Graphic Truth: 20 years since Katrina, Category 5 hurricane frequency is increasing
August 29, 2025
100 Years of Category 5+ Hurricanes in North America
Eileen Zhang
20 years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, killing nearly 1,400 people and destroying thousands of homes in the predominantly Black Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. While Katrina remains the costliest US storm in history at $200 billion, it is just one of the increasingly frequent category 5 hurricanes to hit North America over the last 50 years.