Introduction
The apocalyptic scenes following the destruction caused by one of the biggest disasters in American history, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, were a direct reflection of the U.S. government’s failure to prepare for and respond to such a natural hazard. The Hurricane came from the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005, immediately resulting in a Category 3 storm as winds reached the speed of over 120 miles per hour (Gibbens, 2019). The overall damage caused by the devastating aftermath of everything that followed is estimated to be worth $108 billion although the true loss is 1200 people who died as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina (Gibbens, 2019). Furthermore, the disaster highlighted the social-economic and racial divide in the United States as African-Americans from low-income communities was affected the most. Nicholas Lemann (2020), a columnist for The New Yorker, calls Hurricane Katrina not a natural disaster, but rather a man-made catastrophe. The flawed response of the federal government to the hazard uncovered several deep-rooted issues, particularly regarding the nation’s emergency management capabilities.
Impact
To grasp the effect the 2005 Hurricane has had on the nation, it is important to examine the official impact indicators. Thus, the damaged area of land was close to 90,000 square miles, with almost 300,000 homes destroyed as a result of the disaster (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2006). The unemployment rate in Louisiana has increased from 5.6 to 12.1 percent from August to September 2005 (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2006). More than 1.7 million were left without power after the tornadoes and storm, and 8 million of oil spilled were a result of the Hurricane as well (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2006). Moreover, the population of New Orleans has decreased three times from the year 2000 to 2006. Some argue that even 15 years later, Louisiana has still not recovered from the disaster, with certain public figures even suggesting the complete abandonment of New Orleans is needed to properly restore the city.
Timeline
Even though the official date of the Hurricane is August 29, 2005, there is a need to discuss the events that preceded it. On August 23-24, the early stages of a tropical storm are detected in the Bahamas, with it moving towards Florida and Nassau (Gajanan & Brait, 2015). On August 25, the storm concentrates and strengthens before arriving in Miami and being classified as Category 1 Hurricane. Although the Hurricane weakens as it crosses Florida, it strengthens within hours over the Gulf of Mexico, with both Mississippi and Louisiana declaring a state of emergency on August 26. A day after, Katrina doubles in size and is declared a Category 3 Hurricane (Gajanan & Brait, 2015). On August 28, the storm speeds up reaching as high as 175 miles per hour, which classifies it as a Category 5 Hurricane as it reaches New Orleans.
The failure of New Orleans’ levee system causes major flooding. On September 1-3, Louisiana and New Orleans, in particular, are faced with looting and other crimes as chaos emerges and hundreds of carjackings, shootings, and rapes are reported (Gajanan & Brait, 2015). On September 4, it is estimated that the around 27,000 National Guard troops are in Louisiana, and Clinton and Bush announced a Hurricane Fund. Evacuation and recovery efforts slow down after September 7 but continue for a couple of months after.
References
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (2006). Hurricane Katrina: A nation still unprepared. Web.
Gajanan, M., & Brait, E. (2015). Hurricane Katrina timeline – how the disaster unfolded 10 years ago.The Guardian. Web.
Gibbens, S. (2019). Hurricane Katrina, explained.National Geographic. Web.
Lemann, N. (2020). Why Hurricane Katrina was not a natural disaster.The New Yorker. Web.