Hurricane Irene was actually bigger than hurricane Katrina

As Hurricane Irene was bearing down on the East Coast late last week, many commentators warned of its destructive potential by invoking the memory of Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast six years ago today (Aug. 29), flooding nearly all of New Orleans in the process. The storm remains a potent cultural touchstone, serving as a reminder of nature’s power — and the importance of planning properly for worst-case scenarios.

Since Irene made landfall and was downgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend, we can begin to take its measure a little better. So how does Irene compare to Katrina?. . .