History Behind: Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a deadly and costly natural disaster, a tropical cyclone striking the southeast of the United States. The August 2005 cyclone is ranked as the most expensive natural disaster in United States History. It surfaced on August 23 of that same year 350 miles east of Miami, Florida. It would make landfall between Miami and Fort Lauderdale with winds from 74-95 miles per hour and a total rainfall of 5 inches. While it lasted less than 8 hours, it intensified once it reached the Gulf of Mexico.
On August 29, the storm made landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana – continuing to the northeast and hitting coastal cities such as Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi. The damage to cities underneath the sea level was initially believed to be minimal, however as levee systems began to fail from the sheer amount of water they were holding, the threat became clear. By August 29, 20% of New Orleans was underwater, and mandatory evacuation was put into place – where most people crunched into convention centers and superdomes. Local governments couldn’t properly assuage the issue, and relief became hard.
With a lack of basic sanitation and high temperatures, bacteria-infested floodwaters led to a public health emergency. It wasn’t until a week after the cyclone that a military presence was established to help with food, water, and evacuation. Other countries such as Canada and Mexico sent troops to the Gulf of Mexico to help with relief.
After the natural disaster, it was determined that the fatal flaw was that the levee and flood-protection systems were not high enough to hold back water.
This natural disaster was one of the deadliest and costliest in American history. Among the cities hit hard was New Orleans, whose levees and sea walls had both failed to protect from the excess water of the tropical cyclone. 1,800 civilians died by the time all was said and done, and the entire city was entirely covered in water. This was an example of a natural disaster not only wreaking havoc on the weather but also on the lives of other people. This tropical disaster matters specifically because of the levees failing, the lives lost, and the people displaced. In the history of the United States, this hurricane is spoken of by historians as one of, if not the most, costly and deadly tropical storm to ever hit the United States.
Its influence was remarkable, especially with help coming from Mexico and Canada to help relieve some of the pressure on the cities affected. However, this did create a lot of backlash against the government – as many felt they didn’t act in a timely enough manner for the severity of the situation. At a period when distrust in the government was high, this was yet another reason for the cause. On a nationwide scale, it created a national sense of camaraderie, with all eyes focused on helping the people in the southeast and northwest hit the hardest. This event, while extremely destructive, managed to bring the country together for one cause under a united stance.
Previously in the time period, a large distrust in government had been a large theme. However, this is a theme existing throughout United States history. Anti-federalists not trusting a federal government enough for shared power to the credibility gap in Vietnam this distrust has pervaded American society. The effects of this tropical cyclone are no different.
After the hurricane, many criticized the government's inaction due to: faulty information to the public, internal confusion and lack of action, a lack of response to the threat of a tropical storm, a lack of communication, and a lack of relief to those impacted.
These key failures led to a general lack of trust in the government’s ability to properly respond and give relief to those affected by the costly and deadly natural disaster.
Another theme of this natural disaster was American unity. American unity in the face of disaster can be seen time and time again throughout history, with one key example being the 9/11 attacks – in the sense of the relief given. All across the country gave their hands in to help both those affected and their families. Unified for one thing, mostly: relief and prosperity. However, both sparked something bigger – animosity to who they thought of as the enemy. In Katrina’s case the government, but in 9/11’s case anyone from the middle-east. While Katrina might be justifiable, the animosity remains a factor when telling the story of those affected and the large-scale impact on the country.
One question remains: does animosity tear us further apart or bring us together?
