The total costs of Hurricane Katrina amounted to 125 billion U.S. dollars at the time the disaster occurred in 2005. While this is around the same total cost of Hurricane Harvey, when adjusted for inflation the former is more expensive, with the cost being the equivalent of 194 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 (compared to 155 billion U.S. dollars for Hurricane Harvey).

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana on August 9, 2005 and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The death toll reached almost 2,000 people. Katrina was also the most expensive U.S. catastrophe since 1992 in terms of property loss.

Harvey, Maria and Irma Katrina was responsible for the spike in insured losses caused by natural disasters globally in 2005. Harvey, Maria and Irma also made quite the impact in 2017 when they hit central America and then made land on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The frequency and intensity of such natural disasters are increasing.

The category three hurricane Katrina, which began in August 2005, was the costliest tropical cyclone in the United States in at least seven decades, with costs totaling 200 billion U.S. dollars (when adjusted to 2024 dollars). The most recent hurricane to make this list is Hurricane Ian (2022), ranking number three, with costs amounting to 118.5 billion dollars. Climate change is expected to make hurricanes both more frequent and more intense.

As of 2023, Hurricane Katrina - which struck the United States in August 2005 - remained the most expensive insured loss event since 1900, as it incurred insured losses amounting to over 100 billion U.S. dollars. Insuring against natural disasters Insuring is the practice of transferring risk from one entity to another in exchange for payment. It is important, especially if one lives, owns property or a business in an area prone to natural disasters, to take out coverage for a range of storms, catastrophic events and natural disasters that could cause damage to real estate. When considering this type of insurance it is important to ask a lot of the important questions up front. How long will it take for a claim to be settled for example, not all insurers settle claims with the same speed. Many also provide specific exclusions, be they for floods, earthquakes or other types of natural events. A detailed inspection of exclusions in a policy is important in order to find out which coverage is still needed. Obviously, the extent of coverage that one should take out is wholly dependent on the area in which one lives, in the United States, as well as in the rest of the world, there are low risk areas and there are high risk areas. Despite this, no one can be sure where a natural disaster will occur and the severity of the destruction it could bring with it when it does, no one can stop natural disasters or the economic impact that they have but insurance helps to mitigate the loss caused by them.

In 2023, there was a global protection gap of *** U.S. dollars for natural disasters worldwide. The estimated economic loss of natural disasters worldwide was *** billion U.S. dollars, while the estimated insured loss amounted to *** billion U.S. dollars.Where did the most costly natural disaster occur?Natural disasters are extreme, sudden catastrophes that are caused by natural processes by the earth. Different types of natural disasters include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. There are many consequences that occur as a result of natural disasters, which include death, economic and infrastructural damage, and public health issues. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that happened in Japan caused the most economic damage worldwide in the past four decades. Most costly disasters for insurersThe impact of natural disasters on insurance companies varies depends on the prevalence of insurance coverage in the affected region. Generally, losses from natural disasters that occur in wealthy countries such as the United States include a greater percentage of insured losses than disasters that occur in lower income countries. 2017 remains the worst year for insured property losses in the United States due to several major hurricanes in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Domestically, Hurricane Katrina was the most expensive natural disaster of all time.

In recent years, severe convective storms, or cyclones, caused the highest insured losses in the United States. In 2023, insured losses due to these storms amounted to almost ** billion U.S. dollars, while losses due to drought amounted to approximately *** billion U.S. dollars. Hurricanes in the U.S. The term “tropical cyclone” is a meteorological term which refers to both hurricanes and typhoons. As of 2023, the most expensive natural disaster to have occurred in the U.S. was Hurricane Katrina, which occurred in 2005 and resulted in costs amounting to over *** billion U.S. dollars at the time. Hurricane Ian was the latest hurricane to occur in the United States, and cost around *** billion U.S. dollars. Hurricane Katrina also caused insured property losses worth over ** billion U.S. dollars in 2005. Natural disasters globally Natural disasters are defined as events which are caused by naturally occurring phenomena that result in catastrophe. The global insured losses caused by natural disasters over time has been considerable, with costs amounting to more than *** billion U.S. dollars in 2021 alone. In 2023, the global estimate of insured loss stood at well over *** billion U.S. dollars. At the same time, the estimated economic losses incurred as a result of natural disasters worldwide amounted to almost *** billion U.S. dollars.

The images are a digital reproduction of a handwritten letter and accompanying translation donated by Kathy Sa'ade Kenny. In this letter Katrina Sa'ade's informs her husband, Suleiman Farhat, of the expenses that she has had to pay since moving back to Ramallah, Palestine, with their children. Katrina asks for help with money to continue paying the children's school fees and to pay for her medical treatment, noting that life in Palestine is not cheap. Suleiman Farhat was living and working in California, US at this point in time. These images exist as part of the Katrina Sa'ade Letters collection within the Katrina Sa'ade project of the Planet Bethlehem Archive.

The images are a digital reproduction of a handwritten letter and accompanying translation donated by Kathy Sa'ade Kenny. In this letter Katrina Sa'ade writes to her husband Suleiman Farhat with a plea for him to urgently send money to cover her and the children's expenses. At this stage Katrina was living in Ramallah with Suleiman's parents and Mary, Fred and George (Katrina and Suleiman's children). Suleiman was still living and working in California. These images exist as part of the Katrina Sa'ade Letters collection within the Katrina Sa'ade project of the Planet Bethlehem Archive.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in 2011 was the costliest natural disaster since 1900, with losses reaching 235 billion U.S. dollars. The tsunami hit the nuclear plant at Fukushima, causing a nuclear disaster in the area. Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in 2005, and Hurricane Harvey, which hit the North American country in 2017, tied with the second-largest economic losses in the period, each with 125 billion U.S. dollars.

The images are a digital reproduction of a handwritten letter and accompanying translation donated by Kathy Sa'ade Kenny. In this letter Suleiman Farhat writes to his wife Katrina Sa'ade who was living in Ramallah at the time with his parents and Mary, Fred and George (Katrina and Suleiman's children). Suleiman was still living and working in California. He describes the inflation and high costs of merchandise in America (these were the years of the Great Depression) which have left him with debts and caused him much anxiety. He promises to send more money when he can and assures Katrina that the situation in Palestine is much better than in America. These images exist as part of the Katrina Sa'ade Letters collection within the Katrina Sa'ade project of the Planet Bethlehem Archive.

The Global Helicopter Market Size is expected to reach a value of USD 14.93 billion by 2028. The growing demand for helicopters in medical services, corporate services, disaster management, law enforcement, oil and gas industries as well as defense are factors that lead to the growth of this market.

The helicopter is a vehicle that takes off and lands vertically. A rotary-wing aircraft, can move in any direction or hover for extended periods of time. Helicopters are used by the military to perform search-and-rescue missions, law enforcement agencies as air support units against drug trafficking operations, they also get deployed during disaster relief efforts such as Hurricane Katrina and lastly through corporate services (numerous uses including transportation).

On the basis of Type, the market is segmented into Light, Medium, and Heavy.

Light:

The light helicopter is a type of rotorcraft that serves as an affordable, agile option for general aviation. Light helicopters typically have two seats in the cockpit and are built to fly with one engine or less. These aircraft can be designed as either single-engine or twin-engine models.

Medium:

Medium helicopters are considered the most popular in terms of demand. They offer an ideal balance between price and performance, making them a top choice for many companies who use them as air cabs or to transport people from one location to another. Medium-sized aircraft can carry up to six passengers with a distance range of about 300 miles on average before they need refueling. The cost is what makes medium-sized helicopters so attractive because they're significantly cheaper than other types while still performing well enough for everyday tasks like carrying goods across town or picking someone up at the airport.

Heavy:

Heavy helicopters are most often used for transporting cargo, equipment, and people. They can also be deployed in search-and-rescue missions or disaster relief operations. Heavy helicopters fall into two types: those with single engines, such as the AgustaWestland AW101; and those powered by twin turbine engines that include examples like the CHC Sikorsky S92B.

On the basis of Application, the market is segmented into Medical Services, Corporate Services, Disaster Management, Law Enforcement, Oil and Gas, and Defense.

Medical Services:

Hospitals and other medical facilities use helicopters for transporting patients from remote areas, evacuating critical care patients in the event of an emergency, and transferring patients to or between various hospitals.

Corporate Services:

Corporate Services have been a major buy for helicopters in the last few years. Corporate use of helicopters is rising as there are more and more examples of how helicopter technology can enhance productivity, profitability, safety, and security at any given job site or project location. This has led to increased demand for light-to-medium size corporate services rotorcraft with high-performance payloads and range capabilities.

Disaster Management:

Global Helicopters are used in disaster management and humanitarian aid, such as delivering emergency supplies to areas affected by natural disasters. The large size of these helicopters enables them to land on unstable surfaces if the ground is damaged or there are no landing sites nearby. This makes it easier for people in remote locations who need help to quickly get reached and assisted with relief efforts.

Law Enforcement:

In the United States, helicopters are used by law enforcement to move officers around and for search-and-rescue missions. Helicopters can also be equipped with special equipment such as infrared cameras that allow them to fly at night using their thermal imaging capabilities.

Oil and Gas:

The oil and gas industry has benefited from the use of helicopters for various purposes. Helicopters are mainly used to oversee inaccessible areas in order to detect potential leaks, monitor wellheads, assess environmental damages such as spills or fires, and help with traffic control during disasters. The helicopter is usually stationed on top of a tower that helps it avoid obstructions below when taking off and landing. This allows them to perform aerial investigations over great distances without putting crewmembers at risk due to turbulence created by flying close to ground level.

Defense:

The use of helicopters in defense is very useful and they are used for many

In 2024, there were roughly 18,100 reported fatalities caused by natural disaster events worldwide. This was well below the 21st-century average and significantly lower than the fatalities recorded in 2023, which were driven by the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on February and became the deadliest catastrophes in 2023, with nearly 60,000 reported deaths. Economic losses due to natural disasters The economic losses due to natural disaster events worldwide amounted to about 368 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Although figures in recent years have remained mostly stable, 2011 remains the costliest year to date. Among the different types of natural disaster events, tropical cyclones caused the largest economic losses across the globe in 2024. What does a natural disaster cost? Hurricane Katrina has been one of the costliest disasters in the world, costing the insurance industry some 102 billion U.S. dollars. The resilience of societies against catastrophes have been boosted by insurance industry payouts. Nevertheless, insurance payouts are primarily garnered by industrialized countries. In emerging and developing regions, disaster insurance coverage is still limited, despite the need for improved risk management and resilience as a method to mitigate the impact of disasters and to promote sustainable growth.

Over the past several years, flooding, coastal inundation, and scour of bridge piers and abutments have been among the leading causes of bridge failures in the United States. Recent examples of structures affected by flooding, inundation, or scour include the numerous bridges in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast damaged by Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Rita (2005); the damage to more than 2,400 bridge crossings during the 1993 Upper Mississippi River Basin flooding; the 1994 failure of numerous bridges during Tropical Storm Alberto in central and southwest Georgia; and the 1987 failure of the I-90 bridge over the Schoharie Creek near Amsterdam, NY, which resulted in the loss of 10 lives and millions of dollars in bridge repair and replacement costsConsidering the national costs due to scour-related damage, plus disruption to local economic activities from bridge closures, and the potential for devastating loss of life from floods and inundation, bridge foundations demand improved engineering analysis and design procedures to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters.Researchers in the Hydraulics Research Program at the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory, located at Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC), and partners currently are conducting applied and exploratory advanced research to improve prediction of flooding-related damages and design guidance for mitigating impacts on bridges and other hydraulic structures.Further, FHWA is collaborating with several laboratories and universities to help ensure the program's success. For example, research partners at the Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL's) Transportation Research and Analysis Computing Center (TRACC) in West Chicago, IL, and the Universities of Nebraska and Iowa are championing advanced engineering tools, such as computational fluid dynamics, to simulate extreme flood events and their interaction with bridge structures. Computational fluid dynamics uses numerical methods and algorithms to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows.Past Research ContributionsThe TFHRC J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory has been involved in a number of studies, including investigation of the Hatchie River Bridge collapse in Tennessee. Spans of the northbound U.S. Route 51 Bridge over the Hatchie River collapsed on April 1, 1989. Five vehicles went into the river, and eight people were killed. To help determine the cause of the collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) asked FHWA to conduct hydraulic model studies of the two-column bent #70 with independent footings of the Hatchie River Bridge. Onsite investigation had established that failure of this bent probably triggered the collapse. The J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory tested a 1 to 20 scale model of the bent to determine how the maximum local pier scour might have occurred after the channel migrated to bent #70 and to obtain videotaped shots of the local scour process for use as a visual aid in the NTSB public hearing conducted to gather evidence concerning the collapse.In another example of past research, the TFHRC J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory conducted small-scale scour tests for the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge replacement. The researchers tested 31 different model scenarios in the tilting flume and conducted 71 test runs with durations of 46 hours each. The scour evaluations were part of the process that led to design changes that saved millions of dollars. The savings resulted from reducing the predicted scour depths by an average of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) for approximately 648 of the piles, using fewer but larger piles, and incorporating vertical piles instead of battered piles, which are more difficult and expensive to install, for the very deep foundations.

The images are a digital reproduction of a handwritten letter and accompanying translation donated by Kathy Sa'ade Kenny. In this letter Katrina Sa'ade writes to her husband Suleiman Farhat requesting money to cover their expenses. At this stage Katrina was living in Ramallah with Suleiman's parents and Mary, Fred and George (Katrina and Suleiman's children). She writes that she and the children regret moving to Ramallah every day. Suleiman was living in California at the time, managing their business. These images exist as part of the Katrina Sa'ade Letters collection within the Katrina Sa'ade project of the Planet Bethlehem Archive.

In 2021, there were 68 fatalities due to hurricanes reported in the United States. Since the beginning of the century, the highest number of fatalities was recorded in 2005, when four major hurricanes – including Hurricane Katrina – resulted in 1,518 deaths.

The worst hurricanes in U.S. history
Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in August 2005, ranked as the third deadliest hurricane in the U.S. since records began. Affecting mainly the city of New Orleans and its surroundings, the category 3 hurricane caused an estimated 1,500 fatalities. Katrina was also the costliest tropical cyclone to hit the U.S. in the past seven decades, with damages amounting to roughly 186 billion U.S. dollars. Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, both of which made landfall in 2017, ranked second and third, resulting in damage costs of 149 and 107 billion dollars, respectively.

How are hurricanes classified?
According to the Saffir-Simpson scale, hurricanes can be classified into five categories, depending on their maximum sustained wind speed. Most of the hurricanes that have made landfall in the U.S. since 1851 are category 1, the mildest of the five. Hurricanes rated category 3 or above are considered major hurricanes and can cause devastating damage. In 2021, there were 38 hurricanes recorded across the globe, of which 17 were major hurricanes.

This poll, conducted August 29-31, 2005, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and issues such as the economy and Hurricane Katrina. A series of questions focused on the effects of the recent rise in gasoline and oil prices, who or what was responsible, whether prices were expected to rise in coming months, and whether higher gasoline prices would change their travel plans, driving habits, future car purchases, or lead to household spending cuts. Questions involving the war in Iraq included whether it was worth the costs, whether President Bush was accurately describing the situation in Iraq, what the possible effects of a withdrawal of United States troops would be, and what was the likelihood that Iraq would become a stable democracy. Views were also sought on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, including how important it was that the United States Senate understood his position on issues such as abortion before confirming his appointment, whether the Republican and Democratic parties would be able to work together to conduct a fair and non-partisan confirmation hearing, and whether he would be confirmed. Additional topics addressed airport security, the success of the United States' war against terrorism, Cindy Sheehan (the peace activist who camped outside President Bush's ranch in Texas), and how often respondents watched network television news programs. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, voter registration status, for whom the respondent voted in the 2004 presidential election, whether there were college students and children under 18 living in the household, and whether the respondent or a family member was currently in the United States armed forces.

The images are a digital reproduction of a handwritten letter and accompanying translation donated by Kathy Sa'ade Kenny. In this letter Katrina Sa'ade writes to her husband Suleiman Farhat from Ramallah, Palestine, where she was living with her and Suleiman's children with the Farhat family. Whilst she praises Suleiman's honourable intentions of sending her to live in Palestine for a better quality of life, she informs him that her money has been depleted and her in-laws do not have money to cover the expenses. She asks Suleiman to send more money.These images exist as part of the Katrina Sa'ade Letters collection within the Katrina Sa'ade project of the Planet Bethlehem Archive.

The hurricanes in the U.S. and Mexico in September and October incurred an economic loss of about 110 billion U.S. dollars, the most of any natural disaster event in 2024. Three of the ten most expensive catastrophes in that year were hurricanes. Weather, climate, water related disaster The disasters that caused mortality in large numbers include droughts, storms, floods, and extreme temperatures. Hurricanes alone generated 35 percent of the total economic losses among the leading disasters over these 50 years. The global cost of natural disaster losses was primarily financial losses. Low-income countries are more affected by natural disasters when compared to the richer countries in the world. American Hurricanes Floods were the most common weather-related disasters recorded, yet storms had the highest human and economic losses. As the most common cause of damage, storms are the only disaster for which the attribution component grows. As of 2023, Hurricane Katrina was by far the most destructive hurricane in the United States. Officials confirmed more than 1,800 deaths, estimated damages of about 200 billion U.S. dollars, the destruction of approximately 350,000 homes, and displaced almost a million individuals.

In 2023, there was a total of *** natural disasters events recorded worldwide, down from *** recorded a year earlier. The Europe, Middle East and Africa region experienced the highest number of natural disasters that year. Deaths and costs of natural disasters Natural disasters affect almost every part of the world. In February 2023, Turkey and Syria were hit by earthquakes that resulted in the highest number of deaths due to natural disaster events that year. In terms of economic damage, Hurricane Katrina remains one of the most expensive natural disasters in the world, topped only by the earthquake/tsunami which hit Japan in 2011. Climate change and natural disasters Climate change has influenced the prevalence of natural disasters. Global warming can increase the risk of extreme weather, resulting in higher risk of droughts and stronger storms, such as tropical cyclones. For instance, higher levels of water vapor in the atmosphere give storms the power to emerge. Furthermore, the heat in the atmosphere and high ocean surface temperatures lead to increased wind speeds, which characterize tropical storms. Areas that are usually unaffected by the sea are becoming more vulnerable due to rising sea levels as waves and currents become stronger.

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February incurred an economic loss of about 92.4 billion U.S. dollars, the most of any natural disaster event in 2023. Four of the ten most expensive catastrophes in that year were storms. Weather, climate, water related disaster The disasters that caused mortality in large numbers include droughts, storms, floods, and extreme temperatures. Hurricanes alone generated 35 percent of the total economic losses among the leading disasters over these 50 years. The global cost of natural disaster losses was primarily financial losses. Low-income countries are more affected by natural disasters when compared to the richer countries in the world. American Hurricanes Floods were the most common weather-related disasters recorded, yet storms had the highest human and economic losses. As the most common cause of damage, storms are the only disaster for which the attribution component grows. As of 2023, Hurricane Katrina was by far the most destructive hurricane in the United States. Officials confirmed more than 1,800 deaths, estimated damages of about 200 billion U.S. dollars, the destruction of approximately 350,000 homes, and displaced almost a million individuals.

As of 2025, the third leading reinsurer globally by gross reinsurance premiums written was Hannover Re, with ***** billion U.S. dollars. Swiss Re ranked second with almost ** billion U.S. dollars. Munich Re held the top spot, with written gross premiums exceeding ** billion U.S. dollars. Reinsurance involves insurers transferring parts of risk portfolios to other parties to spread the risk of having to pay out a large sum in the event of an insurance claim. This encourages insurance companies to assume risk, even when the potential payout will be extremely high, like in the case of a natural disaster. It reduces the risk of insurance companies going bankrupt trying to cover claims. Reinsurance is an important tool for insurance companies, especially in the case of events which cause large-scale property damage and casualties, such as earthquakes, flash flooding etc. In 2016, the total cost to the insurance industry of natural catastrophes worldwide was 145 billion U.S. dollars. The estimated cost of the 2011 earthquake in Japan to Munich Re was *** billion euros. Flooding is becoming more prevalent as global warming increases, so the reinsurance industry will continue be critical in the future. The June 2013 floods in Central Europe caused almost ***** billion U.S. dollars worth of insured damage. Hurricane Katrina resulted in major flooding in the southern states of the United States in August 2005, which cost **** billion U.S. dollars in insured losses.