The official National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assessment of Hurricane Katrina was issued on 20 December 2005 titled: Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Katrina 23-30 August 2005 (TCR-AL122005 Katrina). The report was updated on 10 August 2006 for tropical wave history, storm surge, tornadoes, surface observations, fatalities, and damage cost estimates.

This Katrina Impact Assessment Project is a cooperative effort whose objective is to assess and monitor the environmental and physical impact of Hurricane Katrina on the ecosystems and infrastructure of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The project website includes an interactive map service, which offers a common, geospatially referenced view of recent coastal and ocean observations. Geospatial data sources will include in situ sensor information, coastal circulation modeling, post-Katrina survey data, and photogrammetry, including fixed-wing photography, and satellite imagery (LandSat, commercial, hyper/multispectral, and LIDAR), as it becomes available.

Data provided will couple demographic information with Katrina-related hazards such as storm surge, maximum winds, and inland flooding. Analysis of storm debris sites and point source pollution from wrecked vessels, industrial sites, and rural septic systems is being conducted and will be posted when completed.