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