The total economical impact to Louisiana and Mississippi was more than US$150bn. All counties in Louisiana and Mississippi, 22 counties in Western Alabama and 11 in Florida were declared Federal Disaster Areas. By July 1, 2006, the population of Louisiana had dropped by nearly five per cent, almost a quarter of a million people. Nearly a million people had no electricity for several weeks. Ninety per cent of south-east Louisiana was evacuated during Katrina, in what was the most successful evacuation in American history, and people across the region were moved into temporary shelter.
Simon Binns looks at how a once thriving industry has rebuilt itself. By August 31, 80 per cent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15ft of water, and over a dozen casinos that employed nearly 10,000 people in the Gulf Coast were wiped out. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, the effects were devastating.
