TROPICAL STORM: Hurricane Katrina Flashcards
1
Q
Date:
A
August 2005
2
Q
Storm details:
A
- developed in the Bahamas
- hit Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
3
Q
Storm magnitude:
A
Category 5 (3 at landfall)
4
Q
Hazard cause:
A
warm ocean : Gulf Coast
5
Q
Primary hazards:
A
- 170 mph sustained wind
- 214 mph gusts
- 902 mb
- rain
6
Q
Secondary hazards:
A
- floods
- 10 metre storm surge
7
Q
Primary impacts:
A
- smashed Mississippi Gulf Coast
- power and water supplies impacted
- damage to the French Quarter of New Orleans
- damaged oil installations
- flood defences breached
8
Q
Secondary impacts:
A
- levee failure
– were only 60-90% modernised - 80% of New Orleans deluged
- 233,000 km3 declared a disaster area
9
Q
Economic impacts:
A
- tourism revenues decreased
- worldwide increase in oil prices
- $200 billion cost
- profit warnings issued by insurance companies
10
Q
Social impacts:
A
- 1242 dead
- looters in New Orleans and violence among those sheltered in Super Dome
- 1 million refugees
- New Orleans
– 110,000 houses flooded - 5 million without power
11
Q
Environmental impacts:
A
- oil spills
- storm debris
- sewage contamination
12
Q
Political impacts:
A
- National Guard deployed; told to be ruthless as opposed to helping survivors
- President Bush criticised for slow response
– controversy over whether high proportion of poor Black residents affected recovery speed
13
Q
Risk:
A
- on Gulf Coast
- more than 50% is below sea level
14
Q
Vulnerability:
A
- HIC but poor area
- infrastructure ensured service access
- levee system not to modern standards (incomplete update at time of storm)
15
Q
Long-term management strategies:
A
- FEMA reframed command structure and emergency response coordination
