Hurricane Katrina Tropical Storm HIC Case Study Flashcards
Name / location
Hurricane Katrina
New Orleans, Louisiana
What was the date?
29th August 2005
What was the nature of the hazard?
Category 5
Storm surge height - 10m
Background
New Orleans sits below sea level. High flood walls (levees) keep the water at bay.
The Levees were built to cope with a category 3 storm, but not the storm surge from a category 5.
The 5th most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in one of the most active hurricane seasons ever recorded in the Atlantic.
New Orleans lies on the USA Gulf Coast, in an area which can expect severe tropical storms at certain times of the year – very few are category 5, however the city was grazed by the eye wall and hit by a storm surge, up to 10m in places.
Original flood measures had caused soil shrinkage, leaving 50% land below sea level.
Why is it vulnerable?
The site of the city was originally very low in relation to sea level, but human interference has caused the city to sink even lower. Engineers drained swampland around sea to expand area leading to subsidence/ sinking.
Wetlands naturally replenished every year by sediment from a flooding river, human interference caused wetlands and barrier dual de of coast of New Orleans to disappear at a rapid rate. - dams upriver have reduced sediment in river.
What were some primary impacts?
1836 fatalities
80% New Orleans flooded
Power and water supplies - 5 million without power.
More than 1 million became refugees
Storm caused oil spills from 44 facilities throughout south eastern Louisiana
What were some secondary impacts?
Global oil price shot up as many oil refineries and rigs were damaged.
Financial cost of storm broke US records $125 billion
Many people nerves returned to New Orleans causing significant redistribution of population
President Bush criticised for being slow to visit area
What were some short term responses?
Management aid in USA - Storm was predicted and tracked
Advance warnings in force 27/08
Public donated $1.8 billion to American Red Cross
Mayor ordered city to be evacuated 28/08
Government aid to help recovery
What were some long term responses?
Many states provided shelter for evacuees in weeks after the storm.
US spent over $800 billion rebuilding flood defences. 220 miles of flood walls and levees strengthened/ replaced to reduce flood risk.
All damaged oil and gas facilities repaired or replaced
Congress provided $17 billion to rebuild damaged housing and infrastructure
Although USA is perceived to be able to cope well with natural disasters – it has
the National Guard, trained personnel, plus all the heavy lifting equipment needed – a
long-term lesson has been that the consequences of any natural disaster is far worse for the poor compared to middle class.
