Case study: Hurricane Katrina

Question 1

When & where did the storm occur?

Answer 1

• The storm developed on 23/8/05 as a low-pressure area over the Bahamas and tracked NW towards the tip of Florida. It then curved across the Gulf of Mexico towards Louisiana and New Orleans.
• The storm was upgraded to category 4, then 5 on 28/8/05 with sustained winds of 174 miles/hr and gusts well over 186 miles/hr.
• It had weakened to category 3 when it hit New Orleans and tracked just to the east of the city.

Question 2

How intense was the storm in comparison to others?

Answer 2

The 5th most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in one of the most active hurricane seasons ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Question 3

What were the main hazards?

Answer 3

• Initial damage to people and property was due to high winds and rainfall as the storm passed.
• A storm surge followed resulting in widespread flooding (made far worse by the failure of the levees)

Question 4

How much of the land is below sea level?

Answer 4

50%

Question 5

What was the problem with the levees?

Answer 5

System of levees not constructed to modern standards and had not been well maintained. As the storm struck the levees broke causing water from adjacent lakes to flood the city.

Question 6

How many didn’t evacuate?

Answer 6

Around 150,000 remained, mainly poorer citizens, mostly by choice or due to a lack of resources.

Question 7

How many people died because of the storm?

Answer 7

1,836 - mainly in New Orleans

Question 8

How many became refugees?

Answer 8

More than 1 million people, displaced from their homes. 75% stayed within 400kms of their homes.

Question 9

How much of New Orleans was flooded?

Answer 9

80%, including 60% of houses (around half of which were too damaged to repair).

Question 10

How many people were left without power

Answer 10

5 million

Question 11

What was the impact at the coast?

Answer 11

Breeding grounds for marine mammals, brown pelicans, turtles and fish were lost.

Substantial beach erosion.

Question 12

Impact on oil

Answer 12

Oil prices shot up

Question 13

What did looters do?

Answer 13

Ransack empty homes, although the scale of the problem was exaggerated by the media resulting in federal services (e.g. National Guard) focused on law and order rather than on rescue and supporting those in need.

Question 14

How did insurance help/how was insurance impacted?

Answer 14

• Many businesses affected, although most were adequately insured so were able to recover afterwards (community risk sharing).
• However, as a result, insurance companies issued profit warnings and raised premiums

Question 15

What was the total cost in damage?

Answer 15

The financial cost of the storm broke all US records - damages of around $125 billion

Question 16

Political issues that arose

Answer 16

• The government had to deal with criticism of the rescue and aid programme.
• Racial tensions exposed as reports claimed that most affected by Katrina were black American urban dwellers, the poorest and most disadvantaged in society. For example, conditions in the Superdome were squalid and unsafe.
• President Bush was criticised for being slow to visit the area.
• FEMA was criticised for being overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and being slow to respond. When it did respond the focus was on control more than on the welfare of those worse affected, e.e.g, in the Superdome.

Question 17

Longer term social consequence of Katrina

Answer 17

• Emigration. The total population declined by 30% over the next decade. It was still not recovered to 2000 levels.

Question 18

Where did most of the management and aid come from? Who specifically coordinated the response?

Answer 18

• The USA
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
helped coordinate and organise the response.

Question 19

Outline the main stages of the response?

Answer 19

• President Bush declared a state of emergency on 27/8/05 in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, two days before the storm was due to make landfall there.
• On 28/8/05 the mayor or New Orleans ordered that the city be evacuated.
• In the event, authorities found it hard to respond to the sheer scale of the disaster.
• The National Guard dealt with looters.
• Government aid was rapidly assigned to help recovery. The
US Senate assigned $10 billion in the first week of September, followed by $50 billion from Federal funds.

Question 20

Which other countries/charities helped?

Answer 20

• Kuwait gave $500 million.
• India sent tarpaulins, blankets, and hygiene kits.
• The public donated $1.8 billion to the American Red Cross
alone.

Question 21

What happened at the Superdome?

Answer 21

The New Orleans Superdome was used as a sanctuary for people fleeing the hazard but could not cope with the numbers that arrived, and so conditions quickly became squalid and unsafe

Question 22

How much was spent rebuilding flood defences?

Answer 22

The US has spent over $800 million on rebuilding flood defences. 220 miles of flood walls and levees were strengthened or replaced to reduce the risk of flooding

Question 23

What was the response to damaged homes?

Answer 23

• Congress provided $17 billion to rebuild damaged housing and infrastructure.
• FEMA arranged over 10,000 homes to be leased to displaced families

Question 24

What was the response to damage to oil industry?

Answer 24

All damaged oil and gas facilities has been repaired or replaced.

Question 25

What else was funding provided for?

Answer 25

• Pumping out floodwater and reconstruction of roads and bridges.
• Environmental clean up operations

Question 26

What evidence suggests that recovery was limited in some areas?

Answer 26

Low-income housing in some areas has not been replaced or rebuilt and some buildings remain abandoned.