1.3.8
Case Study: Katrina
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Preparing for Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a category 3 hurricane that struck Mississippi and Louisiana in the USA (a developed country) on 29th August 2005. New Orleans suffering particularly badly because its flood defences (levees) broke.

Weather forecasting in the USA
- Florida's National Hurricane Centre monitors potential hurricanes and tropical storms using satellite imagery and weather planes.
- The USA's high income allows it to spend more money on forecasting and prevention measures.

Flood defences
- Although the USA is a high income nation, New Orleans suffered particularly badly because its flood defences broke. Poor engineering meant that the levees did not do their job and 80% of New Orleans was underwater.

Impacts on the environment
- Sewage entered New Orleans' water supply.
- Flooding in Louisiana damaged oil refineries resulting in large oil spills.
- Conservation areas near the coast were flooded and destroyed.
1Physical Geography
1.1River Environments
1.1.1Weathering1.1.2Mass Movement1.1.3Erosion1.1.4Transportation1.1.5Deposition1.1.6River Landforms: Waterfalls & Gorges1.1.7River Landforms: Interlocking Spurs1.1.8River Landforms: Flood Plains1.1.9River Landforms: Point Bars1.1.10River Landforms: Levees1.1.11River Landforms: Meanders1.1.12River Landforms: Oxbow Lakes1.1.13River Landscape Changes: Long Profile1.1.14River Landscape Changes: Cross Profile1.1.15Vertical & Lateral Erosion1.1.16Flood Risk Factors1.1.17Human Activities on Rivers1.1.18River Management: Hard Engineering1.1.19River Management: Soft Engineering1.1.20Case Study: The River Eden - Landforms1.1.21Case Study: The River Eden - Climate1.1.22Case Study: The River Eden - Geology1.1.23Case Study: The River Eden - Management1.1.24Case Study: The River Eden - Human Activity1.1.25End of Topic Test - River Environments
1.2Coastal Environments
1.2.1Weathering1.2.2Mass Movement1.2.3Erosion1.2.4Deposition1.2.5Longshore Drift1.2.6Sediment Transportation1.2.7Wave Action on Coasts1.2.8Other Factors Influencing Coasts1.2.9Coastal Landforms: Wave-cut Platforms & Cliffs1.2.10Coastal Landforms: Headlands & Bays1.2.11Coastal Landforms: Caves, Arches & Stacks1.2.12Coastal Deposition1.2.13Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes1.2.14Human Activity on Coasts1.2.15Coastal Defences: Hard Engineering1.2.16Coastal Defences: Soft Engineering1.2.17Coastal Defences: Managed Retreat1.2.18Case Study: Holderness Coast Overview1.2.19Case Study: Holderness Coast Management1.2.20Case Study: Holderness Coast Defences1.2.21End of Topic Test - Coastal Environments
1.3Hazardous Environments - Tropical Cyclones
1.3.1Characteristics of a Tropical Cyclone1.3.2Structure of a Tropical Cyclone1.3.3Physical Hazards of Tropical Cyclones1.3.4The Impacts of Tropical Cyclones1.3.5Responses to Tropical Cyclones1.3.6Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones1.3.7Preparing for Tropical Cyclones1.3.8Case Study: Katrina1.3.9Case Study: Nargis
2Human Geography
2.1Economic Activity & Energy
2.2Rural Environments
3Global Issues
3.1Fragile Environments & Climate Change
3.2Globalisation & Migration
3.2.1Globalisation - Transport3.2.2Globalisation - Communication Networks & Banking3.2.3Push & Pull Factors3.2.4TNCs & Globalisation3.2.5Tourism Landscapes3.2.6The Growth of Tourism3.2.7The Economic Benefits of Tourism3.2.8The Social & Cultural Benefits of Tourism3.2.9The Economic Costs of Tourism3.2.10The Social & Cultural Costs of Tourism3.2.11Managing Tourism - Sustainability3.2.12Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs
3.3Development & Human Welfare
3.3.1Ways of Defining Development3.3.2Different Ways of Measuring Development3.3.3Environmental Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.4Historical Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.5Economic Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.6Patterns of Development3.3.7How Can we Reduce the Global Development Gap?3.3.8Top-Down & Bottom-Up Development
Jump to other topics
1Physical Geography
1.1River Environments
1.1.1Weathering1.1.2Mass Movement1.1.3Erosion1.1.4Transportation1.1.5Deposition1.1.6River Landforms: Waterfalls & Gorges1.1.7River Landforms: Interlocking Spurs1.1.8River Landforms: Flood Plains1.1.9River Landforms: Point Bars1.1.10River Landforms: Levees1.1.11River Landforms: Meanders1.1.12River Landforms: Oxbow Lakes1.1.13River Landscape Changes: Long Profile1.1.14River Landscape Changes: Cross Profile1.1.15Vertical & Lateral Erosion1.1.16Flood Risk Factors1.1.17Human Activities on Rivers1.1.18River Management: Hard Engineering1.1.19River Management: Soft Engineering1.1.20Case Study: The River Eden - Landforms1.1.21Case Study: The River Eden - Climate1.1.22Case Study: The River Eden - Geology1.1.23Case Study: The River Eden - Management1.1.24Case Study: The River Eden - Human Activity1.1.25End of Topic Test - River Environments
1.2Coastal Environments
1.2.1Weathering1.2.2Mass Movement1.2.3Erosion1.2.4Deposition1.2.5Longshore Drift1.2.6Sediment Transportation1.2.7Wave Action on Coasts1.2.8Other Factors Influencing Coasts1.2.9Coastal Landforms: Wave-cut Platforms & Cliffs1.2.10Coastal Landforms: Headlands & Bays1.2.11Coastal Landforms: Caves, Arches & Stacks1.2.12Coastal Deposition1.2.13Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes1.2.14Human Activity on Coasts1.2.15Coastal Defences: Hard Engineering1.2.16Coastal Defences: Soft Engineering1.2.17Coastal Defences: Managed Retreat1.2.18Case Study: Holderness Coast Overview1.2.19Case Study: Holderness Coast Management1.2.20Case Study: Holderness Coast Defences1.2.21End of Topic Test - Coastal Environments
1.3Hazardous Environments - Tropical Cyclones
1.3.1Characteristics of a Tropical Cyclone1.3.2Structure of a Tropical Cyclone1.3.3Physical Hazards of Tropical Cyclones1.3.4The Impacts of Tropical Cyclones1.3.5Responses to Tropical Cyclones1.3.6Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones1.3.7Preparing for Tropical Cyclones1.3.8Case Study: Katrina1.3.9Case Study: Nargis
2Human Geography
2.1Economic Activity & Energy
2.2Rural Environments
3Global Issues
3.1Fragile Environments & Climate Change
3.2Globalisation & Migration
3.2.1Globalisation - Transport3.2.2Globalisation - Communication Networks & Banking3.2.3Push & Pull Factors3.2.4TNCs & Globalisation3.2.5Tourism Landscapes3.2.6The Growth of Tourism3.2.7The Economic Benefits of Tourism3.2.8The Social & Cultural Benefits of Tourism3.2.9The Economic Costs of Tourism3.2.10The Social & Cultural Costs of Tourism3.2.11Managing Tourism - Sustainability3.2.12Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs
3.3Development & Human Welfare
3.3.1Ways of Defining Development3.3.2Different Ways of Measuring Development3.3.3Environmental Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.4Historical Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.5Economic Factors Causing Uneven Development3.3.6Patterns of Development3.3.7How Can we Reduce the Global Development Gap?3.3.8Top-Down & Bottom-Up Development
Practice questions on Case Study: Katrina
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