Hurricane Katrina: Anatomy of a Monster Storm

Name: _________________________________       Date: _____________

In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina brought scenes of unimaginable destruction to the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Days before the hurricane made landfall near New Orleans, satellites were already tracking Katrina as it grew from a disorganized depression to a monstrous hurricane. Use the info about Katrina's category, track, and coordinates on the link above to answer the questions below.

1. On August 23, Katrina's storm category was ___________________ (light blue). Its maximum wind speed was ______ mph. Its lowest barometric pressure was _______ millibars.
   
   
2. On August 24, Katrina was a ____________________ (light green). Its maximum wind speed was ______ mph. Its lowest barometric pressure was _______ millibars.
   
   
3. On August 26, Katrina grew to a _________________ hurricane (yellow) as it hit Florida. Its maximum wind speed was ______ mph. Its barometric pressure dropped to _______ millibars.
   
   
4. By August 28, Katrina grew into a _________________ hurricane (lavendar). Its maximum wind speed was now ______ mph while its barometric pressure plunged to _______ millibars.
   
   
5. Notice where Katrina was between August 24 and August 28. Think about how a hurricane gets its energy. Give a hypothesis relating the storm's dramatic gain in strength to its location.
   
   
   
   
6. Look closely at your data. What can you conclude about the relationship between wind speed, barometric pressure, and the strength of a hurricane?
   
   
   
   
7. Let's see what Katrina looked like on August 24 while still a tropical storm. Describe the shape of the storm. Does it have an eye or well-organized spiral rain bands?
   
   
   
   
8. Compare that image to the view on August 28, when it grew to a Category 5 hurricane as it neared the Gulf Coast. How did the storm's structure change as it became a powerful hurricane?