5.3.4

Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina Effects

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The Effects of Hurricane Katrina

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the US states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It was the 3rd deadliest hurricane in American history. New Orleans' flood defenses (levees) broke because they were badly designed, flooding the city.

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Primary effects

  • 1,836 people are thought to have died.
  • 154,522 houses were destroyed between 2005 and 2006.
  • The electricity supplies for over 3 million people were cut off. Many people sheltered at the Superdome stadium in New Orleans.
  • 80% of New Orleans was flooded with some parts 4.5 metres underwater.
  • Coastal habitats were damaged and bridges & infrastructure collapsed.
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Secondary effects

  • The population of New Orleans fell from 1.386 million to 1.04 million between 2005 and 2006. In 2014, the population was 1.25 million.
  • 2,400 businesses in New Orleans closed down or went bankrupt between 2005 and 2006.
  • Hundreds of thousands became homeless and sewers overflowed and entered water supplies.
  • The estimated total amount of damage was around $125 billion.

Jump to other topics

1Geography Skills

2Geology of the UK

3Geography of the World

4Development

5Weather & Climate

6The World of Work

7Natural Resources

8Rivers

9Coasts

10Glaciers

11Tectonics

12Climate Change

13Global Population & Inequality

14Urbanisation

15Ecosystems

16Life in an Emerging Country

17Analysis of Africa

18Analysis of India

19Analysis of the Middle East

20Analysis of Bangladesh

21Analysis of Russia

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