How To Prevent Hurricane Katrina

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400 miles across. 140 mile an hour winds. 20 foot storm surges. August 29, 2005. This was Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was one of the most powerful storms in history. There were several factors that attributed to this: the flooding, the lack and mismanagement of federal support, and the aftermath.
New Orleans, Louisiana is located between the banks of the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and several other lakes and swamps. Much of the city is located at sea level, and many impoverished areas are below sea level. Before Katrina, the government worked to build levy systems, and worked on disaster plans for the possibility of a direct hit from a hurricane. The day before Katrina hit New Orleans, the Mayor issued a mandatory evacuation order. In a press …show more content…

This is not a test. For everyone thinking they can ride this storm out, I have news for you: that will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your life” (Nossiter, Dewan). By the morning of August 25, 2005 many people had already evacuated, taken shelter in their homes or in the Superdome. When Katrina hit New Orleans, many of the levees were weakened, and many started to fail. This resulted in a storm surge that was 20 feet high. This surge engulfed much of the metropolitan area of New Orleans. The most flooded areas were those with excessive poverty. These areas had the highest concentration of residents who did not evacuate. Residents who stayed were forced to the highest parts of their homes in order to escape the rising water. Jesmyn Ward described her experience in New Orleans during the storm, “My family and I survived Hurricane

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