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Hurricane Katrina is one of the worst disasters that ever happened on the territory of the United States, and the magnitude of the damage that it has caused is nearly impossible to measure. It is necessary to note that this catastrophe has led to numerous economic and social problems.
The hurricane began to form on August 23 near the Bahamas. It was considered as a Category 5 windstorm according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. But it needs to be said that it weakened, and it was only a Category 1 hurricane when it entered the territory of the United States, and scientists even called it a tropical storm. However, it started to gain strength and was a Category 5 storm once again with a speed of 175 mph. The fact that it was taken in by a frontal zone is also essential (Zimmermann par. 6).
The damage to the cities that were affected is simply enormous, and some of the consequences can still be seen to this day. It is viewed as a huge tragedy because close to 1800 individuals died (Getis, A., Bjelland, and Getis V. 75). Many individuals were displaced, and some were considered missing. It has done $108 billion in damages, and such tremendous losses for the country cannot be disregarded (Zimmermann par. 2).
Numerous towns were devastated, but New Orleans has been impacted the most. The biggest issue that needs to be noted is that the barriers that were used to control Lack Pontchartrain and Mississippi River were destroyed because of the pressure (Getis, A., Bjelland, and Getis V. 75). The economy of the region has suffered, and numerous individuals could not find jobs. Flora and fauna have also suffered, and agriculture had to deal with severe losses. The property was severely damaged, and businesses had to be closed. Issues with public health also should be noted. The problem is that most citizens could not get adequate help from professionals, and most were forced to leave New Orleans.
It also needs to be said that numerous individuals became homeless because of the flood, and the help of the government was essential. Nearly 134,000 buildings were damaged because of the hurricane, and some of them were almost impossible to repair. Most of the houses were under the water, and some valuable information is now impossible to restore because data servers and documents were destroyed. Most people that had to experience this disaster were also traumatized.
The demography of the city also faced some changes, but it needs to be said that the population has been steadily increasing over the last few years because many view it as a region with enormous potential (Nowakowski par. 10). However, some of the neighborhoods were not able to regain the population they had before this disaster, and there are nearly empty ones. It is also important to say that some towns such as Waveland in Mississippi have also suffered an incredible amount of losses, and most of them are still not rebuilt even after all these years. Overall, the impact of the windstorm is astounding, and it has affected a vast number of cities.
It is highly necessary to understand the measures that should be taken to prevent such catastrophes in the future. It is important to say that the government has already made some changes that are focused on the issues that are present. Levee system has been significantly improved, and the height of barriers has been increased. It is essential to monitor the state of the infrastructure, because it has been noted that some of the sections of the system were eroding, and it is one of the primary reasons that have led to the catastrophe that happened (Angelle par. 7).
Emergency management is also critical because many accidents could have been prevented if more resources were devoted to rescuing. An enormous number of people were not evacuated, and it could have been done with public vehicles such as buses. Issues with communication also should not occur. It is important to provide citizens with all the necessary information about hurricanes and the course of action that needs to be taken in particular situations needs to be explained. The fact that there are numerous sources of news such as social media that have been recently introduced is also critical because people may now get the latest updates about the situation in a convenient manner.
In conclusion, it is necessary to understand the dangers that are associated with hurricanes, and it is a responsibility of society to make sure that disasters like this one can no longer happen. Some anti-hurricane technologies have been developed, but it is important to understand that they need improvement and do not guarantee the safety of the population. Overall, it is imperative to say that some cities are still vulnerable to such disasters, and it is important to take all the necessary measures that would help to address this issue.
Works Cited
Angelle, Amber. What If Hurricane Katrina Hit New Orleans Today? Livescience. 2010.
Getis, Arthur, Mark Bjelland, and Victoria Getis. Introduction to Geography. 14th. ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print.
Nowakowski, Kesley. Charts Show How Hurricane Katrina Changed New Orleans. Nationalgeographic. 2015.
Zimmermann, Kim A. Hurricane Katrina: Facts, Damage & Aftermath. Livescience. 2015.
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