Storm Hazard-Hurricane Katrina Flashcards
When did the hurricane happen
A storm hit the south east USA one of the wealthiest countries in the world - in 2005. It formed over the Bahamas on the 23rd August.
Where did it go
It moved north west and strengthened as it passed over the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. By the time it struck Louisiana and Mississippi on the 29th August, it was a Category 3 hurricane.
Characteristics of the hurricane
It brought winds of around 200 km/h and 200-250 mm rainfall to Louisiana, and a storm surge of up to 8.5 m in Mississippi.
The coast of Louisiana and Mississippi bore the brunt of the hurricane, but south Florida and Cuba were also affected. The storm surge and heavy rainfall overwhelmed levees around New Orleans, causing over 80% of the city to flood
Social impacts
1836 people were killed.
300 000 houses were destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless and 3 million people were left without electricity.
One of the main routes out of New Orleans was closed because parts of the I-10 bridge collapsed. Water supplies were polluted with sewage and chemicals. Five people died from using contaminated water. 18 schools in New Orleans were destroyed and 74 were badly damaged, disrupting education.
Economic impacts
230 000 jobs were lost from damaged businesses.
Industry was disrupted - -30 oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were damaged or destroyed, disrupting the oil industry. Ports such as Gulfport in Mississippi were damaged, affecting the shipping industry.
5300 km² of forest was destroyed in Mississippi, causing around $5 billion lost income from logging.
The total cost of damage was around $300 billion.
Environmental impacts
Coastal habitats such as sea turtle breeding beaches were damaged.
Some coastal conservation areas were destroyed, e.g. Breton National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
Flooding damaged oil refineries in Louisiana, causing massive oil spills.
Flooding of salt marshes led to habitat loss.
Effective warning system
The USA has a sophisticated monitoring system to predict if (and where) a hurricane will hit. On August 26th, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Florida issued a hurricane warning for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It continued to track the hurricane, updating the government on where and when it would hit.
Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) and other organisations
The US Coast Guard positioned helicopters and boats around the area likely to be affected.
FEMA organised teams and supplies, e.g. mortuary teams with refrigerated trucks to deal with bodies.
Some areas, including New Orleans, ordered mandatory (compulsory) evacuation. It’s estimated that around 80% of New Orleans’ residents were evacuated before the hurricane reached land.
