According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, tragedy is “a very bad event that causes great sadness and often involves someone’s death”. To me, a tragedy doesn 't have to involve death, but it can just involve heavy destruction or overbearing loss of something. Tragedy could be the loss of one 's self-purpose or the fall of one 's greatness. It could also be the struggle of one 's journey on the pursuit of happiness. No matter what someone 's definition of tragedy is, I believe we can all agree that 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the April 27th tornado are all terrible tragedies.
With all of the tragedies mentioned above came a cycle of recovering, rebuilding, and restoring. Each tragedy’s cycle varied on the depth of the damaged, but one thing
It was so sad, but I finally came to the conclusion that it was a warning to help people in the future. Yes, New Orleans and many more city/town areas were completely devastated, but what would have happened decades later if the affected areas were more populated and no one knew that the levees were defective. Could many more lives have been taken? Should we be thankful that the mistake was noticed and fixed sooner than later? I don 't know the answers to these questions, but to see so many people killed, hurt, and left with nowhere to go made my heart hurt. The government should have done more to help the people before and after. Maybe if the affected areas were evacuated earlier more people would have survived or maybe if the government had better plans for a catastrophe more people could have gotten saved afterwards. These are the questions that haunts me about the situation, so I hope that the government is striving to learn from their mistakes and create a
I was affected by the tornado and to be honest I didn 't know much about it until I got to the University of Alabama. I lived in Presidential Village I on campus my freshman year and there in one of the lobbies was a type of memorial. The memorial consisted of wood pulled from the devastation of the tornado and water running in front of it. It is quite beautiful, but it is unmarked so it is defaced often because no one knows its significance. I proposed to have a memorial plaque posted there with the six students that were lost on that devastating day. Even though it never happened, the importance of ensuring students safety during tornadoes is still bothering me. At the Capstone, we pride ourselves in saying that we have over 30,000 students, but what is being done to ensure their safety. Tornados are reoccurring events in our area. We should take precautions to shelter our students properly, so they can not only be safe but feel like the university is actually caring about their well-being. I remember back in 2014 when we had a tornado in Tuscaloosa, the students were not given much notice to leave their classes and take shelter. Also, the students that decided to stay on campus to take shelter did not have proper shelter or guidance of what to do and where to go. Some of the students were released from the “safety” of the University’s Recreation center just about 10 minutes
In the late summer of 2005, a terrible tragedy occurred that changed the lives of many in the south-east region of the United States. A Category 3, named storm, named Hurricane Katrina, hit the Gulf Coast on the 29th of August and led to the death of 1,836 and millions of dollars’ worth of damage (Waple 2005). The majority of the damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana. Waple writes in her article that winds “gusted over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye” (Waple 2005). Not only was the majority of the damage due to the direct catastrophes of the storm but also city’s levees could no longer hold thus breaking and releasing great masses of water. Approximately, 80% of the city was submerged at sea level. Despite the vast amount of damage and danger all throughout the city, officials claimed that there was work being done to restore the city of New Orleans as a whole but many parts, and even the people, of the city were overlooked while areas of the city with higher economic value, and more tourist traffic, were prioritized along with those individuals.
America’s response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was stress, heartache, and emptiness from the loss of everything that some of them owned. It caused devastation to the people who lived there, because they lost their homes, as well as family members on this terrible day. Some Americans felt like they were not treated fairly by several organizations and first responders. People were not prepared for the amount of disaster that struck on that day.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters to happen in the United States. The storm resulted in more then US$100 billion in damage when the cities flood protection broke and 80% of the city was flooded (1). The protection failure was not the only cause for the massive flooding, the hurricanes clockwise rotation pulled water from north of New Orleans into the city. 330,000 homes were destroyed and 400,000 people from New Orleans were displaced, along with 13,00 killed (1). Although the population quickly recovered, the rate of recovery slowed down as the years went on leading us to believe not everyone
New Orleans by far felt the biggest effect of Hurricane Katrina. Many people were rescued but had nowhere to go and the government was not prepared for the disaster. There was no plan for recovery. Communication failures were one of the major problems which included power failures and broken telephone lines. Homes were destroyed and many were left stuck on the roof of their broken homes. Most of the city’s major roads and buildings suffered extensive damage. Countless people were left unemployed and homeless. Above all, the worst effect caused by Hurricane Katrina was the final death toll of 1,836 people with 705 still reported
Although a considerable amount of the blame has been placed at the feet of FEMA, it should be understood that multiple factors contributed to the situation in New Orleans. Some sections of the levees had been poorly constructed, and were not properly maintained. Local agencies failed to adequately plan and prepare of such an event. Local officials waited too long to order an evacuation, and did not consider how to assist those citizens who lacked the financial resources evacuate on their own. (1,24)
Hurricane Katrina left a devastating scar on the citizens of the southern coast of the U.S., especially New Orleans, Louisiana. The category 5 hurricane was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the most deadly. Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29th, 2005 and after that day, 66,000 people were displaced from their homes. Of those who decided to ride out the storm with hopes of success and survival as they had experienced with other storms, they were found on their rooftops, in their attics, hoping for boat or helicopter rescue, relying on others for help to survive. The storm had reached 28,000 square feet inward to Louisiana, which was 60 percent of the state. 1,100 Louisianans lost their lives, and 200,000 were displaced and/or lost their homes (Davis 8). It was a devastating time of despair and suffering. People were put through experiences that would scar them for a long time. While preparing for evacuation, people left most of their belongings at home to flee to a safer city or to find shelter in the Superdome and Convention Center. Some even decided to remain in their boarded up homes. After the hurricane had past, a few hours went by and a levee located near the Mississippi River canal broke leaving New Orleans flooded (Delisi). After the disaster, the state and federal governments were pointing fingers at each other as to who was to blame for the poorly planned evacuation and rescue efforts for the victims. The state government promised to help evacuate those who could not transport themselves. Citizens were told to go to the Superdome and convention center for evacuation, but the supplies needed for survi...
On August 29, 2005, the third strongest and biggest hurricane ever recorded in American history hit the Gulf Coast at eight o’clock a.m. The interaction between a tropical depression and a tropical wave created a tropical storm later referred to as Hurricane Katrina (FAQS, 2013). Forming over the Bahamas, Hurricane Katrina gradually strengthened as it moved closer and closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Recorded on August 28th, 2005, Katrina jumped from a category three storm to a category five storm with maximum sustained winds up to 160 miles per hour. Although other hurricanes, such as Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Wilma, exceeded Katrina, this dominant storm was classified as the fourth most intense hurricane based its pressure capacity. Once Hurricane Katrina hit land, it was pronounced as a category four storm moving slowly. While people thought that the slow speed of this storm prevented trauma, records show that Katrina did more damage than any fast-moving storm could have ever achieved (Solanki, 2013). Katrina produced abundant debris. The debris was in such large quantity that if it was stacked together on a football field, the rubble would reach the elevation of ten and a half miles. The size of Katrina also caused 90,000 square miles to be affected. Once proclaimed a category three storm, Hurricane Katrina slowed to the speed of 155 miles per hour. At this point in time, Katrina proved to be the sixth most prevailing hurricane traced in history. (Solanki, 2013). Several different aspects of life were impacted by Hurricane Katrina such as availability of gasoline, economic issues, and the ability to have an adequate supply of drinking water (Solanki, 2013). Hurricane Katrina was a large storm ...
According to “weatherwizkids.com”, “A hurricane is an enormous storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters” (Weather Wiz). Scientists can usually predict a hurricane 's path 3-5 days in advance. Why didn’t President Bush warn the citizens of New Orleans about the disaster that was heading in their direction? Hurricane Katrina was the fifth hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the costliest natural disaster, and the deadliest hurricane in the history of the United States. The final death toll was at 1,833, primarily from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (266). More than half of these victims were senior citizens. Millions of citizens were left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. Katrina was the most catastrophic storm to strike the United States and the costliest storm in U.S. history, causing $108 billion in damage. Who is to blame for the mass destruction of the city of New
Hurricane Hugo was a tragic natural disaster that completely altered the lives of many people affected by it. In 1989, the year I was born, my parents and I lived on an oceanfront lot in Myrtle Beach. When Hugo struck, most of the city was flooded, with some areas under twenty five inches of water. A clear evacuation plan was presented, which most of the city’s residents followed, traveling north to Greenville. When we returned to our house, we found nothing but rubble and debris piled up in twelve inches of salt water. The President flew to the areas affected by Hugo to view the devastation, and immediately gr...
It suggested that hurricane Katrina was not a natural disaster, but a disaster that was caused directly by our own government on both local and federal levels. The film wasn’t easy to watch because it showed how people’s lives were destroyed. I felt both anger and sadness while watching the film. There is no doubt that the people in New Orleans were mistreated during hurricane Katrina, and many of them are still living the consequences today. The film covered people from all races, backgrounds and income levels who spoke about the disaster through their own experiences and how it has personally affected them. There were profanity, racial slurs and many frustrations. There were also prayers and music.There was a lot of blame to go around with Hurricane Katrina, but the people of New Orleans showed strength in the face of the disaster. Throughout the film, people talk about the difficulties that they face after Katrina. It was surprising to see that people waited 4 months and longer in some areas for FEMA trailers. In this regard, the film was an eye opener of the lack of support of our own government in New Orleans. While watching the film, I learned about the spirit of New Orleans. It is such a unique place because of its people and culture.
A tornado struck Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011 at around 5:40 pm. With a population around 50,559, it killed 161 people and injured approximately 1,100 people. The cost was an estimated $2.8 billion in damage. The American taxpayers had to give about $500 million in recovery money. This made it the deadliest tornado since 1950, which was when modern recordkeeping began. Since it was an EF5 tornado, it destroyed everything in its path. The city was ruined with only piles of debris left. It was a half-mile wide when it hit Joplin and grew to three-quarters of a mile wide. It destroyed nearly 7,000 homes in Joplin and damaged hundreds more. It covered over 1,800 acres of land. The warnings that the Joplin residents received were through three different ways. The tornado warning that was sent out for Joplin’s county was from Jasper County Emergency Operations Center (JCEOC) and they claim that the first siren went off at 5:11 pm. Two other warnings for the Joplin residents was they saw the tornado heading their direction, and the media coverage which was all local electronic media switched to wall-to-wall coverage seeing live footage of the tornado.
Every year many natural disasters happen around the world. In New Orleans, and several other states, a devastating hurricane struck. High speed winds and major flooding caused many people to lose their homes and even their lives. Many people have heard of hurricane Katrina, but not everybody knows what caused it and the affect it had on the United States.
All over the world hundreds of disasters happen every year, no matter how big or how small they are, they can effect a community somewhere and can cause mutilation. A disaster is defined as “a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane that causes great damage or loss of life” (“Disaster”, n.d) and from these disasters we get many risks. Risks are what come from a natural disaster, for instance a hurricane. A hurricane is “a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts” (“Canadian Hurricane Centre”, 2013). A hurricane can cause serious danger, harm and loss of either personal belongings or life. Hurricane Hazel, a storm that hit the Toronto are, was a huge storm for Canada which many Canadians
Tragedy comes in many forms, for example earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes are all types of tragedies. On the other hand, when talking about tragedy in literature, it has a whole different meaning. Tragedy in literature is on a smaller scale than things like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. In literature tragedy is usually about one person and the horrible things that happen to them during their life in a story or play.
...he government of Louisiana soon came up with new criteria on how future structure should be built to withstand more natural disasters like these. Not only knowing basic information, knowing how to prepare, and seeing how Hurricane Katrina was so destructive should help the forty five million citizens that live on hurricane prone coastlines prepare for anything like this in the future.