Heat Deaths and Illnesses/Post-katrina Reforms

Heat Deaths and Illnesses/Post-Katrina Reforms

Heat related deaths are completely preventable. All a person needs to avoid dying from the heat is to remain at a temperature where that person can function normally and not be injured by the weather. However, even with that common knowledge there are many people who die every year of the heat (Harmon, 2010). Some of these deaths take place because there are people who do not listen to weather forecasts and take them seriously. They go out in the heat and run or jog or work, and they fail to take proper precautions. Sometimes, heat related deaths occur because people do not have enough money to have air conditioning and fans. They keep their doors and windows closed even when it is incredibly hot because they live in neighborhoods where there is lot of crime. They do not trust or know their neighbors, and they do not feel that leaving their doors and windows open is something that is safe in any way for them. Not everyone who dies from the heat has these kinds of problems, but they are common (Harmon, 2010).

Education is part of what can be done to ensure that people do not die from the heat (Harmon, 2010). When people do not realize the dangers and they do not take proper precautions in the heat (like taking frequent breaks, drinking a lot of water, and getting to a place that is shaded or that has air conditioning), they can get very sick and even die (Harmon, 2010). For people who are housebound, help is needed to get them out and to a cooling station. It is also possible to get air conditioners and fans for these people, so they do not have to leave their homes but can cool down and avoid becoming very sick from the heat. There is no possible way to stop every heat related death, however, because there will always be people who will not worry about the weather report or who will think it will not happen to them. There are also people who are far too proud to ask for help, and they can also end up dying because of the heat.

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm that struck New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans is a city built below sea level and right on the Gulf of Mexico (GAO, 2006). While the city does have a good levee system, it failed during Katrina and many parts of the city - including much of the Lower Ninth Ward - was flooded. People lost their lives and everything they had, and the argument made by many individuals in the aftermath of Katrina was that not enough was done by the government in order to protect the people of New Orleans and to help them out after the storm had passed. Criminal activity was on the rise when the city was attempting to recover from Katrina. Looting and pillaging were common, and they were not the only issues post-Katrina survivors had to face (Springgate, et al., 2009). There were rooftop rescues and other serious concerns, along with many health and safety issues. Of course, not everything that was said about New Orleans after Katrina was true. Many of the reports of criminal activity were fabricated, and some of them were exaggerated (Springgate, et al., 2009).