	Introduction

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coastbetween the major cities of New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west, and Mobile, Alabama, to the east. Along the Gulf Coast and inland in the swath of the storm, Hurricane Katrina impacted hundreds ofthousands of families in three states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) and contributed to thedeaths of more than 1,000 people. (1) While CRS estimates that 5.8 million people in three states mayhave experienced hurricane-force winds, the majority rode out the storm safely. (3) ) Property damage, loss of life,and sizeable displacement of population appear to have been largely concentrated within a 100-mileradius of where the storm made landfall. Within this area, damage due to high winds and stormsurge resulted in significant devastation, but flooding, largely resulting from breached levees andflood walls, affected the greatest number of people, with much of New Orleans flooded. Using a combination of FEMAdamage assessment and Census data, CRS estimates that within these 14 counties,about 700,000 people may have been the most acutely impacted by HurricaneKatrina, experiencing flooding and/or significant structural damage. Population Estimates. People who lived in areas that were affected only with limited damage (144,000), ornon-flooded saturated areas (not assessed in this analysis) are grouped with theremainder of the population in the 14 counties/parishes chosen for this analysis,based on the FEMA damage/flood assessment (see Table 1 ). In Mississippi, nearly 22,000 people appear to have been affected by flooding,with the majority (20,000) concentrated in Hancock County, the western most countyon the Mississippi Gulf Coast, just to the northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. Mass Displacement

The economic and social impact of Hurricane Katrina will be felt for yearsto come. Regardless, individuals, families, and communities havebeen, and will be, dramatically transformed by the storm. CRS estimates that about one-fifth of the populationmost directly impacted by the storm was poor. Blacks are estimated to haveaccounted for 44% of storm victims. Some may have been more isolated, living alone, or homebound due to frailty ordisability. Anestimated 88,000 persons age 65 and older were likely displaced by HurricaneKatrina, or 12.4% of the population affected by flooding and/or storm damage.Among the aged population affected, an estimated 27,000 lived alone, in one-personhouseholds, which accounted for 41% of households with an aged member. Hurricane Katrina struck at thebeginning of the school year, potentially displacing an estimated 183,000 children,based on CRS analysis of 2000 Census data, including an estimated 136,000 childrenwho were of school age. Over half (55%) of the children most likely to have been displaced by thehurricane were African-American based on 2000 Census data. The data that were used in this report are not the only data being developedto assess Hurricane Katrina's impact. The FEMA flood and damage assessments are as of September 21, 2005. Numbers presented inthis report are estimates, providing a rough approximation of the numbers andcharacteristics of persons, families, and households that are most likely to have beenimpacted by the hurricane.
On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coastbetween the major cities of New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west, and Mobile, Alabama, to the east. Along the Gulf Coast and inland in the swath of the storm, Hurricane Katrina impacted hundredsof thousands of families in three states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) and contributed to thedeaths of more than 1,000 people. While CRS estimates that 5.8 million people in three states mayhave experienced hurricane-force winds, the majority rode out the storm safely. Property damage,loss of life, and sizeable displacement of the population appear to have been largely concentratedalong the Gulf Coast within a 100-mile radius of where the storm made landfall. Within this area,damage due to high winds and storm surge resulted in significant devastation, but flooding, largelyresulting from breached levees and flood walls, affected the greatest number of people, with muchof New Orleans flooded.
CRS estimates that 700,000 or more people may have been acutely impacted by HurricaneKatrina, as a result of residing in areas that flooded or sustained significant structural damage. Thisestimate is based on geographical analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)flood and damage assessments and year 2000 Census data. The estimates in this report are subjectto the methods and assumptions used. Other agencies and organizations are conducting assessmentsusing alternative and complementary methodologies; estimates may differ depending upon thespecific methodologies used. In the case of this analysis, the estimates reflect the numbers andcharacteristics of people, families, and households in 2000, who lived in areas that suffered damageor flooding from the hurricane in 2005.
The analysis shows that the Louisiana parishes of Orleans and St. Bernard were especiallyhard hit by flooding, with an estimated 77% of Orleans's population affected, and nearly all residentsof St. Bernard. In Mississippi, 55% of Hancock County's population is estimated to have beenaffected by flooding and/or structural damage, and in the more populous Harrison County, about19% of its population. In Louisiana, an estimated 645,000 people may have been displaced by thehurricane (based on 2000 Census data), and in Mississippi, 66,000.
Hurricane Katrina had varying impacts on the population. CRS estimates that of the peoplemost likely to have been displaced by the hurricane, about half lived in New Orleans. Due to thecity's social and economic composition, the storm impacted heavily on the poor and AfricanAmericans. CRS estimates that one-fifth of those displaced by the storm were likely to have beenpoor, and 30% had incomes that were below 1Â½ times the poverty line. African Americans areestimated to have accounted for approximately 44% of the storm victims. An estimated 88,000elderly persons (age 65 and older), many with strong community ties, may have been displaced,along with 183,000 children, many of whom were just starting the school year when the storm struck. Katrina's impact on individuals, families, and communities will be felt for years to come, and willtake time to fully comprehend.
This report will not be updated.