Government Response To Hurricane Katrina

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Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 hurricane, made landfall on August 29, 2005. It overwhelmed the levees in New Orleans causing widespread flooding and heaping damage on neighboring Mississippi. Approximately 1,700 were reported dead and hundreds of thousands became displaced. Katrina ranks as one of the most punishing hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Damage, costing billions of dollars, has made it one of the costliest storms on record. The storm had many social impacts including looting, unsanitary conditions, violence in the streets (functionalist perspective). Also people were separated from their loved ones (interactionist perspective). And the problems with FEMA (conflict perspective). In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, looting, violence and other criminal activity became serious problems. The rescue efforts, had most of the attention of the police, causing the security to weaken (Hurricane Katrina, 2010). There was a concern that the constant flooding would lead to health problems. In addition to dehydration and food poisoning, there was also potential of the spread of various infections and disease. All related to the growing contamination of food and drinking water supplies in the city in combination with the city’s heat and humidity…show more content…
Some alleged that race and class contributed to delays in government response. Though it is best known as a tourist destination, New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with a population that is 67% African American. Many of the citizens of New Orleans stated that if Katrina had hit in an area that was predominantly white, the relief efforts would have arrived faster and been more organized. In the end, it seems that race is a contentious issue when money is involved, especially if that money is coming from the

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