With Hurricane Katrina on track to hit New Orleans twelve-year-old Claudia and her family are preparing to weather the storm. But nothing can prepare them for the awful flooding that occurs when the levees that surround the city fail. Even worse after a chaotic helicopter evacuation Claudia and her younger sister become separated from the rest of their family. Now it is up to Claudia to protect and comfort her sister through the tragedy. Readers can learn the real story of the Hurricane Katrina from the nonfiction back matter in this Girls Survive story. A glossary discussion questions and writing prompts are also provided.