Hurricane Katrina Government Response: Federalism & Emergency Planning

Introduction: Hurricane Katrina and Its Devastation

In the early morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast. When it made landfall, it was classified as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, bringing sustained winds of between 100 and 140 miles per hour and spanning approximately 400 miles. While the storm itself was enormously destructive, the aftermath proved utterly devastating. Massive flooding resulted from levee breaches, and a large number of individuals claimed that the government failed to respond in a timely manner to meet victims' needs. Hundreds of thousands of residents across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi were displaced from their homes. Experts estimated that the hurricane caused more than $100 billion in damage.

Several individuals and groups performed heroic acts during rescue and relief operations following the hurricane. The U.S. Coast Guard alone rescued approximately 34,000 New Orleans residents, and numerous civilians provided shelter and food to victims, commandeered boats, and did their utmost to aid their neighbors. Nevertheless, the government — particularly at the federal level — appeared unprepared to handle the catastrophe. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) wasted days attempting to establish its New Orleans operations, and even after that time, it appeared to have only a weak action plan. Government officials, including then-President George W. Bush, appeared to lack accurate information about the true extent of damage and devastation in New Orleans and other Katrina-affected regions. They had little reliable data on the number of missing or stranded individuals, the number of organizations and homes that had suffered losses, or the amounts of water, food, and other supplies needed.

Katrina caused total disaster across roughly 90,000 square miles of the United States, with an overall death toll of approximately 2,000 people and hundreds of thousands of survivors scattered across the region. More than a decade of recovery and reconstruction efforts followed, and Gulf Coast residents have made enormous strides in returning to everyday life, even as rebuilding efforts continue.

References

Hurricane Katrina — Facts & Summary. (n.d.). HISTORY.com. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina

Luntz, T. (2009, July 17). Hurricane protection for New Orleans debated. Scientific American. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricane-protection-for-new-orleans/

Hurricane preparedness and response — Preparedness. (n.d.). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.osha.gov/dts/weather/hurricane/preparedness.html

Reese, M. (2012, April 23). The National Response Framework. Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.carolinafirejournal.com/articles/article-detail/articleid/2071/the-national-response-framework.aspx

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2006, September 6). Hurricane Katrina: Strategic planning needed to guide future enhancements beyond interim levee repairs (GAO-06-934). Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-934