Evacuating before hurricane Katrina. Vehicles queue on Interstate 10 eastwards out of Gulfport, Mississippi, USA, before hurricane Katrina makes landfall. The westbound lane (right) is deserted. Photographed on 28th August 2005, the day before Katrina hit the Gulf of Mexico coast of the USA. A record storm surge of nearly ten meters devastated the coastal regions, and high winds caused immense damage. Worst affected was New Orleans, where levees failed, leaving 80% of the city underwater and killing thousands. Katrina was the most deadly and most costly natural disaster to befall the USA.