Climatic Hazard in an MEDC - Natural Hazards

Question 1

• name of disaster
• location
• facts (5)

Answer 1

• Hurricane Katrina
• USA
• hit New Orleans on 29th August 2005 as a category 4 storm
• the storm peaked at category 5
• formed off South-eastern Bahamas on 23rd August
• intensified as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico
• hurricane-force winds extended for 193km from the centre

Question 2

• primary and secondary impacts (3)

Answer 2

• 300,000 houses were destroyed —-> over 400,000 people were made homeless, mainly from poor inner city areas St Bernard’s Parish and Lower Ninth Ward, which led to racial outcry
• I-10 bridge, main route into New Orleans, collapsed —-> people began looting to get food since supplies couldn’t get in easily, causing the National Guard to be mobilised to keep the peace
• Levées and flood walls around the Mississippi and canal system were breached in 53 different places due to the storm surge of 10-28 feet —-> 3m deep floodwater submerged over 80% of the city

Question 3

• reasons for severity (3)

Answer 3

• levées breached (on impacts card)
• 28th August 1.2 million people in Louisiana were issued with evacuation orders so 70-80% of the city were evacuated, thus reducing the death toll (still over 1800)
• New Orleans Regional Transit Authority didn’t deploy buses or trains to evacuate the 100,000 people without personal transportation

Question 4

• short-term response (2)

Answer 4

• Louisiana Superdome used as an evacuation centre with supplies for 15,000 people but 30,000 people showed up, which lead to crime and rape
• over 50,000 people were rescued by the coastguard and airforce from their roofs or houses

Question 5

• long-term response (3)

Answer 5

• $75 billion spent on rebuilding
• 220 miles of flood walls and levées were strengthened or replaced
• HUD and FEMA arranged for over 10,000 homes to be leased to displaced families