PHY-105 8-3 Critical Thinking Essay

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Geography

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Dec 6, 2023

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PHY-105 8-3 Critical Thinking Essay 2 Alexandra Kienzle New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This tropical storm occurred in 2005, killing more than 1,800 people and causing immense damage, over 160 billion dollars' worth (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia, 2023). This region was so heavily affected mostly due to flooding of the Mississippi River, Lake Borgne, and Lake Pontchartrain, failure due to storm surge and failure of the many reinforced embankments called levees put in place to prevent flooding. This is because most of the greater metropolitan area is below sea level. The flooding left those who did not evacuate trapped without adequate food, water, shelter, or sanitation. The population still has not recovered, with New Orleans population still 20% smaller than in 2000 (BBC, 2005). Hurricane Katrina also stirred up sediments contaminated with lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals and PAHs. These contaminated sediments came from urban soil in the city. This left long lasting dangers in the parts of the city that flooded (80% of New Orleans flooded) ( Plumlee, G. S., Foreman, W. T., Griffin, D. W., Lovelace, J. K., Meeker, G. P., & Demas, C. R., n.d.). Cleaning up these sediments will take a long time, but it is imperative to protect the citizens of New Orleans. New Orleans proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, plus the city’s lower elevation leaves it in a vulnerable position. The Mississippi River flows southwest through New Orleans into the Gulf of Mexico. Officials have noted that the levee systems of New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina were flawed. The levees were built to withstand a category three hurricane, but by the time it hit

New Orleans, Katrina was a category five (BBC, 2005). This is something they have worked to improve to make sure the city does not fall into ruin in the event of another powerful storm. Building durable levees and constantly updating preventative measures to the most modern methods is the best way to protect the city in the future. Educating the public on how to protect themselves and preparing emergency assistance programs are also essential steps to ensuring citizen safety. BBC. (2005, September 5). CBBC newsround | world | Katrina's effect on New Orleans . BBC News. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4200000/newsid_4204800/4204862.stm Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, March 27). Hurricane Katrina. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Katrina Plumlee, G. S., Foreman, W. T., Griffin, D. W., Lovelace, J. K., Meeker, G. P., & Demas, C. R. (n.d.). U.S. Geological Survey Publications Warehouse . Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1306/pdf/c1306_ch7_i.pdf

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