Hurricane Katrina 2005

August 25, 2005, was the beginning of one of the most devastating weeks in recent time caused by a natural event, in New Orleans, and within the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina did not completely dissipate for over a week after landfall but the residual damages it brought have forever affected the area. To this day people are still recovering from the effects whether it be physically, mentally, or financially, partly due to the negligence of all levels of government, from local to federal. This event is so much more than a Hurricane disaster, it is a story of failure, destruction, community, and devastation. These types of events are not something we witness every day, not every year, not even every 10 years, but the sad truth remains as we move further in the direction of rising global temperatures, these events are becoming more normal than they ever should be.

Katrina originally formed as a result of the remnants from Tropical Depression 10 and shortly after, Tropical Depression 12. A Tropical Depression is also known as a “cyclone” with sustained winds of 38mph or less. Once it pushes beyond the sustained 38 mph it is upgraded to a Tropical Storm and if the storm continues to grow and has sustained winds of 74+mph it is classified as a Hurricane. The initial depression (TD10) dissipated around the 18th of August although it was still traceable northward of Puerto Rico. Come august 22nd Tropical Depression Twelve-E moved just over the east Bahamas and shortly after was upgraded to what we know today as Hurricane Katrina. As the storm briefly made landfall and passed over the Miami area late on August 25th, its strength rapidly grew when it entered the Gulf Coast. (What is known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a ranking system starting at 1 and going to 5, specifically based on the sustained winds of the storm; this is a way to estimate potential property damage.) The system entered Florida as a tropical storm but left the peninsula as a Category 1 Hurricane and quickly gained strength from there(Klotzbach, 2019).

Among other factors, high levels of ocean heat content in the Gulf strengthened Katrina quickly. This is a term that describes energy absorbed by the ocean or a depth of warm water. The ocean heat content can play an important role in sea-level rise due to thermal expansion. Katrina gained its intensity when it traveled over that very warm body of water and once it exited it began to weaken(Klotzbach, 2019). Luckily, the storm system had significantly weakened by the time it made its second landfall on the southern edge of Louisiana. Winds had fallen from their peaks, but they still produced unprecedented storm surges.

The floods in New Orleans were far different than anywhere else that was hit by the hurricane. The catastrophic floods were ultimately a result of the failed levees and by 8 am on the 29th of August there are the first reports of broken walls(Klotzbach, 2019). The system that was designed to protect the city from an event like this had failed and the results were devastating. Understanding why and how the levees broke is a complex subject given the wide-ranging perspectives and claims some more sensible than others, that does not mean the possibility is not there and should not be considered. There are firsthand accounts of witnesses who claim they heard explosions directly near the levee walls, which gave way to millions of gallons of water into the heavily impoverished, overwhelmingly black areas to displace and destroy the people and livelihood of those who lived there. There are many reasons why people lead to believe these ideas that I presume had significant meaning at the time of the event and still in the present day. A leading consensus of people believes the levees were simply built inadequately. Additionally, there was a complete lack of a warning system, communication, or awareness of the ongoing situation from the authorities. In the end, there had been 50 different locations in New Orleans where there was a collapse, resulting in an 80% total flood of the city(Ubilla, 2008). Following the evacuation effort, there were still around 100,000 people left in the city. Where do you go when you have nowhere else to go? Where do you go when you cannot go anywhere else? The flooding led to a complete halt of the city, power outages, and transportation failures resulted in an even more delayed response of emergency services. When the flooding had reached upwards of 15 feet in places like the Ninth Ward residents had resorted to their roofs and attics when they could go nowhere else, some became trapped and never made it out. This was a complete failure of leadership and authority and it resulted in over 1800 people dead. The strength and effectiveness of the levees had been a public issue from varying professions(scientists, journalists, emergency workers). It was made clear that a storm with slightly more strength than Hurricane Georges 1998 (category 2), could easily overwhelm the levees bringing about an emergency responder's “worst-case scenario”. The topography of the city did not favor flooding either, the average area in NO lay an average of six feet under sea level. It's essentially a bowl bordered by water. Following the floods, the USACE originally released statements claiming the levees systems were overwhelmed although it was later revealed many levees failed at levels way below maximum fill. According to USGS, “most of the levee failures were caused by overtopping, as the storm surge rose over the top of a levee and scoured out the base of the landward embankment or floodwall(Ubilla, 2008). Three major and costly breaches appear to have been caused by the failure of the soils underlying the levees or the failure of the earthen levee embankments themselves. in several places, levee foundations failed when water levels were below the tops of the levees(Ubilla, 2008). The following June the USACE released a 6000-page report admitting to some blame, explaining the failure of the levees due to their defective and outdated engineering applications. Many areas were never upgraded with concrete support pilings, some not tall enough to sustain high enough levels, and others built on soil that was not suited for the case. There is still concern and pushback of how exactly the levees failed(Ubilla, 2008).

As stated earlier the impacts of Katrina have proven everlasting financially, physically, and mentally for some. From a financial standpoint, Katrina has stood as the costliest natural disaster in United States History, netting an approximate cost of $161 Billion. This is spread across commercial, residential, and state/municipal structures. It displaced over 750,000 residents, destroyed nearly 300,000 homes, and left 118 million cubic yards of debris in its tracks(Colton, 2008). The center of the sugar industry was hit hard and nearly 300 million in damages alone, not to mention the production levels that faceplanted and jobs that vanished immediately. There was an abundance of chemical plants that account for 25% of the nation's production, as well as countless casinos in the region that accounted for over 1 Billion in revenue every year. Oyster beds and the local shrimping industry were completely wiped out from the storm's efforts and remained like that for a considerable time after(Amadeo, 2020). While the staggering monetary figures are significant, they do not account for environmental damages or the irreplaceable loss of life. 

Total estimates for deaths caused by Katrina were upwards of 1,850. 71% were 60 years or older(Amadeo, 2020). Additionally, it was reported many nursing homes had been abandoned by caretakers and many bodies went unclaimed(White House, 2005). Another deeply shocking statistic is the loss of 600,000 pets. The statistics alone speak for themselves and demonstrate how destructive this event was.

The immediate community effort was tremendous and may have saved hundreds of lives in the process. There are endless accounts of heroes who put their lives on the line with no intentions of gaining anything from their actions and in the days and weeks following the floods, they were in the thick of it, using their own boats, risking their own lives to save someone else’s. Perhaps only a small percentage were recognized and commemorated on their heroic efforts but for some, all that remains are the memories and stories about them in those moments.

In everything that had been thrown at this community, in the years to come the resilience of the community really shined. Two-thirds of the population that had been forced to leave had returned, businesses were being rebuilt and the tourist economy was on the rise again(Colton, 2008). Countless individuals did whatever they could whether it was through monetary donations or physical efforts through restoration processes, to get this city back. Approximate donations topped one billion dollars from Americans and worldwide contributors to the relief effort. Many parts of the city were lost forever during Katrina such as schools, businesses, animals, people, and many memories, but we learned no matter how many times NOLA is knocked down they will get back up, together.

Following Katrina, congress approved around $15 billion with the purpose of creating and rebuilding infrastructure to protect the greater region of New Orleans. This included floodgates, storm surge barriers, rebuilt and re-armored levees, and floodwalls, and a pump station intended to move large amounts of water away from residential areas and into wetlands and estuaries. The system is designed to withstand surges from 100-year storms(Schleifstein, 2020).

Fifteen years after the disaster, following all of the rebuilding and implementation of new infrastructure, many are still concerned to what the extent of even a 100-year storm would do to the city. Climate change poses a serious threat to the residents of NOLA as the standard of 100, 200, 300-year floods are changing due to changing parameters of these disasters. The facts are the frequency of these disasters is not only on the rise but the power of them is simultaneously increasing. Local and state officials claim these 100-year levels are simply not enough "in an era of rising sea levels and more intense hurricanes fueled by global warming". Additionally, the USACE has already reported, the new levees are already sinking and requested $3.2 billion from Congress in order for them to provide the 100 year level of protection(Schleifstein, 2020). Earlier in 2020, the USACE was requested by local and state officials to consider increasing protection efforts to 200 or 500-year level standards. The corps settled on the idea that "the net benefits were lower than that of the 100-year level of risk." said Ricky Boyett who is USACE spokesperson(Schleifstein, 2020).

The future of NOLA could depend on these infrastructures and only time will tell how prepared the city is given a disaster event strikes again.

Bibliography

Klotzbach P, McNoldy B. Ten years after Katrina: The science behind the most damaging hurricane in U.S. history [Internet]. The Washington Post. WP Company; 2019. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/08/27/ten-years-after-katrina-the-science-behind-the-most-damaging-hurricane-in-u-s-history/

Chapter One: Katrina in Persepctive [Internet]. whitehouse.archives.gov. White House; 2005 [cited 2021Apr20]. Available from: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/chapter1.html

Ubilla, J., Abdoun, T., Sasanakul, I., Sharp, M., Steedman, S., Vanadit-Ellis, W., & Zimmie, T. (2008). New Orleans Levee System Performance during Hurricane Katrina: London Avenue and Orleans Canal South. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 134(5), 668–680. doi:10.1061/(asce)1090-0241(2008)134:5(668) 

PETTERSON, J. S., STANLEY, L. D., GLAZIER, E., & PHILIPP, J. (2006). A Preliminary Assessment of Social and Economic Impacts Associated with Hurricane Katrina. American Anthropologist, 108(4), 643–670. doi:10.1525/aa.2006.108.4.643 

Bureau USC. Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary: Aug. 29, 2015 [Internet]. The United States Census Bureau. 2018 [cited 2021Apr22]. Available from: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2015/cb15-ff16.html

Amadeo K. Why Was Hurricane Katrina so Damaging to New Orleans, and the World? [Internet]. The Balance. 2020 [cited 2021Apr22]. Available from: https://www.thebalance.com/hurricane-katrina-facts-damage-and-economic-effects-3306023#citation-39

Why New Orleans is Vulnerable to Hurricanes. [cited 2021Apr22]. Available from: https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/New_Orleans_and_Hurricanes/New_Orleans_Vulnerability.htm

Colten, C. E., Kates, R. W., & Laska, S. B. (2008). Three Years after Katrina: Lessons for Community Resilience. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 50(5), 36–47. doi:10.3200/envt.50.5.36-47 

SCHLEIFSTEIN, MARK 15 years after Katrina, New Orleans levees are in the best shape ever. Experts say it's not enough. NOLA.com. 2020 [cited 2021May7]. Available from: https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_80c27be8-e3e7-11ea-bbf9-1731ebdd9171.html