Hurricane Katrina, USA (HIC Storm Case Study)

Question 1

Spatial and temporal distribution

Answer 1

• Tropical depression (Caribbean Sea) : 23/8/2005
• Tropical storm (Southern Florida) : 28/8
• Gulf of Mexico > Louisiana > New Orleans

Question 2

Magnitude

Answer 2

Category 4 when it hit New Orleans

Question 3

Cause of event

Answer 3

28C average temperatures around Bahamas in Caribbean Sea

Question 4

Why were people in New Orleans vulnerable?

Answer 4

• Flood control methods were in need of maintenance
• Shrinkage of soils meant that 50% of the city was below sea level
• Lack of emergency plan
• Inequality: very low income community

Question 5

Who was most vulnerable in New Orleans?

Answer 5

Low income families:

• Lack of transport means to evacuate
• Close to levees with only substandard infrastructure
• Less able to economically recover

Question 6

How did perception vary along the tack of the Hurricane?

Answer 6

More fatalistic attitude in certain areas vs adaption in other areas

Question 7

Primary Impacts

Answer 7

• 11,000 homes flooded, 55,000 beyond repair
• 1 million refugees
• Power and water supplies disrupted
• 1242 deaths
• Lack of political stability
• Levees overwhelmed
• Water supplies contaminated
• 18 schools destroyed

Question 8

Secondary impacts

Answer 8

• Financial cost of $200 billion
• Neighbouring states struggle with refugees
• 230,000 jobs lost from damaged businesses
• Oil spills
• Worldwide oil price rise
• Looters ransacked abandoned buildings
• 5 dead from contaminated water
• 80% of city flooded

Question 9

Pre-disaster response

Answer 9

• Warnings given
• State of emergency declared
• Evacuation order
• Superdome shelter set up for refugees

Question 10

Relief

Answer 10

Search and Rescue team preparation

Question 11

Rehabilitation

Answer 11

• Refugees evacuated from Superdome
• Neighbouring states provide aid
• American Red Cross shelters set up
• Public health emergency declared
• Military transport sick and injured

Question 12

Reconstruction

Answer 12

• $120.5 billion in federal spending

- Private insurance covered $30 billion in damage

Question 13

How did early warning systems help the USA respond?

Answer 13

• National hurricane centre tracked the hurricane
• FEMA then positioned coast helicopters
• Teams and supplies were organised
• Compulsory evacuation was ordered for 80% of residents
• Coastguard managed to rescue 50,000 stranded residents