Hurricane Katrina (Case study tropical storms)

Background of the hurricane

Occurred on the 25th August 2005, arounds south east USA, coastal Louisiana and affected the New Orleans area especially. The storm lasted 8 days leading to large amounts of flooding

Nature of the hazards

It formed over the gulf of Mexico, there was an 8-9 metre storm surge and 175mph winds

Timeline of Hurricane Katrina

1. Formed on the 23rd August and by the 25th was named Katrina and was a category 1, made landfall in Florida and slightly weakened

2. 26-27th August travelled over Gulf of Mexico 30°C+ waters and strengthened rapidly went up to a Category 3

3. 28th it hit category 5 before making landfall in Louisiana near New Orleans

Primary effects

• 1242 deaths and 6000 injured

• 80% New Orleans flooded

• Homes, roads, bridges, hospitals destroyed

• Over 1 million displaced

• Looting

Long term effects

• Population decline in New Orleans

• Long tern unemployment

• Psychological trauma

Short term responses

• 137,600 meals served in 24hrs

• Mandatory evacuation but many couldn’t due to social immobility

• Superdome was a evacuation shelter only meant to hold ~15,000 but around ~30,000 sheltered there

• Delays in food, water and medical supplies

Long term responses

• $14bn invested in new levee system as it broke resulting in flooding

• Stronger floodwalls and pumps installed

• Neighbourhoods rebuilt

Mitigation to hurricane

• Weather forecast warnings

• Levees could only withstand a CAT 3 hurricane and they knew this, which then led to the levees breaking allowing water from lake Pontchartrain

• Water pumping to remove water