How Did Hurricane Katrina Affected New Orleans

One of the most traumatizing hurricanes to ever hit the U.S., was named Katrina. The hurricane caused the cities of Louisiana to be derelict. Louisiana’s governor performed a speech in New Orleans in order to satisfy the community. Kathleen Blanco’s speech, “Hurricane Katrina” uses the appeals pathos and logos to encourage Louisiana to help rebuild the state, and to make sure the people know that everything will be rebuilt.

Author Kristina Kay Robinson wrote in her short story 10 Years Since: A Mediation on New Orleans, “I don’t know how long my city has for me, but every day that I remain, I am working, searching for a newer, truer meaning for the concept of forward.” This sentiment remains true to this day for those devastated by the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath and trauma that victims of Katrina faced in New Orleans, Louisiana, left many people homeless and with psychological issues. Levees in New Orleans failed as large waves flooded the city that was already below sea level. Hurricane Katrina’s course of major destruction left many southern states, including Louisiana, with billions of dollars in damage and destruction and a more than 1,800

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast at daybreak, “pummeling a region that included the fabled city of New Orleans and heaping damage on neighboring Mississippi. In all, more than 1,700 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others displaced.” (Laforet, New York Times)

New Orleans is an American city known for being very different from the rest of America. The differences vary in food, attitude, location, and atmosphere. These differences make New Orleans a unique part of America, and they have survived through many cases of adversity such as white supremacy, Hurricane Katrina, and many others. If events like these occurred in any other city across America, it would have caused mass diaspora and eventually the collapse of the city into something unrecognizable. New Orleans is a different story. New Orleans has resisted much of the change that has taken hold of the rest of the country. They have traditions that have been passed down and an attitude that is only at home in New Orleans.

When many of us hear about New Orleans we think about Mardi Gras, casinos, and the French heritage. Tourists drive right by the deprived and less fortunate areas of Louisiana without even realizing it. Many people go visit New Orleans and doing so for a vacation without realizing how bad the poverty in this city is. Once realized how dramatic the poverty level is in New Orleans, these dismal areas are difficult to endure. It was August 29, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans.

The physical impacts left by this storm, is the central premise to understanding what really happened to this city. The time frame from when the storm hit till now, has caused a significant limitation to really comprehending this historic event. Furthermore, the mass amount of destruction was primarily due to New Orleans being on average 1-2 feet below sea level (NOAA, 2012). Also a lack of scientific accuracy sealed in troubling fate for this city. The duality of being geographically vulnerable as well as the shortcomings of scientific knowledge led to extensive damage to 134,000 housing units, the destruction of multiple bridges along the Gulf Coast, various buildings across the city, which caused harmful chemicals to be leaked into the water system and the disorientation of the main power

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, also known as Katrina, made landfall along the Gulf Coast. It hit states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As of today Hurricane Katrina is one the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the United States. In total Katrina caused over one hundred billion dollars worth of damage. It left people homeless, starving, and in some cases dead. New Orleans, Louisiana was hit the hardest, “New Orleans will forever exist as two cities; the one that existed before that date, and the one after.” Even over a decade later, the effects of Hurricane Katrina can still be felt as the south continues to rebuild their lives and return to some normalcy.

Hurricane Katrina will forever be noted in United States history as one of the worst natural disasters to hit the states. Within its wake, Hurricane Katrina left thousands of Americans dead and many more homeless with no place to call home. A vast majority of the homeless were already living in poverty in New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina hit the hardest. People that already didn’t have what most Americans have were forced out of their homes and their jobs with nowhere to go. Many have criticized the United States government and President Bush for the lack of response to this disaster, as well as ignoring the fact that the levees in the Lower Ninth Ward were not strong enough to withhold this type of force. Still to this day, many are still rebuilding their lives, homes, and businesses.

New Orleans is full of culture, history and its fair share of hard times. As mentioned before the French ruled New Orleans, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded it, in 1718 and it was named after Philippe III the Duke of Orleans who was Regent of the Kingdom of France at the time. About 50 years later France signed Louisiana over to the Spanish and for the first time Louisiana was a Spanish city. They traded heavily

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, two days later roughly eighty percent of New Orleans was underwater. This hurricane ranked number three in the thirty deadliest US Hurricanes (Weather Underground, 2007). This disaster has had a ripple effect on the economy, the environment, the population of New Orleans, and the habitats of animals in that area. It also put to death over 1,500 people in Louisiana, more than half were senior citizens. In New Orleans, 134,000 housing units —70% of all occupied units — suffered damage from this Hurricane.

Marti Grah was another big part of this city, hundreds would flock to New Orleans before Ash Wednesday to take part of the festivities. Rowdy, drunk frat boys would clog the streets at night. But when the levees broke most of these grounds would be flooded. After Katrina hit no one was in the street, instead people were stranded on roof tops seemingly abandoned by the ones they thought would protect them. How could this happen in modern day United States of America? The people of New Orleans were failed by their local, state and federal government. Before Katrina hit about 484,000 people lived in the city, after Katrina hit about 360,400 people remained (AP).

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005. A once vibrant and cultural community was decimated by harsh winds and extreme flooding. The rescue efforts sent to Louisiana were substantial, consisting of now only FEMA but also donated services from other countries as well. Even so thousands of people were displaced from their homes. There are people who refused to leave even after their homes were flooded and their mementos lost to the dirty polluted water. Ten years after the fact the city is still under construction. There are varying degrees of repair from street to street, the tourist area was one of the first few areas to be repaired, and the neighboring residential areas seem to have become of secondary importance. People were forced into homelessness because they could not afford to repair the house they had worked to attain before the hurricane toppled their economy. Still to this day the homeless line the streets, which should seem scary and dangerous, but it does not feel that way. It has become obvious that people need to learn to look beyond their own beliefs to better understand the world as a whole because not everything is how it seems.

Day by day, New Orleans slowly builds up the economy, the houses, and the people it had destroyed. No matter how much is rebuilt and regained, nothing will ever compare to the day Hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed the lives of thousands. Nothing will ever be replaced—it is only

The part of the city where poor African Americans resided was hit the hardest (Fussell, Pg.95). Unfortunately, this neighborhood was the last on the list to be cleaned up and rebuilt. The African American residents were sent to the New Orleans Superdome, where many were taken for shelter (Pg.110). Some New Orleans citizens might say that Hurricane Katrina had a positive impact on their lives, teaching them how to live and survive during such a terrible time as well as the situation making them stronger however, this was not the case for African Americans (Pg.109). Despite all of the horrific situations, the community of New Orleans learned how to be prepared if there happens to be a next

The hurricane hit states near the Gulf of Mexico Florida to Texas . Katrina is ranked 3rd in the most deadliest hurricanes . With the damages being about 108 billion dollars and at least 1,800 being injured or killed . The hurricane did a good amount of damages but after the storm it was a tragic. It broke the levees which cause the city of New Orleans , Louisiana flooded. People were standing on top of there houses and had nothing left but the clothes on there backs . Not knowing if help if going to come and not even knowing if their love ones out there was safe . The coast guard rescued at least 34,00 in New Orleans . Things were so bad and everyone just needed help. Food , water , shelter and aid was needed and people were getting desperate . The Super dome in New Orleans had to close it's doors because it reached its maximum capacity. Today 11 years after Katrina the city of New Orleans is still recovering from the tragedy . The citizens that moved back are still rebuilding what they lost and still are moving