It was supposed to be a typical Florida storm, New Orleans resident Sherry Grace said.
Twenty years ago, a tropical storm made landfall in Southeast Florida. But it crossed the Everglades and continued to grow over warm Gulf waters.
Less than a week later, Katrina was a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. It is still considered to be one of the worst natural disasters ever recorded on the Gulf Coast.
Nearly 1,400 lives and countless homes and businesses were lost, and some areas and industries have yet to fully recover.
Some of those who lived through the disaster shared their stories with The Epoch Times….