Hurricane Katrina was the costliest hurricane disaster in U.S. history to date. The hurricane caused widespread devastation from Louisiana to Florida making a total of three landfalls in the U.S. before dissipating over the Ohio River Valley. The storm destroyed most properties along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast and the causes of this destruction have been debated.

Since the hurricane struck the region, various agencies have conducted wind studies employing different numerical models in order to estimate the wind fields during Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, there has been wide variance in the magnitude and timing of the winds with these models which ultimately has had implications in insurance related matters.

This paper will present our findings in estimating the magnitude and direction of the wind speed based upon determining the degree of damage to buildings. Aerial and ground photographic imagery were utilized in this study along with site specific inspections. The results of this study will be compared to various numerical model outputs.