On Monday, Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, marking one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The category 4 storm is believed to have killed thousands, making it the deadliest since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which claimed between 6,000 and 8,000 lives.

Hurricane Katrina devastated a wide territory, from Mobile, Ala., to New Orleans, La., with fierce winds and storm surges. In New Orleans, which sits below sea level, the situation worsened after Katrina left town.

On Aug. 30, the levee system that protects the city from the water of Lake Pontchartrain was breached, resulting in heavy flooding. Draining the city could take between one and three months, according to the U.S. Army.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described the situation as "probably the worst catastrophe, or set of catastrophes" in our country's history. More than 1 million people were displaced from their homes, and millions more lost power. Hundreds of thousands are in need of food, water and shelter.

Television screens, slideshows, maps and blogs tell the horror stories of the calamity. Sailboats are sitting on city streets, swept there by the force of the hurricane, which demolished buildings in Gulfport, Miss. The Biloxi, Miss., Air Force Base is 95 percent "smashed," according to an Air Force official. Statistics from the aftermath are just beginning to be tallied.

While state and federal officials are focused on assisting evacuees, maintaining order, restoring power and repairing roads, Americans are looking for ways to help relief efforts. Contributions had reached $93 million as of Sept. 1, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. American corporations, including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Anheuser-Busch and Pfizer, are also giving in unprecedented amounts. Corporate contributions totaled $27 million as of Sept. 1.

To learn more about the storm and how you can help, explore the resources below. To check on the reliability of charitable organizations, visit GiveSpot.com's Evaluate Charities resources.

Donations and Aid

• DisasterHelp.gov, CNN's Hurricane Katrina Help Center, the FirstGov Hurricane Katrina Recovery site and FEMA offer information about where you can donate, volunteer or receive assistance
  
  
• The American Red Cross has launched the largest response to a natural disaster in its 125-year history to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina
  
  

News

• CNN, The New York Times, NPR, The Times-Picayune, the Sun-Herald and Disaster News Network provide excellent coverage of the storm and its aftermath

Finding Friends and Family

• The Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross offers a register of individuals who are safe or being sought
  
  
• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a list of children on file as missing or looking for their parents
  
  
• CNN offers a list of people reported safe
  
  
• Yahoo! provides a directory of additional missing person and survivor lists

-- Lin Bentley and Lauren Zollinger

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