Final answer:
Hurricane Katrina was the hurricane that had a devastating impact on the Mississippi River region, particularly New Orleans, on August 29, 2005, leading to significant loss of life and revealing deep socioeconomic and racial disparities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hurricane that battered the Mississippi River and caused extensive damage to coastal regions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans, was Hurricane Katrina. This catastrophic event occurred on August 29, 2005, revealing significant issues related to economic inequality and racial divisions, as well as posing great challenges to the Bush administration's disaster response. During this disaster, over 1,500 people lost their lives due to the flooding exacerbated by the failing levees that were meant to protect against such storm surges. The Saffir-Simpson Scale, which rates hurricanes from category 1 to 5 based on their wind speed, helps to illustrate the potential for destruction that hurricanes like Katrina present. Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane, denoting the highest level of danger according to this scale. As a result of the levees breaking, many residents of New Orleans were stranded and suffered without adequate food, water, or sanitation facilities, highlighting the serious consequences of a hurricane of such magnitude.