Pre-Existing Issues: The Katrina Crisis

Hurricane Katrina happened fours after the 9/11 attacks and three years after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Despite the increased attention to homeland security, the response to Hurricane Katrina was still a failure. The poor response came from a failure to manage several risk factors. It was stated that it was long considered that the risks of a hurricane hitting New Orleans and there was a warning of the hurricane so declarations, announcements, etc. were made days in advance. However, responders failed to change this data into a level of preparation that would be appropriate with the capacity of the approaching hurricane.

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage and flooding in Mississippi, Louisiana, New Orleans and areas in between. It destructed the lives and homes of thousands of people, with a total of 1,883 fatalities (Hurricane Katrina Statistics Fast Facts, 2015). Hurricane Katrina left many homeless and hospitals unprepared for the challenges posed to the healthcare system as a whole. Some of these challenges included gaining access to healthcare facilities, providing expedited care to those most in need, and preventing spread of disease that commonly occurs during natural disasters. Many facilities did not evacuate in time and many were left stranded in flooded waters as patients conditions worsened and access to essential medications and treatments became limited.

time of crisis by R. David Paulison, who unlike Brown, has had a career focused on disaster

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The results were catastrophic. Katrina and storm-related flooding took more than 1,800 lives and caused an estimated $81 billion in damages. In the storm’s aftermath, there was widespread debate over government response to the disaster. I believe that the bulk of the responsibility lay with the state and local governments. They should have been better prepared ahead of time and had more comprehensive plans in place to minimize danger to citizens. The national government has traditionally only sent its military into a state at the request of that state’s governor. The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi did not immediately request that action (Fraga, L.

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New Orleans took precautions to keep the city safe in the event of a future hurricane. The new buildings reconstructed after the destruction of the hurricane were built to be flood resistant (“After the Disaster”). Many of the new houses were being renovated to be higher off of the ground than previous homes in a like manner (“After the Disaster”). This was to prevent equivalent damage from flooding to occur in the future. Another effect of the levee problems that made Hurricane Katrina much worse was that the city installed more and stronger flood barriers to keep the city free of flood waters (“After the Disaster”). The Department of Health and Human Services sent multiple medical supplies to health professionals so they are prepared for the future as well (“Bush”). The city of New Orleans learned so much more about their city after the hurricane hit. They learned how close of a community they lived in. The amount of people that stepped in to help the city in its time of need was enormous. New Orleanian people received help from many organizations, including: The Social Security Administration, The Department of Labor, the Postal Service, and many others (“Bush”). In a like manner, the president at the time, George W. Bush, intervened and cared for the city of New Orleans when they needed it. He gave the city hope and motivation to get back onto its feet. President

As the Gulf States begin the massive task of reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina, the nation is actively engaged in a dialogue concerning the lessons learned from this catastrophe, and the best options moving forward. Many are asking whether the aid package and policies proposed by President Bush are the right approach to rebuilding and restoring the region. While the hurricane shines a much needed spotlight on a number of societal issues, it is crucial that programs initiated in the storm¡¦s aftermath have the desired effect¡Xnot just regionally, but on a national scale. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has raised other, more general public policy issues about emergency

During times of extreme poverty and inequality more attention is provided to those in hardship. A prime example of this is New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. Before the hurricane hit the only time I had hear of New Orleans was if someone was speaking about doing down to Mardi Gras. The people affected by the hurricane lost a lot. Many lost their homes, tangible possessions stored in their homes, animals, and some lost their lives. Hurricane Katrina was a huge devastation to the country, but many survivors say they did not get adequate supplies, shelter, food, or support (Lee, S, 2006).

Many people acted gallantly after Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard, rescued nearly 34,000 people in New Orleans alone, and everyday citizens commanded boats, offered needed supplies including food, and did whatever else they could do to help the ones in need. But, the government seemed to be caught off guard from this disaster. The FEMA took days to authorize operations in New Orleans, and even then did not seem to have a guaranteed plan. Officials, along with President George W. Bush, seemed oblivious to the extravagance of problems and suffering New Orleans and elsewhere.

Being able to identify the areas of mistakes during hurricane Katrina made it possible for better planning for future disasters. Using the four key elements of emergency response allows for State, local and the federal government to better prepare for any disaster or terrorist attack. Many mistake were made during the Katrina disaster and being able to develop better training, communication, the use of resources and planning in the future will prevent a catastrophic disaster from resulting in the loss of so many lives.

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, also known as Katrina, made landfall along the Gulf Coast. It hit states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As of today Hurricane Katrina is one the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the United States. In total Katrina caused over one hundred billion dollars worth of damage. It left people homeless, starving, and in some cases dead. New Orleans, Louisiana was hit the hardest, “New Orleans will forever exist as two cities; the one that existed before that date, and the one after.” Even over a decade later, the effects of Hurricane Katrina can still be felt as the south continues to rebuild their lives and return to some normalcy.

Natural disasters always bring many property damages, casualty and countless people who lost their home and all their belongings. "On May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin, Missouri was impacted by an EF-5 tornado. There were 158 deaths with over a thousand injured as a result of the tornado". Hurricane Katrina has been a good example as a warning on how the agencies as FEMA should have been handling the disasters. There were complaints from the survivors to the government, FEMA and other organizations that were involved in the rescue. Throughout the years, FEMA, the government, and some non-profit organizations have been working on the solution from the lesson of Hurricane Katrina and trying to minimize the casualty and property damages in the

Hurricane Katrina is infamous: the storm that buried the vibrant city of New Orleans under up to sixteen feet of water. Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster, but the crimes committed against the storm’s survivors in the months prior, setting them up for devastation, were the true tragedies. Not only were the citizens of the Big Easy neglected pre-Katrina, but they remained on the back burner of the federal government for days after the storm hit. Citizens of New Orleans - who had just been put through one of the worst natural disasters the United States had ever seen - were treated like animals, or foreign refugees seeking sovereignty in the US. They were not treated with the common decency an American citizen deserves, but why did this happen? The answer is simple, because the politicians on all levels, before, during, and after the storm, neglected the citizens that trusted them. City, State, and Federal government officials incorrectly used funds that had been allocated for disaster relief, and to the repair of the levees for many years leading up to the disaster. Because of this corrupt behavior, the people of New Orleans were caught in a very unnatural disaster to accompany the storm. The low class citizens of New Orleans were hit with unparalleled injustices. The atrocities committed against these innocent people was no less than a war waged against them, but the

In the presence of a natural disaster it is the initial response usually comes local government and its emergency services, of course this will incorporate the help needed by volunteer agencies and eventually state agencies when disaster like Hurricane Katrina presents itself. That being said, there are critical components that are associated with Hurricane Katrina are the unpreparedness, vulnerability, and the inadequate polices of the situation.

The catastrophic Hurricane Katrina began on the morning of August 23, 2005. The deadly tropical storm began at approximately 5:00 PM as a Category 1 hurricane in the Bahamas, but by the morning of August 29, it grew from the south and up north into the states of Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, New Jersey, Arkansas, New York, and Pennsylvania in the United States, as well as the provinces of Ontario, and Quebec in Canada. The worst of the damages seemed to be from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, with a total of 1,836 casualties overall. It is estimated that this hurricane caused over $108 billion in damages, left 15 million homeless, and at least 135 people still missing to this day.