I Survived Hurricane Katrina Essay

Hurricane Katrina, the most tragic, damaging, and catastrophic hurricane to make landfall in America. Just about every single hurricane damages and rips apart cities when they make landfall. One of the most damaging natural disasters on Earth. Hurricane Katrina was considered, “The Worst of All Time”. In I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, by Lauren Tarshis, the book, characters, and plot show how Hurricane Katrina affected and impacted the world, the community of New Orleans, and how rescue efforts went into place to save the city.

In I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, by Lauren Tarshis, almost all of the characters were introduced early on in the story. There were many main characters in this book including: Barry, Cleo, Ma, Pops, and

August 23 - 31, 2005, Katrina made her appearance in New Orleans, Louisiana. The rescue efforts of Katrina were almost immediate. Shelters, food, and transportation were all provided. “As of today, 563 shelters have been opened” (“Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery”). Shelters for the people affected by the storm was the main effort focus after Katrina. “More than 68 million meals were served during the response” (Red Cross Helps When Disaster Strikes”). Feeding the newly homeless and people who now had nothing was also a top priority. Making sure no one starved to death in the middle of a tropical storm was important. Neighboring states offered shelters and meal to anyone affected by the storm. During the storm FEMA, provided daily updates which helped people around the world understand the severity of the storm and what the people were going through. Having protection on the ground for rescue, response, and recovery. “More than 30,000 National Guard are on the ground to provide response, rescue, and recovery…” (“Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery Update”). 30,000 men and women on the ground to help the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Securing the safety of Louisiana was the top priority for the United States

One can find almost the exact stories of other people experiencing this trauma. In the book, there are situations where tens of thousands of people were held in the Super Dome for protection from the storm. Even the Houston Astrodome was being used for shelter. “Approximately 12,500 evacuees are being hosted at the Houston Astrodome.”(Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery Update”). Seeing that people were fleeing to Texas for protection, this says a lot about the severity of this storm and how the United States came together to put in rescue efforts to save the people of New Orleans. In the book, Barry and his family were originally going to flee to Texas to get away from the storm. Also in the book, Barry talks about the traumatic experience of the storm and how it would take a lot to get over it. The IRC helped patients like Barry as it states,”IRC Therapy Experts worked with young children who endured the traumatic event.”(“Hurricane Katrina IRC”). Young children like Barry, actually experienced these types of trauma and had to deal with losing family members. In the book as well, Barry was saved by the United States Coast Guard, which was a real thing happening during the actual storm. “During the past week, the U.S. Coast Guard saved 15,665 lives, which is more than three times the number of lives saved in 2004.”(“Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery Update”). This shows that the rescue