Hurricane Katrina

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hurricane-katrina

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the formation date?August 23, 2005
2. What is the peak intensity?Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico
3. What was Hurricane Katrina and when did it happen?Hurricane Katrina was a very big storm that started on August 23, 2005, and it hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005.
4. How did Hurricane Katrina become so strong?It grew in the warm Gulf of Mexico, turning into a Category 5 hurricane before slowing to Category 3 when it reached Louisiana.

Tropical Wave: A trough of low pressure moving from east to west across the tropics, often a precursor to tropical cyclone development.
Barometric Pressure: The pressure exerted by the atmosphere, used as an indicator of storm intensity; lower pressure generally means a stronger storm.
Storm Surge: The abnormal rise of sea level during a storm, caused by the storm's winds pushing water towards the coast and low atmospheric pressure.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): A U.S. government agency responsible for coordinating disaster relief and emergency preparedness.