Hazards case Study: Hurricane Katrina Flashcards
When did hurricane Katrina start?
9th August 2005 but didn’t land until the 28th August.
What was its path?
It hit Florida on the 26th august before hitting New Orleans on the 28th August, then going north to Louisiana and Mississippi then stopping in Tennessee.
Where did it form?
Over the Gulf of Mexico, when sea temperature was 28 Degrees.
What were the wind speeds/ storm surge height?
Wind speeds reached up to 174mph and storm surges reached 6+ metres in height.
How many died?
1836 people died.
How much of the city was flooded?
80%
Social Impacts?
-Conditions became unsanitary and uncomfortable.
-Crime was so bad it took the police/army 3 days to regain control.
-1 million people were left without electricity.
Environmental Issues?
-Industrial waste, oil spills, household sewage, toxic chemicals and other hazardous pollutants swept into neighbourhood regions.
-Contaminated water caused long term health effects on humans and animals.
- Pollution of groundwater reserves.
Economic Issues?
-Costed $50 billion to repair all the damage.
-Oil prices soared as the Gulf of Mexico contributed to 10% of the nations oil supply.
-Shops were looted which meant that shop owners lost money.
How did The American Red Cross assist in responding to the hurricane?
They set up 275 shelters across 9 States, served over 500,000 meals daily, and provided medical aid.
What role did New Orleans super dome play during the disaster?
It was used as an emergency shelter, but conditions deteriorated due to lack of resources and overcrowding.
What were the government accused of doing?
They knew about the hurricane for days but didn’t leave enough time to allow individuals to evacuate. If the government had acted quicker then many deaths would have been prevented.
The future?
Millions of dollars have been pent on rebuilding levees. Many people migrated out of New Orleans as many people couldn’t get insurance. The government are revising evacuation plans.
