(NewsNation) — On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, resulting in one of the worst natural disasters in American history.

It is estimated that the storm and flooding that followed led to almost 2,000 fatalities, affected nearly 90,000 square miles of the U.S. and caused an estimated $125 billion in damages, making it the most costly storm to ever hit the country.

The storm ravaged large areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and resulted in hundreds of thousands of residents being displaced.

New Orleans was hit the hardest, as the average elevation is nearly six feet below sea level and the city is surrounded by water. Levee failures led to extreme flooding, affecting parts of the city with some of the poorest and most vulnerable residents. By Aug. 31, 80% of the city was underwater.

The city issued a mandatory evacuation order and encouraged individuals who were unable to leave to take shelter in the New Orleans Super Dome. Eventually, over 30,000 people took refuge in the stadium, which resulted in mass chaos and unsafe conditions as the city was ill-equipped to meet the needs of its residents.

In the aftermath of the storm, looting became an issue in New Orleans as people stole to gather supplies they needed, as well as what they didn’t need. Some argue the lawlessness that occurred was exaggerated by the media and didn’t acknowledge the harsh realities New Orleans residents were forced to live with.

Many point to the federal government’s lackadaisical response to the needs of New Orleans’s residents as a key contributor to why things got so out of hand.

NewsNation’s “On Air Live: The Hurricane Katrina Tapes” premieres Sunday, Aug. 24th, 2025, at 8p ET exclusively on NewsNation.

Anchored by Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin, this special report features raw archival video, never-before-seen emotional home movies, as well as stories of courage, chaos and community resiliance.