Period 1
4/1/18
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina, arguably one of the most devastating storms to ever hit the USA. Striking the New Orleans and Louisiana coast on August 29, 2005, Katrina caused over 1,000 casualties and over 125 billion dollars in repair. However, although the storm itself was devastating it what happened after the storm that caused the most catastrophic damage. After the storm had finished, leeways that had originally been constructed to hold back water overflow into the city, broke. Water levels quickly rose as flooding took place all throughout New Orleans. Geroge W Bush who was president at the time received criticism as the government seemed like they were not prepared for a storm of this magnitude. The government was in no hurry to send food and supplies and took two days to establish FEMA, Federal Emergency Managment Agency. FEMA's job was to restore power, and bring necessary supplies to those in need, however, had a horrible method of doing so. This forced citizens to take matters into their own hands, neighbors would try to save others using considered boats and other means of shelter.
This post is very interesting, yet very depressing. FEMA called Hurricane Katrina "the single most catastrophic disaster in US history." There was a total of 1,833 casualties across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and most significantly, Louisiana. It's devastating to see that the government didn't do very much to provide aid and relief to the suffering people. The total damaged is estimated to be $108 billion, and the government didn't do anything to relieve the financial burden.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/us/hurricane-katrina-statistics-fast-facts/index.html
Great post! I liked the way you detailed the governments role in the issue. Your description of the magnetude of such a catastrophic event enticed me to look into the effects that the hurricane may still be imposing. Recently the city of New Orleans, which was 80% underwater during the hurricane has had the problem of sinkholes. The trees that were destroyed during the storm have roots that still tug on pipes as a lifeline. They cause small leaks that over the years accumulate unnoticed. FEMA has agreed to pay 10 million in repairs. But yet again, is it enough?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/28/louisiana-still-finding-katrina-damage/30459513/
One thing I think is important to also think about regarding the response to Hurricane Katrina is the issue of race. In fact, according to CBS News, the government response to Hurricane Katrina has been evaluated differently among different racial groups. Many people believe that race was a factor in the government's slow response in helping the victims of the hurricane. University of Maryland government and politics professor Ron Walters expressed this viewpoint, stating, "Black people are mad because they feel the reason for the slow response is because those people are black and they didn't support George Bush." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides Census data showing that "African Americans made up a disproportionate share of the hurricane’s victims." The source confirms, "About one of every three people who lived in the areas hit hardest by the hurricane were African American. By contrast, one of every eight people in the nation is African American." More statistics regarding race and poverty and the victims of Hurricane Katrina can be found at the link below.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cbpp.org/research/essential-facts-about-the-victims-of-hurricane-katrina
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/race-an-issue-in-katrina-response/