Similarities Between Hurricane Katrina And The 2010 Earthquake In Haiti

Introduction

Throughout history, natural disasters have decimated countless communities worldwide. The aftermath of these disasters have caused numerous ongoing debates. In response, countries have developed policies and plans that revolve around mitigation, providing relief, and facilitating recovery efforts after one of these events. Moreover, private and nonprofit organizations have helped immensely with the rehabilitation of communities when disaster strikes. When looking at the history of natural disasters there are two that stand out: Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. When looking at these two examples though they are not identical they have striking similarities. However, the most prominent is the resilience

By educating the public about the handling and dangers of natural disasters people can be better prepared in the event a disaster happens. Furthermore, the FEMA organization can allocate more resources toward training, planning, and educating the public. In an article by Michael Greenberg and colleagues the text states, “Engineering, planning, and resiliency know-how will never be sufficient to buffer certain locales from disasters. Hence, political leaders need credible evacuation plans for people and crucial capital when disasters are deemed both certain and imminent” (Greenberg et al. 86-87). Having a plan in place that allows for the evacuation of citizens in a fast and orderly manner is the only way to ensure the reduction of fatalities from a disaster. Even with enhanced education on the topic, increased awareness, and more strategic planning, a disaster may still occur. Expanding preparedness and planning will be taken as a precautionary measure to lessen the effects after a storm, reduce response times and ensure an even distribution of resources to those in need if a disaster

During Katrina the failure of levees contributed to extensive damage costing billions of dollars. For New Orleans, a city of which a majority is built below sea level, proper engineered infrastructure is necessary to ensure the least amount of damage and best outcome in the aftermath of a disaster. In areas prone to natural disaster the federal government should provide funding and assistance to help communities build reinforced infrastructure to withstand the strength of a natural disaster. This recommendation builds on the idea of enhanced planning and education on the topic, while providing a physical solution to help increase preparedness and mitigate the effects of a disaster. This solution will allow for increased resilience among communities. For example, when looking at the crisis of earthquakes in Haiti, specifically the 2010 earthquake, reinforced engineered structures built to withstand the force of an earthquake of that magnitude would have saved the lives of hundreds and increased the resiliency of communities in the aftermath. While this solution will require both funding and time to enact it will be a one time expense that could potentially allow for lower rebuild costs, in case of future disasters. Consequently, it may be seen as a waste of money by some, but is an extreme precaution taken to ensure that if and