Hurricane Katrina Social Disaster Essay
analytical Essay
713 words
August 2005 marked an extremely devastating time for the citizens of New Orleans, Louisiana, after being hit by “one of the strongest storms to impact the coast of the United States” as described by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (Waple 1). The real destruction occurred only after the hurricane had passed though and the levees separating New Orleans from surrounding lakes were breached leaving over 80% of the city under water. Although it is easy to claim the failure in the levees could not have been anticipated, multiple authors beg to differ. Hurricane Katrina was “one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent US history” (Waple 5), but one must acknowledge that the government’s obvious disregard for the unstable levees in New Orleans and their poor handling of the aftermath made Hurricane Katrina a social disaster overall. The NOAA report published just months after Hurricane Katrina made landfall repeatedly compared and ranked Katrina with other major hurricanes and Katrina consistently appeared on the low end of the comparisons. For instance, at its peak Katrina “reached a minimum central pressure of 902 mb […] ranking 4th lowest on record for all Atlantic basin hurricanes” (Waple 5). Undoubtedly, the storm itself did cause a lot of damage, but in her firsthand account of surviving the storm, nurse practitioner Denise Roubion-Johnson recalls that the Monday after the storm had hit everyone still in the area believed they would be able to go home soon. None of the …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the government's disregard for the unstable levees in new orleans and their poor handling of the aftermath made hurricane katrina a social disaster overall.
- Analyzes how the noaa report published just months after hurricane katrina made landfall repeatedly compared and ranked it with other major hurricanes.
- Analyzes how michael eric dyson's "levees and lies" chapter of his book, "come hell or high water: hurricane katrina and the color of disaster" highlights how bush and his administration ignored the problem, leaving thousands of citizens at risk.
- Opines that hurricane katrina will always be remembered as an immensely devastating natural disaster, especially by those still struggling, 10 years later, to rebuild their lives.
It is important to acknowledge though that had the levees been attended to as they should have been, much of the tragedy caused by the flooding could have been avoided. The levees should not have breached, New Orleans should not have been flooded, countless lives should not have been
Let Our AI Magic Supercharge Your Grades!
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- explanatory
- argumentative
- Even though it is the responsibility of the federal and state governments to aid citizens during times of disaster, the people devastated by Hurricane Katrina were not effectively facilitated as according to their rights as citizens of the United States. The government’s failures to deliver assistance to citizens stem from inadequate protection systems in place before the storm even struck. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security were the two largest incumbents in the wake of the storm. The failure of these agencies rests on the shoulders of those chosen to head the agency. These directors, appointed by then president George W. Bush, were not capable of leading large government agencies through a crisis, let alone a disaster the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina. Along with the federal government, the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans did not do enough to lesseb the damage caused by the storm, and forced thousands of poorer citizens to remain in cramped and unsanitary conditions for extended periods of time. The culmination of federal, state, and local government’s failures in suppressing and repairing the damage of Hurricane Katrina to a level acceptable for citizens of the United States is a denial of the rights citizens of the United States hold.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the federal and state governments' failures in suppressing and repairing the damage caused by hurricane katrina are a denial of the rights citizens hold.
- Opines that hurricane katrina's damage could have been avoided if protection systems were installed to the proper extent.
- Analyzes how the federal government failed to provide the necessary resources to build protective infrastructure for u.s. citizens.
- Explains that the failure to adequately prepare for the storm led to increased and more widespread devastation, which harmed those living in the affected areas.
- Explains that the agencies put in place to protect citizens in the wake of a natural disaster failed in their efforts to ameliorate the damage.
- Explains that president bush's appointment of fema director michael brown was incapable of leading a large government agency through hurricane katrina. michael chertoff, director of homeland security until 2009, said that the largest problem was the lack of preparedness.
- Opines that the united states' failure to protect citizens from harm and assist them in the wake of hurricane katrina is a denial of the rights of those people.
- Cites canney, donald l., in katrina's wake: the u.s. coast guard and the gulf coast hurricanes of 2005.
- Opines that federal aid is criticized sharply by the washington times and the cdc foundation.
- Cites thomas, evan, holly bailey, richard wolffe, andrew murr, and keith naughton. rita's lessons.
999 wordsRead More - Hurricane Katrinaanalytical essayThere comes a time in the world where the outcome of certain events can cause a huge social change, one of those events is Hurricane Katrina. The events that took place prior to, during and after Katrina although impact only a few places physically it was left in the minds of everyone in the world. There were many actions that could have taken place to prevent the damage of such a catastrophic event, however nothing was done. Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 hurricane struck Louisiana and parts of the Mississippi. New Orleans in particular, due to various reasons received the most damage. Katrina first started off as a small hurricane formed in the Bahamas as it moved towards Louisiana and Mississippi it became a category 5, which is the strongest it can become, then decreased to category 3 once it finally struck. The storm caused an incredible amount of damage that Hurricane Katrina was noted as the most destructive and costly natural disaster in US history. The death toll was 1,836 people with 200 bodies left unclaimed as well as over 700 people unaccounted for. Hurricane Katrina was a source of social change as people have learned from the impact it had on the mind and body of the citizens of New Orleans, the mismanagement and lack of leadership the government showed, and the substantial immediate and long term economic damage it caused the country.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hurricane katrina, a category 3 hurricane struck louisiana and parts of the mississippi. the death toll was 1,836 with 200 bodies left unclaimed and over 700 people unaccounted for.
- Explains that hurricane katrina had a huge impact on the world and more specifically, new orleans.
- Explains that hurricane katrina caused elevated health and mental health difficulties among the survivors of the hurricane.
- Analyzes how the us government's mismanagement and lack of leadership in the relief effort, especially in new orleans, resulted in unnecessary risk and death.
- Analyzes how the government failed in managing and taking control of the situation prior to katrina, and during the hurricane the aftermath was handled no better.
- Explains that hurricane katrina devastated new orleans and the gulf coast, causing immediate and significant damage not only to that region's economy but to the countries as well.
1157 wordsRead More - Impact Of Hurricane Katrinaanalytical essayHurricane 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
In this essay, the author
- Explains hurricane katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters to happen in the united states. the hurricanes clockwise rotation pulled water from north of new orleans into the city.
- Explains that hurricane katrina changed the lives of the residence who lived there forever. the category 3 storm cost around us$135 billion in damages.
- Analyzes the decline in the population of new orleans after hurricane katrina.
- Analyzes how hurricane katrina added to the many push factors of new orleans such as high unemployment rates and poverty.
- Opines that the rate of recovery is slowing down due to the multiple push factors of new orleans and the pull factors or nearby states.
1195 wordsRead More - Hurricane Katrinaanalytical essayHurricanes are natural occurrences that cannot be prevented, only prepared for. The similarities between Hurricane Hugo and Katrina included their size and equally terrifying wrath. Both hurricanes were Category four, with winds that soared up to 160 miles per hour, and engendered intense flooding in the regions they hit. The adverse conditions of Hugo made it the most destructive hurricane to ever strike the United States north of Florida, and one of the costliest hurricanes with over seven billion dollars in damages. When Hugo landed directly in South Carolina, Charleston and Myrtle Beach sustained significant damage from storm surge; the impact was severe. Katrina’s wrath primarily affected New Orleans, causing massive flooding in the city. This catastrophic event nearly destroyed New Orleans, and is responsible for an estimated 80 billion dollars in damages. What makes these two hurricanes strikingly different, however, is the extent of their aftermath. These differences are portrayed clearly through the lack of preparation the government and its citizens displayed when faced with the horrors of Hurricane Katrina.
In this essay, the author
- Compares hurricanes hugo and katrina, describing their size and terrifying wrath. both hurricanes were category four and caused severe damage in south carolina and new orleans.
- Describes hurricane hugo as a tragic natural disaster that completely altered the lives of many people affected by it.
- Opines that south carolina is more susceptible to hurricanes than most other states, and that precautions and evacuation plans are essential to limit the extent of these disasters.
- Explains that hurricane katrina was a horrific natural disaster, but its aftermath was far beyond that of hugo.
- Analyzes how new orleans was affected by the federal government's inaction in preparing for a hurricane.
1268 wordsRead More - Hurricane Wiln The Causes And Effects Of Hurricane Katrinaexplanatory essayEarly in the morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale–it brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour–and stretched some 400 miles across. The storm itself did a great deal of damage, but its aftermath was catastrophic. Levee breaches led to massive flooding, and many people charged that the federal government was slow
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hurricane katrina formed over the bahamas on august 23, 2005, and by august 28, evacuations were underway across the region. new orleans was at particular risk.
- Describes how new orleans mayor ray nagin issued the city's first-ever mandatory evacuation order and declared the superdome as a "shelter of last resort" for people who couldn't leave.
- Describes how hurricane katrina overwhelmed the city's unstable levees and drainage canals. by 9 a.m., low-lying places like st. bernard parish and the ninth ward were under water.
- Explains that hurricane katrina was the most expensive hurricane that hit the united states ever, and the third strongest of the season, behind both hurricane wilma and rita.
- Explains how the government, including president george w. bush, was unprepared for katrina.
967 wordsRead More - Hurricane Katrina and the Collapse of the Leveesexplanatory essayHurricane Katrina was one of the most interesting and deadly hurricane to ever hit the United States. This hurricane devastated New Orleans and all of its inhabitants. This hurricane was especially devastating as New Orleans is 13 feet(3.9624 metres) below sea level. The government wasn’t prepared for the damage of New Orleans, and neither were the Levees. The Levee crash was one of the major causes of the flooding in New Orleans. The deaths and damages cost billions. After this storm many people didn’t want to move back to their home, New
In this essay, the author
- Describes hurricane katrina as one of the most interesting and deadly hurricanes to ever hit the united states.
- Explains how hurricane katrina ruined the precocious city of new orleans. the levee system was destroyed by the flooding rivers surrounding the city.
- Explains that katrina hit 90,000 square miles, and the levees collapsed because they were built for a category 3 hurricane.
- Describes how the us called out to its allied and many countries pledged to help new orleans and other cities that were impacted by katrina.
- Explains that hurricane katrina was one of the most interesting hurricanes of all time.
- Explains that hurricane katrina was a powerful tropical storm that tore through lives, new orleans and levees. it brought the entire world together, with the contributions of countries.
- Cites http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina and britannica/ebchecked.
793 wordsRead More - The Cause of the Devastation of Hurricane Katrinaargumentative essayThe historical event of Hurricane Katrina, a category three hurricane with winds ranging from 111-130 mph, in August 2005 revealed major structural failures in the levee systems of New Orleans. Though not all structural failures are as catastrophic, the breeched levees led to loss of life, homes, businesses, highways, and left a trail of destruction that is still being repaired today. The result of this failure led to lawsuits, conspiracy theories, and court cases. Hurricane Katrina had a major effect upon our country and those results are still rippling on today. Though a city once devastated, major improvements to the failed system have been made and leave the city feeling safe once again.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hurricane katrina, a category three hurricane with winds ranging from 111-130 mph, revealed major structural failures in the levee systems of new orleans.
- Explains that hurricane katrina flooded new orleans because of poor engineering, which could have prevented two thirds of the tragic flooding.
- Explains that after hurricane katrina, the congress ordered a congressional inspection of the federally build levee system. they discovered flaws in the actual engineering.
- Explains that once the speculations of a faulty levee system were proven correct, the blame fell upon the federal company of the u.s. army corps of engineering.
- Explains that the levees didn't follow design specifications, there were incomplete sections, surrounding soil gave way, substandard construction, and warning signs were ignored.
- Explains that sections of the wall that were incomplete and cracked prior to the hurricane were the first to fall. the safe load for the canals was designed to hold around fourteen feet of water flow.
- Explains that after hurricane katrina, many changes were made to the protection system. levees were reconstructed with deeper steel pilings, superior materials were used, and the overall construction designs were improved.
- Explains that thousands of lawsuits have taken place due to the effects of hurricane katrina.
- Concludes that hurricane katrina had devastating effects on the city of new orleans. they believe the blame was portioned correctly onto the heads of the engineers responsible for building the levees.
926 wordsRead More - Hurricane Katrinaexplanatory essayThe book, Hurricane Katrina, states that Katrina was, “the most destructive natural disaster to ever hit the United States”(Rodger 4). Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression in the southeastern Bahamas on the twenty-third of August. The next day, Katrina strengthened into a Tropical Storm. As it moved through the Bahamas, the storm strengthened, and when it hit Florida on the 25th of August, the Tropical Storm had become a category 1 hurricane. The storm weakened as it went through Florida, but regained its strength when it went through the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina became a category three storm on the 27th of August, and on the 28th it had strengthened to a category five with windspeeds over 170 mph. The storm landed in Plaquemines Parish, La. as a category 4 hurricane. As the storm moved northeast, New Orleans officials thought that they were in the clear. Little did they know, the levees holding both Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne were not strong enough to withstand the amount of water and storm surge from Hurricane Katrina. These levees broke and nearly 20 p...
In this essay, the author
- States that hurricane katrina was the most destructive natural disaster to ever hit the united states.
- Explains that new orleans suffered massive damage after hurricane katrina. many of the people that evacuated the city came home to their house destroyed. there was little that could be done immediately after the storm.
- Explains how military relief brought food and water to the victims and survivors of the hurricane, and how the levees were rebuilt.
553 wordsRead More - In a special report created by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (CHSGA) titled, HURRICANE KATRINA: A NATION STILL UNPREPARED, the three main...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hurricane katrina caused widespread, massive destruction throughout many central gulf coast states including louisiana, alabama, and mississippi.
- Explains that a nation can mitigate the effects of hurricane katrina by preparing for it. the governmental officials did not adequately prepare for this catastrophic event, failed to provide good leadership, and took insufficient actions and made poor decisions.
- Opines that the government was not prepared to respond to a catastrophic disaster.
- Analyzes how the lack of preparation and poor decision-making worsened the catastrophic effects of hurricane katrina.
- Explains that hurricane katrina revealed many flaws within the local, state, and federal government’s ability to respond to disasters.
1890 wordsRead More - Should We Abandon Louisiana Summaryanalytical essayIn the article “Should We Abandon Louisiana?” by Zack Kopplin of Slate.com, he writes about the recent flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Throughout the article, Kopplin highlights the detrimental effects of the flood as well as how the nation has refused to acknowledge the disastrous event. The flood left behind 40,000 destroyed homes along with victims “stranded on highways” or chest-deep in “water filled with venomous snakes.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to the disaster with an average check of about $10,000. This money would be able to provide aid but it would not help people rebuild their homes. Therefore, most of the flood victims were now homeless. Kopplin also gives examples of public figures ignoring Louisiana’s situation and even advocating against rebuilding New Orleans. Dennis
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how kopplin's article "should we abandon louisiana?" highlights the detrimental effects of the flood and how the nation has refused to acknowledge the disastrous event.
- Quotes holly yan and rosa flores from cnn.com about the devastating results of the flood and what the citizens of louisiana are going through.
- Opines that the recent flood in louisiana was terrible and needs more recognition. there is not enough help and media coverage going towards the event.
502 wordsRead More - When The Levees Broke Essayanalytical essayThe film “When the Levees Broke” of spike lee is a four part series covering the events that took place before and after the devastation of Katrina on New Orleans and its residents. In August 2005, New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina. People were unprepared for the disaster. As the city was flooding, levees safeguard failed the city, which caused the city to go underwater. In the film, part 1 shows hurricane Katrina and it’s impact. The flooding, rescue efforts and people trying to survive the disaster. Part 2 shows the aftermath with people that were evacuated waiting for help to come to the city. It was a very slow response to help and everyone was just waiting. Part 3 shows how people started to recover. Many hoped to return to their
In this essay, the author
- Explains that spike lee's film "when the levees broke" covers the events that took place before and after the devastation of katrina on new orleans and its residents.
- Analyzes how the film shows the massive failure of the government's response to hurricane katrina during the bush administration.
- Agrees with most of the opinions presented in the film. spike lee did an amazing job getting first-hand information from the people of new orleans that lived through hurricane katrina.
461 wordsRead More - Hurricane Katrina Levee Essayexplanatory essayThe catastrophic damage left by Hurricane Katrina resulted in the majority of New Orleans being engulfed in water with countless other complications. Katrina, despite being a level five hurricane, did not cause the flood but rather the levees breaching due to the water overtopping from the meteorological event. The reason for the levee breach was the fact that they were not built for a case like Hurricane Katrina even though they should have been. The levees were built to withstand level 3s and below but Katrina scored a 5 making the structure insufficient to face the storm (11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina). The Army Corp of Engineers were the people responsible for the construction of the site, maintenance and inspection so it goes without saying that they deserve the majority of the responsibility even though it was a matter of chance. The unsatisfactory endeavors by the Army Corp of Engineers prior to this event made the floods possible thus each one gave its own weight on
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hurricane katrina caused the levees breaching due to the water overtopping from the meteorological event. the army corp of engineers deserve the majority of the responsibility.
- Explains the army corp of engineers' history, which began on june 16, 1775, when america's president, george washington, designated the first engineer officers, creating the groundwork that would later develop into the organization of our nation.
- Opines that the usace's routine/ periodic inspection of the levees in new orleans (and everywhere else) led them to believe they knew what they could and could not handle.
- Explains that prior to hurricane katrina, there were multiple signs of potential problems pertaining to the levees inability to function in a level 3 or greater.
- Describes how the people of new orleans braced themselves for one of the worst natural disasters the nation has ever known.
- Explains that the usace prevented over $120 billion worth of damages but the impact of katrina made up an estimated $150 billion of loss.
1016 wordsRead More - The Impact Of Hurricane Katrina On New Orleansexplanatory essayThe category five hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 and many residents found themselves wholly unprepared for the devastation that it brought. The main factor that made Katrina so devastating was the structure of the levees that surrounded Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne. They did not hold up against the storm surge and, by collapsing, caused major flooding to the parts of New Orleans below sea level- which is most of New Orleans. Although the extent of the storm was uncertain, the mayor of New Orleans did issue a mandatory evacuation for the city the day before Katrina hit. The problem, though, was that tens of thousands of people couldn’t or wouldn’t evacuate, so once everything was flooded, they were stranded.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the levees that surrounded lake pontchartrain and lake borgne did not hold up against the storm surge and caused major flooding to parts of new orleans below sea level.
197 wordsRead More - Federal Response To Hurricane Katrinaanalytical essayFussell (2016) summarizes the effects Hurricane Katrina had on the people of New Orleans and the world. The article states how the world was watching helpless an entire city being flooded and the response was slow to help the citizens and the public. New Orleans has an extreme poverty level and most citizens depend on the transit system for transportation. The Ninth Percent which suffered the most damage is where the most people in poverty
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they searched for references for hurricane katrina, including dean b. ellis library, department homeland security, fema, emergency management, and failures.
- Analyzes the delayed response to hurricane katrina through the lens of knowledge management.
- Analyzes the role of the u.s. army corps of engineers in making the levee safety system, the failure of communication systems and the lesson learned from this disaster.
- Summarizes the effects of hurricane katrina on the people of new orleans and the world.
- Cites fussell, e., heller, d. s. and robertson, c.
1520 wordsRead More