On 29th August 2005 Hurricane Katrina, which was one of the strongest storms ever to hit the coast of the United States, brought intense winds, high rainfall, waves, and storm surges that caused widespread devastation in New Orleans and along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Levees and floodwalls were overtopped and several were breached, allowing billions of gallons of water from the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Borgne, and Lake Pontchartrain to flow into New Orleans, flooding major portions of the city.