(i) Description of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina is said to have been the most costly and deadliest hurricanes in U.S history, resulting in $81.2 billion dollars in damage and 1836 casualties6. The hurricane made landfall in New Orleans in the early morning of August 29th, 2005 as a Category 3 or 4 storm. The heavy rains that were produced as the hurricane moved inland, along with the poorly designed levees, caused all 56 levees in New Orleans to fail, resulting in freshwater flooding of 80% of the city15. Hurricane Katrina devastated an area over 160 km from the storm’s eye, which included parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and most importantly, Louisiana6. It originally formed off the Bahamas, on August 23rd, as a Tropical Depression and strengthened to a Category 1 storm once it made landfall in Florida on August 25th.
Haiti also has large rivers that overflow in the rainy seasons and dry up during the dry season. The most recent hurricane/tropical storm was Isaac which hit Haiti August 25, 2012. It dumped massive rain which caused flooding and very strong winds. The last recorded hurricane prior to Isaac, was Tomas in 2010 which caused massed flooding and mudslides. According to CBC News World, “The storm hit Haiti's rural western tip hard, flooding the refugee-camp homes of quake survivors.” (2010).
Hurricanes Hurricanes can be one of the most deadly natural disasters in the world today. One of the most deadly hurricanes ever was Hurricane Hazel. This Hurricane struck in 1954 killing over one thousand people in Haiti, then it took landfall in the United States, South Carolina being its first stop. Through this essay, I shall explain the structure and the movements of Hurricane Hazel and explain how this hurricane was such a deadly force. Even though Hurricane Hazel had devastating winds, it was not known for that, it was known for its speed.
It registered a 7.0 on the Richter scale. The earthquake’s epicenter was extremely shallow at only 8.1 miles below ground, which released the energy close to the surface and intensified the shaking. The increased level of destruction led to a high loss of life. The earthquake epicenter was only 15 miles from Port-au-Prince and was the strongest earthquake to hit the area since 1770. “The 7.0-magnitude earthquake would be a strong, potentially destructive earthquake anywhere, but it is an unusually strong event for Haiti, with even more potential destructive impact because of the weak infrastructure of the impoverished nation” (Thompson, 2010, p.1).
Later Tuesday night, the hurricane had subsided, but the superstorm it unleashed caused so much chaos in about 17 other neighboring states in the country, leaving millions with power shortages and homeless now. “The biggest problem is not the first few days, but the coming months”, said Alan Rubin, an expert in nature disaster discovery. The economic impact “Sandy” has left is immense as the destruction caused is estimated to be about $20 billion, and about $10 billion in lost
She caused billions upon billions of dollars in damage. The city’s lack of preparedness was as large of a culprit as the hurricane itself. If another hurricane strikes, the city will now be more ready. Katrina will definitely go down in the hall of fame for worst storms ever to hit this Earth. Works Cited Bellar, Ashley.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in the United States. Katrina made landfall as a category three hurricane on August 29, 2005. The initial landfall was made in the Gulf Region near Buras Louisiana and later at the Louisiana and Mississippi border at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Katrina packed sustained hurricane force winds of 125 mph, and extended out 75 miles from the eye of the storm (NOAA, 2012). Katrina’s damage was devastating to residents of the area affected.
There are several levels of poverty from an individual to national level and earthquake disasters impact at all levels. The 2010 Haiti earthquake struck in the most densely populated area of the country, As More than 78% per cent of Haitian residents live in poverty and Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere the buildings in Port-Au-Prince and other areas of Haiti were in very poor condition in general and were not designed or constructed to be earthquake resistant. The primary earthquake hazard directly responsible for mortality is surface seismic waves which cause ground shaking. This poses a huge hazard as buildings and other structures collapse, killing or injuring their occupants. This was the case in Sichuan, China in 2008 where severe ground shaking was the direct cause of death, injury and the catastrophic destruction of hospitals, roads and other infrastructure.
Hurricane Katrina reached New Orleans on August 29, 2005 , as a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Hurricane Katrina impacted the lives of people who mainly reside in New Orleans, Louisiana, although surrounding areas were affected as well. New Orleans suffered great damage as a result of this storm. Damaged or lost property is still under renovation and it is believed to take many more years, until the city is completely restored. Hurricane Katrina consisted of much high wind strength and power which led to levies to fail, and developed flooding in the area.
9-1-1 The earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane in New Orleans, and the Demolition in San Francisco are all examples of National Disasters around the world. The human population has been affected by national disasters since the beginning of time; over billions of people have either become homeless, heart, and in most cases dead. The United Stases is the most powerful and richest country in the world yet the government and celebrities go out and help other countries spending billions of dollars on water, food, and shelter before helping people back home. We have more than 500,00 people homeless right now, that alone is a national disaster. Unfortunately, other countries aren’t so lucky; like Africa.