Introduction
Hurricane Katrina was an extremely powerful and fatal natural disaster that occurred in the year 2005 that resulted in cataclysmic smash up of property and infrastructure and caused great loss of lives (Brennan, 2009, p. 7). It is on record as the costliest and also falls among the five most fatal hurricanes to ever hit the United States of America. In the group of the strongest such occurrences in the Atlantic Ocean, Katrina ranks sixth. The calamity resulted in the demise of up to one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six people with an approximated eighty-one-billion-dollar property loss (Spielman, 2007, p. 4). The damage caused by Hurricane Andrew of 1992 is just a third of this value.
Genesis of Katrina
The complicated origin of this hurricane intricate the interface of a wave from the tropics, the central troposphere loose ends from Tropical Depression Ten and a higher troposphere depression. This particular depression was positioned above the western Atlantic and the Bahamas (Spielman, 2007, p. 5). It resulted in a very powerful westerly cut off across Tropical Depression Ten that disintegrated on the August 14 of that year in the region of eight hundred and twenty-five n mi due east of Barbados.
From there the low level spread became weaker little by little as it advanced towards the west and finally frittered away on the 21 in the environs of Cuba. In the meantime, a mid troposphere flow arising from Tropical Depression Ten delayed behind and went through the northern part of the Leeward Islands on dates 18 and 19 (Spielman, 2007, p. 5).
A wave of tropic origin left the western shoreline of Africa on August 11 and went all the way through the Leeward Islands and fused with the middle troposphere remains of Tropical Depression Ten on date 19 and this resulted in an extensive region of showers down and electric storms in the north of Puerto Rico. This action kept on moving gradually in the direction of northwest, going through the northern Hispaniola and finally strengthened at eastern Turkey on the date.
The upper troposphere depression grew weaker in the course of its advancement to the west as it approached Florida (Spielman, 2007, p. 7). This trough got more structured above the region of central Bahamas on date 23. Profound temperature variation augmented suddenly in the eastern section of the cyclone and resulted in a distinct ring that began to encircle the northern part of the flow centre on the early hours of date 24.
At first, the storm advanced in to the North West contained by a weakness in the lesser troposphere semitropical edge. As it built up a central part and developed into a profound cyclone on date 24, it was subjected to regulation from a toughening central to higher troposphere edge over North of Mexico and the states to the south. This point twisted Katrina toward the west the following day. The hurricane brought about extreme temperature changes as the day progressed while in the Bahamas.
As the hurricane advanced toward south of Florida it was compelled to move in the southwest direction by the toughening edge above Mexico and the states in the south. It touched the land at first as a hurricane of Category 1. This was at Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The hurricane advanced in the south west direction within no time taking duration of around six hours on land (Saint-Saens, 2010, p. 12). Approximations of velocity of the hurricane showed that it actually waned as it went through solid ground Monroe County. The midpoint of Katrina then came out into the south eastern part of Mexico.
Once again over water, the hurricane strengthened. The midpoint of Katrina advanced in the south west direction over the Gulf of Mexico (Spielman, 2007, p. 9). At the same time, a powerful and sharp rain ring fell on extensive Florida accompanied with tough winds.
Preparations in response to Katrina
By the early date 26, the hurricane had developed into a Category 3 storm. Weather experts found out later on the same day that their prediction on how Katrina was to turn out was wrong. Regions under hurricane watch increased and they consisted of Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama (Center for Public Integrity, 2007, p. 4).
The United States Coast Guard was on high alert and positioned their experts with the required supplies at anticipated impact areas. By the 27th it became apparent that New Orleans was to be severely hit and thus the coast guard team had to evacuate with everybody else in the danger zone (Hartman & Squires, 2006, p. 8). Rescue airplane was mainly carried out from the state of Texas to Florida.
By this time, it was apparent that some areas like Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi were about to be hit by Katrina. The then US president, George W. Bush, had to declare an urgent situation in these regions.
Situations in various American regions during the calamity
Gulf Coast
On date 26, the state of Mississippi set in motion its regional guard in readiness for Katrina’s hit. The state administration also set into motion its disaster action center on date 27. By the 28th almost all counties had issued evacuation orders (Spielman, 2007, p. 13). More than fifty disaster shelters were set up for the coastal inhabitants.
City of New Orleans
By date 26, it had become apparent that the city of New Orleans lay straight in the centre of Katrina’s path. At first the probability of the city being hit lay at 17% but gradually increased as time went by (Spielman, 2007, p. 14). This was after computer simulations had diverted the hurricane’s path from Florida.
Some parts of New Orleans lie below the sea level and this made the situation graver than it seemed at first. The hurricane’s right-front storms were actually the most powerful, they were projected to be at velocities of about eight point five meters per second (Saint-Saens, 2010, p. 14). This definitely meant that the hurricane could go over the summits of dykes shielding the metropolitan, resulting in untold flooding.
By the 28th Katrina had grown to a Category five hurricane. Directives of compulsory evacuation were issued by the city mayor at that time, Mr. Ray Nagin. The administration also set up camps for those who could not vacate the city, where foodstuff and water was provided (Spielman, 2007, p. 15).
Florida
The inhabitants of the southern part of Florida were in the dark about the hurricane’s development up from a tropical storm in a period of just twenty-four hours. The southern part was the most hit in Florida on date 25 (Center for Public Integrity, ed, 2007, p. 10). The state’s governor at the time, Jeb Bush, had declared it an urgent situation the previous day. Emergency shelters were opened and schools and other public facilities were closed.
Impact of the hurricane
As projected, Katrina brought down several dykes in much of New Orleans, flooding up to eighty percent of the metropolitan. This occurred on date 29. It later came to be realized that the city’s flood gates had been left open during this period.
The hurricane gush also ravaged the coastlines of Mississippi and Alabama. The established bereavement toll from both straight and indirect impact from the storm stood at one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six people (Saint-Saens, 2010, p. 16). Louisiana took the lion share at one thousand five hundred and seventy-seven deaths followed by Mississippi at two hundred and thirty-eight. A figure of a hundred and thirty-five was grouped as missing.
National crisis pronouncements covered up a region of about two hundred and thirty-three thousand square kilometers. This was an extensive area equivalent to the United Kingdom. An approximated three million people were cut out from access to electrical energy.
Economic effects
These effects were extensive. The government at the time had to seek up to a hundred and five billion dollars for restoration of the hit areas (Brennan, 2009, p. 22). This did not account for dent to the financial system resulting from probable disruption of oil provision, damage of the Gulf Coast transport and communication channels and the export of various goods.
The hurricane tore down up to thirty oil platforms and led to the shutdown of nine fossil oil processing plants. The resultant halt in oil production from the Mexican Gulf was approximated to be twenty-four percent of the total yearly output and that of natural gas was eighteen percent (Brennan, 2009, p. 23).
In Mississippi, the forestry sector was to a great extent impinged on following the destruction of an estimated five thousand three hundred square kilometers of forest cover. This was about five billion dollars going down the drain. This meant that hundreds of thousands of inhabitants relying on this industry were left jobless, a further negative impact on the local authorities as they were to receive even fewer rates in the form of taxes. Prior to the calamity, this region held up an estimated one million non-farm occupations, with more than half of them in New Orleans (Hartman & Squires, eds 2006, p. 13). When all this is summed up, it projects a negative impact of over and above a hundred and fifty billion dollars for Mississippi and Louisiana alone.
The hurricane relocated over a million persons from the central Gulf coastline. It actually marked the greatest dispersion in the history of the United States of America. Houston in Texas had an upsurge of an estimated thirty-five thousand persons; Alabama got an increase of above twenty-four thousand with Baton Rouge and Louisiana gaining over fifteen thousand persons. Hammond in Louisiana more or less doubled its populace as an excess of ten thousand persons moved in. the region of Chicago welcomed an excess of six thousand individuals (Spielman, 2007, p. 20). Statistics carried out in the early 2006 showed that around two hundred thousand persons had re-settled in New Orleans. This figure was a lesser amount of half the people living there prior to the calamity. Shortly after mid 2006, population census showed a four point eight decline in Louisiana.
Another negative impact of Katrina is that regarding insurance firms. Most of them ceased insuring property holders in the areas especially around the coastlines due to soaring costs from hurricanes (Brennan, 2009, p. 30). Those operating have had to heave homeowner’s cover premiums in order to cover them. This is far beyond the reach of many.
Environmental effects
The impact of Katrina on the environment cannot be ignored. It caused quite extensive beach erosion and totally ravaged other such areas. In Dauphin Island, the grit that encompassed the barrier island was moved across the earth into Mississippi. The hurricane heave and accompanied waves also destroyed the Chandeleur Islands. Inspection carried out later by the US Geological Survey approximated that about five hundred and sixty square kilometers of land was converted to water by this catastrophe (Brennan, 2009, p. 31).
These lost grounds were propagation grounds for marine mammals and other animals like pelicans, ducks and turtles. Taken as a whole, over twenty percent of low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation was enduringly covered by water as a result of the hurricane. Katrina also led to the closing of sixteen wildlife sanctuaries.
Oil spills also were a result of the calamity as a total of forty-four plants in the south east of Louisiana being hit. About twenty-six million liters of the commodity went down (Brennan, 2009, p. 32). The majority of these spills were contained within their localities but an amount of the product got into the environment.
Before the hurricane had struck, cave in had resulted to erosion especially in the Louisiana wetlands. With these and the channels put up in the region, the hurricane had it easy causing the devastation it resulted in.
Looting and violence
Soon after Katrina moved away on date 30 a number of the inhabitants of New Orleans who had been left behind began looting businesses and other establishments in the city. A large number of them were in the search of foodstuff, water and other essential and non-essential commodities (Hartman & Squires, eds, 2006, p. 13). Several arrests were made in the affected regions with a provisional jail being set up.
Conclusion
Hurricane Katrina still remains the United States’ most expensive and deadliest natural calamity (Brennan, 2009, p. 34). It may have first began as a category 1 storm but quickly advanced to category five before it again subsided to category three before moving away. Its effects still remain fresh in the minds of those who had a feel of it.
Reference List
Brennan, V. (2009). Natural Disasters and Public Health: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 7-34.
Center for Public Integrity, ed (2007). City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina. Baton Rouge: LSU Press. 4-12.
Hartman, C. & Squires, G., eds (2006). There Is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster: Race, Class, and Hurricane Katrina. Routledge. 8-13.
Saint-Saens, A. (2010). Ordeal at the Superdome. Escaping Katrina’s Wrath. New Orleans: University Press of the South. 12-18.
Spielman, D. (2007). Katrinaville Chronicles: Images and Observations from a New Orleans Photographer. Baton Rouge: LSU Press. 4-20.