Jordan Bartell GEOL 108 - Hye Jung Lee 11/19/2015 Hurricane Katrina On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, LA. This devastating event led to hundreds of fatalities, poverty, and extreme despondency for years. Today, the affects can still be seen in specific locations across the city of New Orleans, and while many citizens have found their way back to living as though they did before the catastrophe, their memories of the event are vivid and their concerns for future hurricanes are still great. However, what makes this natural disaster occur, and what were the political and social effects? Regardless, those nearby should understand the science to better prepare themselves. The science behind Hurricane Katrina, and other hurricanes …show more content…
Because it was a natural disaster, the government targeted the surrounding area, and the city of New Orleans specifically with aid. As a large and advanced western state in the world today, the United States Government believed that it could handle a disaster like Katrina, as they are all too common in today’s world. By creating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government thought they would have a quicker and more effective response to such catastrophes; having employees who would only obligation would be to take care of such calamities, the government thought it would be simple enough (2). Conversely, on that morning in August 2005, FEMA could not have been prepared for such a devastating catastrophe. Moreover, the organization’s inadequacies were horribly revealed. Similarly to other government organizations, FEMA is not big enough to deal with such horrific situations like Katrina efficiently (2). With such problematic political repercussions, the social impacts were even …show more content…
The reason for this is that not only did this storm create extreme poverty in the New Orleans area, but the images that the media portrayed of the impoverished area was aired throughout the United States and the world. These pictures were sponsored by agencies asking for money, as well as a few celebrities’ endorsements for cause. With everything going on in the world, more people should become aware of the science behind such storms. By doing so, there could be more precautionary measures taken, and the lives of citizens could be safeguarded more