The book, Hurricane Katrina, states that Katrina was "the most destructive natural disaster to ever hit the United States" (Rodger 4). Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression in the southeastern Bahamas on August 23. The next day, Katrina strengthened into a tropical storm. As it passed through the Bahamas, the storm strengthened, and by the time it hit Florida on August 25, the tropical storm had become a Category 1 hurricane. The storm weakened as it passed through Florida, but regained its strength as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina became a category three storm on August 27, and strengthened to a category five storm on the 28th with wind speeds exceeding 170 mph. The storm made landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane. As the storm moved northeast, New Orleans officials thought they were safe. They didn't know that the levees holding back both Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne were not strong enough to withstand the amount of water and storm surge from Hurricane Katrina. These levees broke and almost at 8pm...