Hurricane Katrina - storm case study

Overview

Key impacts

Repsonse

Mitigation measures

Key issues

New Orleans, USA - HIC but low income area

25% of households had access to a car, so couldn't evacuate.

23rd August 2005

Highly criticised for being too slow and ineffective.

People were left for 5 days with no food or water in the Louisiana superdome.

The flood levees system was not up to modern standards so bursted.

80% of the city was flooded

Around 2,000 people killed

Few mitigation measures

The national guard were ordered to treat looters ruthlessly

50% of land was below sea level

$200 billion in damage

10 metre high storm surge

25% of residents were poor

25% of households didn’t have a car so couldn’t evacuate

The public were told to evacuate too late

Unreliable flood defences

Nearly everyone left unemployed

Category 5 atlantic hurricane when it hit Louisiana and Mississippi.

Over 70 countries pledged monetary donations or other forms of assistance.

Diseases such as cholera spread

Hurricane warning was issued 3 days before the storm made landfall.

Storm strengthened by the warm water of the gulf of Mexico.

Though many ppl were evacuated, most of the poorest and most vulnerable were left behind.

Over 300,000 houses destroyed