One of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history during the late summer of 2005.
When this event occured Bush continued a vacation at his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.
His staff didn't want to bother him with detailed information about the situation on the Gulf Coast.
When Katrina hit, Bush had been on vacation for 27 days
Eventually, Bush's aides decided they had to inform the president about it.
They put together a video showing scenes of hurricane-ravaged communities and showed it to the president.
At this point, Bush decided to cut his vacation short and return home early to preside over the federal response from Washington.
He flew back to Washington on August 31, after 29 days on vacation.
"He never recovered from Katrina," says a former Bush adviser and Republican strategist who wants to remain anonymous to avoid offending the Bush family. "The unfolding disaster with the Iraq war [a conflict which Bush ordered] didn't help, but it's clear that after Katrina he never got back the popularity that he had." Referring to Bush's decision to fly over the ravaged areas and allow photos to be taken of him peering out the window, the former adviser added: "He's rued that decision ever since."