
Hurricane Katrina
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![]() Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane that hit the United States in August 2005. It was one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States, causing the deaths of at least 1,836 people and leaving behind an estimated $81 billion in property damage.
Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. When it crossed southern Florida, it was a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding before moving on and strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Read more about 'Hurricane Katrina'When Katrina made its second landfall in southeast Louisiana on the morning on Monday, August 29, it was a Category 3 storm that had weakened substantially. However, it caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge.
New Orleans suffered the most severe loss of life from the storm. The city’s levee system failed causing severe flooding that left more than 80 percent of the city and surrounding areas underwater for weeks afterward. Coastal areas including Mississippi beachfront towns also suffered massive property damage as floodwaters reached six to 12 miles inland from the beach.
Hurricane Katrina caused significant beach erosion that transformed more than 200 square miles of land to water, thus adversely affecting the habitats of various species such as brown pelicans, turtles, Mississippi sandhill cranes and Alabama Beach mice. Massive oil spills were caused throughout Southeastern Louisiana that resulted in leakage of 7 million U.S. gallons of oil. Nearly 1.3 million acres of forest lands were destroyed causing a loss of $5 billion to the forestry industry. As nine oil refineries shut down and roads and highways were destroyed, local economy took a turn for the worse.
More than seventy countries pledged help in terms of monetary donations or other assistance. Donations from corporations amounted to $409 billion in September 2005. Various non-governmental organizations including the American Red Cross, Oxfam, Habitat for Humanity and Salvation Army also supported the relief efforts. The Coast Guard and Armed Service played an active role in evacuating and assisting victims of the disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also provided housing assistance to thousands of residents who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. National Guard personnel came from all over the country to assist in the relief efforts.
The government received much flak for its response to Hurricane Katrina. Lack of leadership in relief efforts and mismanagement of the crisis situation were two of the main points of criticism leveled at the government. Images of stranded residents, struggling for food, water and shelter emerged in the media, further exacerbating the situation. Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans and Lousiana Governor Kathleen Blanco also came under fire for failing to implementing the New Orleans evacuation plan. Questions were also raised about emergency management, poverty and environmental policy.
Sources:
Text by Lakshmi Jagad
(Photo Wikimedia Commons)
Articles about Hurricane KatrinaMon, Mar 12 2012 at 10:17 AM EST Actor and comedian co-host massive fundraiser to benefit the green rebuilding of New Orleans Lower 9th Ward. Mon, Mar 12 2012 at 9:00 AM EST As Make It Right passes the halfway mark with 76 affordable green homes built in New Orleans, the foundation throws a fundraising fête to help ensure that the remaining 74 are completed by the end of 2013.Wed, Dec 14 2011 at 3:35 PM EST A New Orleans hospital has seen a 1.3 percent increase in heart attacks since Katrina, despite doctors expecting the number to drop after 2007.Fri, Sep 02 2011 at 2:48 PM EST Oil companies begin evacuating workers from rigs in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of what forecasters say could be a powerful and dangerous storm.Mon, Aug 29 2011 at 12:13 PM EST Hurricane Irene was bigger than Hurricane Katrina, but not stronger.Fri, Aug 26 2011 at 5:26 PM EST When crisis hits, the jokesters come out of the woodwork. Here is what to expect.Mon, Jun 20 2011 at 1:49 PM EST Hyatt Regency New Orleans and Make It Right join forces to achieve foundation’s goal to build 150 sustainable homes in hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward. Wed, May 18 2011 at 11:30 AM EST Actor and humorist-turned-documentarian blames structural flaws and mismanagement.Tue, May 10 2011 at 10:15 AM EST An abandoned home in New Orleans is transformed into a interactive art installation where passersby are invited to pick up a piece of chalk and share what they'd like to see and do before kicking the bucket. Sun, May 01 2011 at 9:14 PM EST The Obama administration is trying to show an effective response to the deadliest U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina.
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