Katrina Impacts

When the waves and storm surges hit the coastline, the buildings along the coast of the Mississippi were completely destroyed, and the inland parts were hit by catastrophic flooding. In New Orleans, the combination of surge and wave causes destruction and transcendence of the dam system. More than 50 dam systems were destroyed resulting in flooding, eventually covering 80% of the depth of New Orleans and in some places over 15 feet covered. Most of New Orleans is under the sea surface and most of the pumping stations used to purify urban rainwater are unusable due to storms so that the water stays in the city.

Overall, Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,800 people. Over 1,500 people in Louisiana, 230 people in Mississippi and 14 people in Florida died. Hurricane Katrina is the third most deadly hurricane in American history. In New Orleans people are surrounded in their homes and roofs because the surging water surprises many people. Due to floods and massive damage by Hurricane Katrina, several days of rescue and relief activities were delayed. In addition to the death toll, Hurricane Katrina lost a lot of houses as more than 800,000 houses were destroyed or damaged during the storm. Hurricane Katrina is the most expensive hurricane in the US with an estimated loss of over $ 81 billion and costs over $ 160 billion ($ 2005).

In addition, research conducted after Hurricane Katrina influenced New Orleans in 2005 showed that families and communities, socioeconomically disadvantaged, are greatly affected by hurricanes. These people lack the ability to prepare, respond, and recover the event. These examples from wealthy countries and countries that are not affluent suggest that social vulnerabilities need to be considered in a more geographical and demographic manner when implementing DRR activities. On the other hand, poor communities may bring uneconomic choices to DRR. On the other hand, ignoring the existing social disadvantages in a rich environment can lead to serious human life and loss of property, and opportunities to improve affected subgroups.

Economic Impact: According to Professor Bernard Weinstein of the University of North Texas, the true cost of Hurricane Katrina is $ 250 billion. He includes both damage and economic impact. Weinstein estimated the uninsured loss is $ 215 billion and the insurance loss is $ 35 billion. The most serious flood occurred in 9th district of New Orleans. This is a low-income region, most of which are not covered. These facts were discussed at the university during the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2008. In the fourth quarter before Hurricane Katrina, the US economy grew by 3.8%. After that, from October to December, the fourth quarter plummeted to 1.3%. This is when production loss such as interruption of gas pipeline occurs. The economy is healthy enough to get rid of it. According to the National Economic Analysis Department of the Economic Analysis Department, GDP in the first quarter of 2006 resumed strong growth of 4.8%.