2.4.7

Case Study: Hurricane Katrina - Responses

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The Responses to Hurricane Katrina

The severe effects of Hurricane Katrina were met with both immediate and long-term responses.

Illustrative background for Immediate responsesIllustrative background for Immediate responses ?? "content

Immediate responses

  • 1.7 million people were evacuated from the states of Mississippi and Louisiana before the storm struck.
  • 20-30% of inhabitants were forced to stay in New Orleans and most of these people were the poorest who could not afford to evacuate.
  • Louisiana's National Guard asked for more than 700 buses to evacuate people, however, only 100 buses were sent. States of emergency were declared in Mississippi and Louisiana.
  • More than 35,000 people were rescued by the coastguard in New Orleans.
  • Charities provided food, water, and aid to those affected.
Illustrative background for Long-term responsesIllustrative background for Long-term responses ?? "content

Long-term responses

  • The waters that flooded New Orleans were pumped into Lake Pontchartrain. This took over a month.
  • The US Congress (government) allocated $62bn to be spent in aid helping feed and re-house the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
  • The US federal and state governments have spent $20 billion rebuilding New Orleans' flood defence systems, with levees, gates, pumps and floodwalls.

Jump to other topics

1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments

2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments

3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems

4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards

5Paper 1 - Climate Change

6Paper 2 - Changing Populations

7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities

8Paper 2 - Development

9Paper 2 - Changing Economies

10Paper 2 - Resource Provision

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