Hurricane Katrina still the costliest storm on record in the US, 20 years later

The unadjusted costs of devastating Hurricane Katrina totaled $125 billion in 2005. Adjusted for inflation, that brings costs to $201.3 billion today.

This Friday marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, resulting in over 1,800 deaths and displacing over 1 million people from their homes.

The hurricane dropped from Category 5 to Category 3 at landfall, flooding around 80% of New Orleans.

According to data provided by the National Centers for Environmental Information, Katrina would cost over $200 billion if it happened today, securing its place as the costliest storm in the United States on record.

Category 4 Hurricane Harvey also resulted in $125 billion in damages, but the 2017 storm’s adjusted cost is around $160 billion today, ranking it just below Katrina.

The Center Square previously reported on devastations that have struck the coast as Katrina still holds a spot among the deadliest and costliest storms.

The top five costliest hurricanes on record to impact the United States are Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Hurricane Ian in 2022, Hurricane Maria in 2017 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, according to an adjusted cost scale.

Data showed that in 2022, when Category 4 Hurricane Ian struck Florida, unadjusted costs in damages totaled $111.8 billion. The adjusted cost would be $119.6 billion today.

Three of the five storms devastated the Gulf Coast, through Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey and Ian resulted in billions of dollars worth of damage and countless lives lost.