Hurricane Katrina was a terrifying experience for more than a million people affected across the Gulf Coast region. Nearly 1,400 people died, most of them in New Orleans — and 20 years later, some communities are still struggling to recover.

The National Hurricane Center says the costliest hurricane in U.S. history — more than $201 billion based on the 2024 Consumer Price Index adjusted cost — caused widespread flood damage across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

On Dauphin Island, Alabama, the barrier island town's west end beach was severed during Katrina. A 1.5 mile-wide gap was left behind. More than 300 homes were destroyed on the island, and for many of those homes, the land on which they stood was permanently washed away.

Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29,

See Full Page