- In 2005 Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical storm, but quickly escalated to between a category 3 and 5 on August 29, 2005. It began as a category 1 hurricane after landfall with Florida, however, once back over the ocean, the storm intensifies to a category 5 before breaking to a 3 before landfall in Louisiana. With winds speeds reaching 170 mph, the hurricane struck land in Louisiana. Initial damages were limited to minor flooding, however, the reason that Hurricane Katrina was so deadly was due to the levees breaking and allowing all of the flood waters in. It took the United States military over 3 days to finally get aid into New Orleans and the final damages of the storm were an estimated 1800 people dead, and an estimated $160 billion in damages.
- In the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina, that effects of the storm were described to accumulate at least $9 billion in damage costs making it one of the costliest storms on record. The affected areas were flooded for weeks, displacing families and preventing many search and rescue efforts for those who were stuck in their homes and those who had died in the storm as a result of being trapped from the flooding. The flooding caused the drinking water to be unsafe without boiling and the areas that were hit were without power for weeks. This caused very unsafe living conditions for those who could not relocate at the time. Many hospitals in the area were left without operable emergency rooms which posed a big problem in providing medical attention to those who were injured as a result of the storm. The united states fatality toll of hurricane Katrina is recorded to be 1,836 people. The effects of the storm did not quickly decrease overtime, damage repairs lasted for years and many people who were displaced as a result of the storm were left homeless or in inadequate shelter for months and up to years after the hurricane hit.
Aritcles:
Hurricane Katrina Slams Into Gulf Coast; Dozens Are Dead – August 30, 2005
Hurricane Katrina: The Aftermath – August 30, 2005
Hurricane Lashes New Orleans – August 29, 2005
Administrative breakdowns in the Governmental Response to Hurricane Katrina – September 2005
- The reason Hurricane Katrina was so deadly was because majority of New Orleans resides below sea level. The sea is held back by a series of levees but during the storm, these levees failed, causing sea water to rush into the city and cause great destruction. The levees breaking paired with the failure for many citizens to evacuate increased the death toll. Instead of leaving the city for safer ground as was suggested by the government, many sought refuge in the city itself without actually leaving. Part of the reason that many did not evacuate is due to the misrepresentation of the size of the storm. Because Katrina was only a category 1 when reaching landfall, it was expected to be an average storm, however, the storm intensified over the Gulf of Mexico, doubling its wind speed and destructiveness. Coupled with a below sea level elevation and many expensive buildings placed in the flood plain, Hurricane Katrina was one of the costliest disasters in modern history.
- To avoid another disaster like Katrina, Communities throughout the country need to set up roles within local departments and organization. With there being roles within the community, the recovery process for the disaster will be completed at a faster rate. Outside help will still be needed but the community will not only be limited by outside help. Knowledge and education about certain disasters should be taught in schools and community centers in areas prone to disaster. With knowledge, people are better adequate to face the storm, preparation and recovery will be much easier. Flood maps and other geographic information should be available in every household. Proper evacuation techniques and recovery techniques should also be taught at the schools and community centers. Money and government grants are also a great way to prevent another disaster like Katrina from happening. When disaster struck in New Orleans, the government didn’t do much, president bush received a lot of backlash from the black community because it seemed as though he was holding back resources. With prior government aid and funding, schools and other community centers will have the proper resources to adequately prepare for the disaster. Planning and infrastructure to prevent these disasters from happening cost money and the government is typically the most important asset when it comes to providing funding for disaster relief and prevention.
- Potential barriers to effectively adopting these strategies are the mindsets of people who think that disasters like hurricane Katrina will not happen to them, so they don’t need to be prepared for an event like that. A disaster like this can happen to anyone, so everyone should have proper knowledge on how to be prepared and how to react. Another potential barrier is lack of government funding for preparation efforts. The government may not see the necessity to prepare for an event like this but it harder for them to hold funding when it comes to response efforts after disasters happen. Therefore, the proper funds should be spent beforehand to educate the public and prepare in order to try and minimize the cost of response efforts after the fact.