Katrina struck as Cat. 3, not 4
The National Hurricane Center has concluded that Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August as a Category 3 storm, not a Category 4, as was reported at the time. A more thorough review of the available data indicates the storm's top sustained winds at landfall had fallen below the 131-mph lower threshold for Category 4 storms, as set by the Saffir-Simpson Scale of Hurricane Intensity.
The revision could have an impact on the conclusions of engineers who are studying the failure of New Orleans' levee system. Those dikes were supposedly designed to withstand a Category 3 storm, but not necessarily a Cat. 4.
To read the full NHC Katrina assessment, click here, then scroll down to "Katrina" and click on the file format of your choice.
