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Twenty years ago, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated

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New Orleans and the Missisissippi coast.

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Katrina remains the costliest hurricane in U.S. history,

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and one of the deadliest ever recorded.

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2005 set a record for the number of Atlantic storms,

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which stood until the 2020 season.

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NOAA satellites tracked Katrina as it developed near the Bahamas,

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made initial landfall on the southeastern coast of Florida,

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rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, and finally left its

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mark on New Orleans and coastal Mississippi.

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NOAA’s geostationary GOES-12 satellite provided updates on Katrina

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every five minutes to track quickly evolving conditions.

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GOES-12 also provided simultaneous measurements of Katrina from

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multiple instruments, giving a comprehensive picture of the hurricane.

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NOAA’s polar-orbiting satellites, like NOAA-16, also played a key role

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by capturing visible and infrared observations of the storm.

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They also carried a microwave sounder to measure

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atmospheric temperature and moisture through clouds and precipitation.

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Today, NOAA satellites are more advanced than ever.

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The newest GOES satellites provide forecasters detailed,

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real-time information on what is happening within a storm,

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how intense it is, and where it’s going.

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Today’s GOES satellites are also equipped with a lightning mapper,

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which provides additional information about a hurricane’s structure,

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evolution and potential to intensify.

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NOAA’s polar-orbiting satellites have improved over time too.

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Today, JPSS satellites provide detailed, high-resolution imagery

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of storms and are equipped with more advanced sounders that provide

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vertical profiles of the atmosphere.

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NOAA satellite advancements have resulted in more timely and

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accurate forecasts and warnings, more precise landfall predictions,

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and a better understanding of hurricane dynamics.

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While satellites can’t stop hurricanes,

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they give us knowledge to prepare, protect and save lives.

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As we remember the impact of Hurricane Katrina, NOAA satellites

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remain our sentinels in the sky, by providing critical and timely data.

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Earth From Orbit: 20 Years After Hurricane Katrina

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NOAA Logo

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NASA Meatball

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