Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana at around 6:00am on August 29th, 2005 (ESA).   When Katrina hit, she was a powerful category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale with maximum sustained wind speeds in excess of 145mph (National Weather Service).   Were the people of New Orleans aware of hurricane Katrina’s power and magnitude prior to her landfall?   As they scuffled about deciding where to go and what to do, did the people of New Orleans understand the imminent danger they were facing?   Was there a federal plan in place to aid victims in the aftermath of a category 4 or 5 hurricane?   Only one day before Katrina’s wrath would shred the Gulf Coast, New Orleans’ mayor, Ray Nagin officially declared a mandatory evacuation for the city of New Orleans (Wikinews).   Defenders of the federal government feel that much was done before and after the storm to diminish damages and loss of life. The Federal Emergency Management Association did send 200 buses from out of state to assist in evacuating remaining residents.   Many citizens were transported to local shelters on state buses, and shelters of last resort were opened to offer those stuck in New Orleans a place of refuge.   Were preventative actions taken by the federal government enough?   As hurricane Katrina raged onto shore, cries for help filled the air.   Two long, hard days would pass before evacuees would start being bused out of the region.   What went wrong?   The Federal Government is ultimately responsible for the delayed efforts in aiding victims of hurricane Katrina.  
There is evidence to suggest that the federal government understood the serious threat hurricane Katrina posed on the low-lying Gulf region, and that they did make some effort to convey this danger and urge people out of harm’s way.   On Saturday August, 27th, President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and encouraged people to evacuate the New Orleans area before the storm made landfall.   Prior...