Case Study 1 - Hurricane Katrina Flashcards
When
29 august 2005
Primary hazards (4)
200km/h
200-250 mm of rainfall
Storm surge of 8.5m in Mississippi
Category 3
Primary impacts (8)
Over 1000 fatalities - most in Louisiana
More than 1 million = refugees = displaced from their homes
75% stayed within 400kms of their homes
80% of New Orleans was flooded including 60% of houses (around half of which were too damaged to repair)
Over 1 million acres of forest lands were destroyed
Breeding grounds for marine mammals, brown pelicans, turtles and fish were lost.
Substantial beach erosion
What is it - statement
Costliest natural disaster
How it formed (3+)
Developed on 23rd as a low-pressure area over the Bahamas + tracked NW towards the tip of Florida
Then curved across the Gulf of Mexico towards Louisiana and New Orleans
The storm was upgraded to category 4
What led to category 5 + when (3)
On 28th
Sustained winds of 280km/hr
Gusts well over 300km/hr
Vulnerability (3++)
Original flood measures had caused soil shrinkage = 50% of the land below sea level
The system of levees was not constructed to modern standards = levees broke causing water from adjacent lakes to flood the city
Most of population of New Orleans left in private cars + school buses around 150,000 remained = mainly poorer citizens, mostly by choice
Short term responses (4)
President Bush declared a state of emergency on 27/8/05 in Louisiana + Alabama + Mississippi = 2 days before the storm was due to make landfall
On 28/8/05 the mayor or New Orleans ordered that the city be evacuated
The US Senate assigned $10 billion in the first week of September + $50 billion from Federal funds
Other countries responded = with Kuwait giving $500 million. India also sent tarpaulins, blankets, and hygiene kits
What went wrong - short term response (3)
The New Orleans Superdome was used as a sanctuary for people fleeing the hazard
Could not cope with the numbers that arrived
Conditions quickly became squalid and unsafe
Long term responses (3)
US has spent over $800 million on rebuilding flood defences = 220 miles of flood walls and levees were strengthened or replaced to reduce the risk of flooding
Congress provided $17 billion to rebuild damaged housing and infrastructure
FEMA arranged over 10,000 homes to be leased to displaced families
Reasons why couldn’t respond (6)
Lack of confidence in government to protect them
Lack of transport
Reluctance to leave uninsured homes and possessions
Lack of understanding of evacuation plans
Exstensive flooding
Economically unable
Evaluation of repossess (5)
Overall USA had capacity to cope
Super dome = fail
Highlighted racial divide
Widened inequalities and increased vulnerability = low income couldn’t recover
Low-income black communities were worse affected and emergency help wasn’t sufficiently targeted to meet their needs
Human vulnerability (3+)
Large densely populated city = 2300/km2
History of racial segregation – wealth inequality + impoverished communities
A major port
