1st September 2005
Fortunately some people left before Hurricane Katrina hit the city. Others were caught out by the intensity of the hurricane, as 140mph winds blew out windows and left a trail of wreckage.
Hurricane Katrina formed when strong clusters of thunderstorms drifted over the warm ocean waters. The very warm air from the storm and the ocean surface combined and began to rise. This gradually created low pressure at the surface. Trade winds blew in opposing directions and caused the hurricane to start spinning. Consequently, the rising warm air caused pressure to decrease at higher heights. The air rose faster and faster to fill the low pressure, in turn drawing more warm air off the sea and taking in the cooler, drier air downwards. As the hurricane moved over the ocean it picked up warm, moist air. As a result wind speeds started to increase as more air was sucked into the low-pressure centre. It took several days for the depression to grow into a fully formed hurricane.
Ultimately, Hurricane Katrina has led to many social effects that are complex and yet to be fully determined. Many lives were lost, while many more were disrupted. This terrible event has left thousands without access to their homes or jobs, has separated people from their loved ones, and has inflicted both physical and mental distress on those who
suffered through the disastrous event and its consequences.New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has said “A definitive death count has been impossible while parts of the city remain unreachable. With the evacuation of thousands of survivors, New Orleans is left resembling a ghost town. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors, and recovery of bodies has also begun. Any number of people could still be found dead in swamped homes and shelters.”
Initially, Buildings and roads have been swept away, power and water cut off, and hospitals isolated. Due to insufficient power no one is able to use electrical appliances for necessary uses (e.g. cooker for cooking etc). Additionally, there is a lack of supplies in some areas, with water being the main concern. This is due to the fact that the clean water has been contaminated and must be boiled before it can be drunk. For days
people have been without adequate electricity, sanitation, or food supplies waiting to be taken from this scene of complete misery and torture. Therefore the city's citizens are now relying on a massive rescue effort and for this MEDC country to respond generously. With this help they can eventually repair damaged infrastructure as soon as possible. Katrina is also estimated to be responsible for $75 billion in damages, making one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Furthermore this devastating disaster is responsible for at least 1,836 deaths.
"The city has no clean water, no sewage system, no electricity, and no real communications. Bodies are still being recovered, found floating in the floods. We are worried about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without effective communications," New Orleans resident Greg Henderson stated.
Moreover the authorities are urging people who have chosen to remain in their homes to leave because the city is uninhabitable. Jessica Moore a victim of Hurricane Katrina says "We got dead bodies sitting next to us for days. I feel like I am going to die. People are going to kill you for water."
Overall we must agree that a valuable lesson is learnt from this Natural catastrophic disaster that Hurricanes are definitely out of our control. We must rely on anticipated warnings in order for the authorities to take action immediately such as evacuating more people to prevent fewer deaths. Unlike economic damage, human suffering is extremely difficult to quantify, but it is clear that Hurricane Katrina has caused more immediate anguish than any other natural disaster to ever hit America.
