Hurricane Katrina

• Katrina background

  • August 2005
  • category 5 storm
  • made landfall in Louisiana and Florida
  • wind speeds of 120mph
• Katrina secondary impacts

  • 2400 businesses in New Orleans closed down or went bankrupt
  • total damage of $125 billion which was the costliest disaster in US history
  • 1 year later only half the population had returned
  • 230,000 jobs lost due to destroyed businesses
  • criminal gangs roamed the streets looting homes, businesses and other crimes
  • evacuees relocated to different states causing social disruption
  • 30 offshore oil platforms destroyed leading to temporary rise in fuel prices
  • water borne disease spread due to contaminated water supplies
  • PTSD, anxiety, depression
• Katrina primary impacts

  • 1200 people drowned in floods
  • 1 million people homeless
  • 80% of New Orleans flooded
  • 44 oil spills - 7 million gallons leaked
  • 100,000 homes without power
  • 1.3 arces of forest destroyed costing $5 billion
  • flood waters covered New Orleans which contained sewage, chemicals, pesticides and bacteria which was pumped into lake Pontchartrain
  • 1836 people died
  • 154,522 houses destroyed
  • sea turtle breeding beaches destroyed
• Katrina causes

  • first formed as a tropical depression in Caribbean waters near the Bahamas
  • gained strength across the Gulf of Mexico which had unusually high sea surface temps so it gained strength
  • low wind allowed the storm to strengthen
  • high storm surge due to shallow waters along the coast
  • low topography made the area vulnerable to flooding
• Katrina short term responses

  • government provided $50 billion in aid
  • UK government sent food aid
  • US coast guard positioned helicopters and boats around areas likely to be affected
  • emergency shelters set up for 26,000 people
  • charities collected over $4 billion of donations from the public to provide aid
• Katrina long term responses

  • $105 billion from British Administration for repairs and reconstruction
  • $14.5 billion to strengthen levees and flood walls
  • road home programme provided grants to home owners
  • stricter building codes so structures are more resilient to storms
  • the coastal protection and restoration authority created climate resilient projects and restored wetlands which act as natural barriers