Damage Caused by Hurricane Katrina - 611 Words

When the gale force winds and extreme storm surges brought by Hurricane Katrina slammed headlong into the Gulf Coast on August 29th, 2005, the damage caused by the catastrophic weather event was not limited to the swamped buildings of New Orleans and the sunken dreams of its residents. In just over a weeks worth of time, Hurricane Katrina swept away the shared sense of trust that the American public placed in its government, and exposed the institutional mismanagement inherent to federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Due to communication breakdowns between local, state and federal officials, inefficient deployment of critical resources and equipment, and a startling unwillingness to cooperate for the common cause of public safety, over 1,800 people lost their lives and more than $80 billion in property damage was incurred. The complex chain of events presented within Case Study 3.1, entitled The Katrina Breakdown, demonstrates both the sheer enormity of coping with such a destructive natural disaster, and the gross negligence displayed by the public officials charged with employing the means of disaster management. By comparing the various actions and directives of the five government officials †¦ who were criticized for their response to the disaster: New Orleans Mayor Ray C. Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, FEMA Director Michael Brown, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, and PresidentShow MoreRelatedHurricane Katrin The Worst Tropical Storm1512 Words   |  7 PagesHurricane Katrina can be described as the worst tropical storm to touch the United States. This catastrophic disaster occurred August 29, 2005 killing over 1800 people and causing billions of dollars in damages. Most of the damages were to homes, buildings, schools, and city infrastructure. 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Many with great impacts, however as far as hurricanes go, Katrina was one of the five the most dangerous and devastating hurricanes of U.S. history. On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United StatesRead MoreHurricane Katrina778 Words   |  4 PagesDatrel Johnson Professor Peter Johnson Geography 101 25 August 2013 Describe Hurricane Katrina Beginning in the 1950s, the United States have witnessed two Category Five Storms and seven Category Four Storms naming Hurricane Katrina as one of the most deadly Category Four hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina dismantled several sections of the levee which caused it to collapse. The storm then breeched the New Orleans’ levee system allowing Lake PonchartrainRead MoreNegative Essay : Hurricane Katrina1314 Words   |  6 PagesHurricane Katrina Imagine waking up one day, and you learn that you and your family are in terrible danger. You must pack your clothes, food, and irreplaceable items into a bag and get in your car and evacuate from the place you know and love. Where would you go? Unfortunately, this is the predicament many people faced during the last week of August, in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina was making its way into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina was a monstrous natural disaster that made landfall andRead MoreHurricanes and Earthquakes1652 Words   |  7 PagesHurricanes and earthquakes are two of the most dangerous natural disasters in the United States. They can be very disastrous and deadly. In the United States, there have been 73 hurricanes since 1954. Earthquakes are harder to detect because they have to have at least a magnitude of 5 (Earthquakes per year, 2009). The amount of earthquakes detected in the United States was 1656 in the past 10 years (Earthquakes per year, 2009). The World Meteorolog ical Organization is the organization that canRead MoreThe Mitigation Measures Necessary For Emergency Relief Measures1698 Words   |  7 Pagesdollars of damage done and close to a thousand lives lost. Now imagine that much of the outcomes of this disaster could have been averted if proper mitigation measures had been utilized. The mitigation measures necessary to prevent this disaster would have been a fraction of the cost spent on emergency relief measures. For many people in New Orleans this scenario was a reality when Hurricane Katrina happened. Hurricane Katrina caused one hundred and thirty five billon dollars in damage and the death