Hurricanes are one of nature's most destructive forces. They can cause enormous damage through wind, flooding from storm surges and heavy rain, and other hazards like mudslides. Hurricane winds can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters through a process where moist air rises, condenses into clouds and releases latent heat. Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi and Louisiana in August 2005, causing extensive damage and loss of life from high winds and catastrophic flooding.