What category of storm was hurricane Katrina considered by weather people?
Hurricane Katrina hits Category 5 Sunday, August 28, 2005; Posted: 7:49 a.m. EDT (11:49 GMT) NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — Hurricane Katrina intensified Sunday to a Category 5 storm as it churned towards the U.S. Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Category 5 is the most intense category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity — capable of causing catastrophic damage. The storm is expected to make landfall on Monday. Officials fear New Orleans, Louisiana, is vulnerable because it sits an average of 6 feet below sea level. (Watch video of how New Orleans reacted to warning) Mandatory evacuations were in effect for some of Louisiana’s low-lying areas; residents in other low-lying areas are being encouraged to leave. Governors of both Louisiana and Mississippi declared emergencies Friday in anticipation of the strengthening storm. “This is a very, very dangerous hurricane,” said National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield. “I can’t emphasize enough to vie
