Hurricane Katrina hit the South Florida coast five years ago, before cruising through the Gulf and becoming a Category 5 monster that slammed into New Orleans.
Despite its small stature when it hit Florida, Hurricane Katrina left significant damage in her wake. Her story is a timely reminder to South Florida homeowners to take all tropical storms and hurricanes seriously, to remain prepared through the height of storm season, and to seek the advice of an experienced Miami storm damage attorney for help in filing significant claims for hurricane damage.
While the storm will be forever remembered as the most devastating natural disaster to ever strike the Gulf Coast, it hit first just north of the Broward-Miami-Dade County line about 7 p.m. At the time, it was a poorly organized Category 1 storm with winds of about 80 miles per hour. Still, it was the first time the center of a hurricane moved across Broward County since Hurricane Cleo in 1964, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
And it killed 14 people in Florida and caused extensive property damage. A highway flyover collapsed on I-595 in Miami-Dade and more than 1 million homes and businesses were left without power.
It cruised off the southern tip of the state near Naples and into the Gulf of Mexico the next day, where it quickly strengthened: 100 mph winds on Aug. 26; 115 mph winds on Aug. 27; and 175 mph winds on Aug. 28. It toppled the levees in New Orleans and ran aground near the Louisiana-Mississippi border at about 9 a.m. on Aug. 29.
In all, the storm killed 1,833 people, the third deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. The deadliest storms remain the 1900 hurricane in Galveston and the 1928 hurricane that struck Lake Okeechobee in South Florida.
Our Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer Blog offers safety tips and other advice to prepare you and your family for a hurricane.
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If you are facing a dispute over an insurance claim in Florida, contact Alvarez & Barbara, LLP toll free at 866-518-2913 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.