Hurricane Katrina

Question 1

What was the size of the storm surge following hurricane Katrina

Answer 1

22 foot

Question 2

What were the wind speeds

Answer 2

127 mph

Question 3

Where did it hit

Answer 3

South East USA, New Orleans

Question 4

Give 3 environmental impacts

Answer 4

• polluted water got put back into lake Pontchartrain which killed fish
• 1.3 acres of forest damaged

Question 5

Give some social impacts

Answer 5

• loss of life, up to 2000 killed (mostly to drowning, but some due to lack of aid and basic needs)
• 80% of New Orleans underwater
• 300 million people left without electricity -main route was cut off due to fallen bridge

Question 6

What are some economic impacts

Answer 6

• $100 billion damage to properties, over $200 billion overall
• loss of tourism
• reduces profits for insurance companies

Question 7

Short-term responses

Answer 7

• 20000 were evacuated to the Superdome
• police were first to respond, but 200 then left their post to go help their own families
• areas of low lying land were evacuated 36 hours before the storm hit after prediction
• search and rescue was difficult as 80% was submerged
• 25000 were evacuated to convention centre, but no one knew they were there so no attempt was made to rescue
• attempted to block levees straight away but failed

Question 8

Long-term response

Answer 8

-$50 million was eventually given by the government
-Army were put in charge of evacuation
-1 week to get power lines back up and running but 2 months to get all power back
-tourist numbers increased
Young boy stole a school bus to help get people out

Question 9

What were some preparations that were made

Answer 9

• Red Cross and Salvation Army-open shelters and mobile feeling units were set up
• windows boarded
• FEMA supposedly on standby
• no transport was made available
• poverty was twice below the national average, so many had no choice but to stay put
• mandatory evacuations were put out when it reached a level 5 hurricane

Question 10

How were the government at fault?

Answer 10

• News reports were sent out saying that the storm would be manageable, leading people to believe they could survive it
• The government should have been quicker to say these reports were wrong, as they knew the intensity of the storm
• The government had been previously warned that the levees were going to fail, but they did nothing about it