Hurricane Katrina

• Extreme weather is when weather significantly differs from the usual weather pattern
• Hurricane Katrina hit landfall on 29th August 2005 and became one of the most expensive natural disasters in the history of the USA
• Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on people:

  • Death: Over 1,800 people died
  • Homeless: Over 500,000 people were listed as homeless
  • Water: Drinking water was contaminated by sewage for 5 months
  • Electricity: 3 million people were left without access to an electricity supply
  • Education: 18 schools were destroyed and another 74 were badly damaged
  • Jobs: Local people lost around 230,000 jobs as a direct consequence of the hurricane, putting factories and businesses out of business
  • Health: Many health hazards were caused by dirty water and unclaimed dead bodies
  • Law: Looting took place in many areas, and the US National Guard had to be called up to keep the peace
• Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on property:

  • Flooding: The damage cost over $108 billion, with over 80% of New Orleans flooded
  • Housing: Over 1 million houses were damaged along the Gulf coast, with 300,000 homes destroyed by the flood
  • Debris: Some debris caused by the flood could still be found in New Orleans over 5 years later
  • Rebuilding: Rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina continues today