Pugh1

AJPugh
PreAPHistory/EnglishII
ResearchPaper
18May2015
TheStormThatShatteredLives
Running.Hiding.Screaming.Searching.KatrinarippedrightthroughNew
Orleanswithwindsup145milesperhour(NewYorkTimes).Housesflyinghighinthe
sky.Peoplebeingthrownbackandforthlikeragdolls.Animalsdrowninginthemurky,
20feetdeepwater(DoSomething).Beingoneofthemostdeadliestnaturaldisastersto
everoccur,HurricaneKatrinawasnottobetakenlightly.Asitshatteredlivesof
innocentfamiliesandfriends,HurricaneKatrinaiseasilyonethemostdeadliestthings
tooccurinAmerica.Andtheworstpart?ThepopulationoftheGulfCoastknewitwas
coming,butyet,theychosetojustsitathomeandwaititout.Ifonlytheyknewthattheir
demisewasrightaroundthecorner.Displacingpeoplethroughoutthestate,Hurricane
KatrinashreddedtheGulfCoastonAugust29,2005(NewYorkTimes).Evenafterthe
numerouswarnings(andthecitysfirstmandatoryevacuationsign),itsastonishingjust
howmanypeoplechosetoignorethesignsratherthanreact.Itsashame.Hadthey
reactedappropriatelytothewarningsigns,maybethenKatrinamighthavesparedtheir
life.Maybethenthosepeoplewouldstillhaveajob.Maybethosepeoplewouldstillbe
withtheirchildren.Maybethosepeoplewouldstillhaveahusbandorwifethatthey
lookedforwardtoseeingafteraharddayswork.Butnolonger.HurricaneKatrinahad
destroyedthebasicnormofmillionsoflives.NotonlywasHurricaneKatrinadangerous,

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butitdestroyedthousandsoflives,completelydestroyedtheGulfCoast,andhas
lastingeffectsstilltothisday.
Withapopulationof484,674people,NewOrleansseemedtobelivinga
perfectlynormallife(Plyer).Whattheydidntseecomingwasthemassive30footwide
hurricane(Zimmerman).HurricaneKatrinarippedthroughthefragilecityofNew
OrleansonAugust29,2005.Withastormsurgeofawhopping29feet(NewYork
Times),Katrinadestroyedthousandsoflivesonceitapproached.AfterKatrinahit,New
Orleansspopulationdramaticallydroppedtoanastonishingpopulationofonly254,502
people.Thecategory5stormleftmorethanamillionpeoplehomelessandthousands
dead(Zimmerman).HurricaneKatrinakilledabout1,800people,withoverhalfofthe
fatalitiesbeingelderlypeople(DoSomething),duetothefacttheycouldntrunasfast
astheyoungerpeople.Also,withsomeofthembeingonoxygen,ittookalittlelongerto
movethemfromplacetoplace.Beingrankedasoneofthemostdestructiveand
deadlieststormsever,HurricaneKatrinamostdefinitelyliveduptoitsnameafteralmost
80%ofNewOrleanswasunderwater.Thewaterdidntrecedeuntilweeksafterthe
stormhadpassed(Zimmerman).Thestormscatteredmorethanamillionpeople
throughouttheGulfCoast.Somepeoplereturnedwithindayswhileothersnever
returned.Attheirpeak,hurricanesheltershousedabout273,000civiliansandFEMA,
114,000(Plyer).Allinall,HurricaneKatrinadidatremendoustollofthepopulationof
Louisiana,killing1,836people,whichisntevenincludingthepeoplewhoarestill
unaccountedfor(DoSomething).WithmorethanhalfofNewOrleansspopulation
clearedout(Zimmerman),Katrinamostdefinitelydidwhatitwasmeantto.

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AsHurricaneKatrinatoreNewOrleanstoshreds,itquicklybroughttogethera
prettyheftytabof135billiondollars,makingKatrinathemostcostliestnaturaldisaster
toeveroccurintheUnitedStates.Katrinadamagedmorethanamillionhousesinthe
GulfCoastregion.MorethanhalfofthesehouseswereinLouisianaalone(Plyer).The
leveesofNewOrleanswereonlymeanttowithstandcategory3storms(Do
Something).Thatwouldhavebeenjustfine,ifonlyKatrinaweretohaveremaineda
category1likeithadstartedas.KatrinainitiallyformedovertheBahamasandbeganas
onlyameretropicalstormuntilitbegantoincreaseinsizeratherrapidly.Bythetime
HurricaneKatrinareachedFlorida,itwasamoderatecategory1hurricane.Butnotfor
long.Itcausedsomefloodingandkilledonly2people(comparedtothe1,800thatit
eventuallyendeduptaking).AsKatrinapassedoverFlorida,itbegantodowngradeinto
atropicalstormyetagain.ButonceKatrinahitwater,itroaredupandreintensifiedinto,
yetagain,anotherhurricane,thisonefarmoredeadly.Quicklyafter,Katrinabecame
labeledasacategory5stormandsoonrippedNewOrleanstopieces(Plyer).
HurricaneKatrinaeventuallypassedoverandsimmereddownbutnotbeforebecoming
oneofthemostdestructivestormstoeverhittheUnitedStates.
EvenafterHurricaneKatrinabecamenothing,theeffectsontheentireGulf
Coastweretragic.NewOrleanslostmorethanhalfoftheirpopulationafterKatrinaand
stillhaveyettoreachthepopulationthattheyoncehadbeforethestormhit(Plyer).
TherearestillnumerouspeoplewhohaveyettobefoundsinceHurricaneKatrinahit
theirarea.Sincethen,theyhavebeenpresumeddead(DoSomething).Evenaftera
yearsinceKatrinahit,only60%ofNewOrleansselectricitywasturnedbackon.Also,

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nearlyhalfofNewOrleanssmajorhospitalsstillremainshutdown.WhenKatrinahit,
nearly15%ofthecityspoliceofficershadsimplywalkedoffofthejob(Brunner).
HurricaneKatrinahadaffectedthousandsofpeopleinavarietyofdifferentways(none
ofwhichbeinggood),suchasevacuatingtheirhomes,lovedonesdying,risinggas
prices,andtheeconomicalsufferingthatNewOrleanswasforcedtoendure(Do
Something).Everyday,thecityslowlyrebuildsitselfaftertheinevitablenightmare
trashedthedelicatecityofNewOrleans.
AfterthefirstevermandatoryevacuationwasreleasedtoNewOrleanscitizens,
themajorityofthemhadevacuatedthenowdeadlypremiseswhileotherscontinuedto
hideoutintheirhomes.Forthosewhocouldntleaveforvariousreasons,the
SuperdomewasclaimedasaSafeHavenandpeoplewhowereunabletoleavewere
toldtogothereandremainsafe,although,evenaftertheygottotheSuperdome,they
werewelcomedtohotandsweatyspacesthatwerecrammedbeyondcrammedwith
people.Atothershelters,evacueeswereterrorizedbyroaminggangsandrandom
gunfire.Soundsliketheperfectwaytowaitoutastorm,right?FEMAtookdaysbefore
theyhadfinallyrespondedtothetragedythatoccurredin2005.Eventhen,theydidnt
haveanofficialplanonwhattodoaboutthecity.Eventhoughtheyhousedthousands
ofpeopleaftertheirhousesweredestroyed,FEMAdidverylittlewhenitcameto
helpingthoseinneedafterHurricaneKatrina.Officials,evenGeorgeW.Bush,seemed
unawareofjusthowbadthingsreallywereinNewOrleans:howmanypeoplethatwere
missing,howmanypeoplewerestarving,howmanypeoplehaddied.Around20%of
NewOrleansscitizensweretrappedwithfood,water,orelectricity.Someofthemstuck

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underdebris.Someofthemstuckonroofs.Someofthemwereeveninshelters,yet
theystillhadtogowithoutthethingsneededtolive.Duetotheamountofpeoplewho
neededhelp,rescuecrewstendedtoberatherslowandsluggish,leavingsomepeople
strandedontheirroofsfordayswithoutthebasicnecessitiesoflife.CitizensoftheGulf
CoastwerentsomuchsurprisedbythestormbutinsteadbyhowillpreparedNew
Orleanswasforsuchatravesty(Brunner).DuetoLouisianabeinghurricaneprone,one
wouldthinktheywouldhavebetterleveesandbemorepreparedforsomethingthathas
happenedbefore(butnevertotheextentofHurricaneKatrina).Butintheend,notall
wasbadforNewOrleans.TheUnitedStatesreceivedvariousmonetarydonationsfrom
countriessuchasQatar,India,China,andPakistan.Although,thegreatestdonation
thatwereceivedwasfromthecountryofKuwait,whomadeasingledonationof500
milliondollars(DoSomething).
AlthoughHurricaneKatrinacompletelydevastatedtheUnitedStates,we
continuetorebuildourcountryeveryday,slowlybutsurely.AsNewOrleansslowly
beginstorebuildtheirpopulation,hopefullytheygetbacktowhattheyoncewerebefore
thestormhit.NewOrleanswillneverbethesame,ofcourse,buthopefullytheyget
backtothenormoftheirlifestyle.HurricaneKatrinawasnotallbad,intheend.One
category5stormlater,theUnitedStatesgrowscloserasanation,comingtogetherto
aidthoseinneed,rebuildingthehousesthatweretornapart,shinglebyshingle,saving
thecivilianstrappedonroofsorunderdebris.HurricaneKatrinawasAmericasworst
nightmareitkilledthousandsofinnocentpeople,completelydestroyedtheentireGulf
Coast,andhaddevastatingeffectsthatthecitizensofNewOrleanssstillgothrough

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andaretryingtofixtoday.AspeoplemournthelossofallofthepeoplethatAmerica
lostonAugust29,2005,Americabecomesgreaterthantheyhaveeverbeenbefore.
HurricaneKatrinawasanexperiencethateveryoneintheUnitedStatesshallnever
forgetandrememberforever.

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