and are in the public domain.

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