To What Extent Was Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath a Natural Disaster, Research Paper Example

In late August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana as a powerful Category 3 storm. The results were certainly disastrous, as over 1800 people lost their lives during the storm and flooding that followed. Katrina was also the most costly disaster in the history of the United States, causing almost three times the amount of property damage as the notorious Hurricane Andrew of 1992. While the reality of the destruction brought by Hurricane Katrina is undisputable, there remains a debate over the natural and man-made contributions to the disaster (Boin et al. 706).

Hurricanes are generally thought of as natural disasters when they occur with any severe consequences, but the circumstances surrounding the damage inflicted during and after Katrina are not as straightforward as would normally be expected. It is generally agreed that the majority of damage east of Louisiana was due to the effects of the storm as a natural disaster, especially the strong winds and heavy rain. The major point of contention is regarding the influence of human error in causing the deaths and financial costs associated with flooding that came with and followed the storm in New Orleans and surrounding areas. There are several aspects of human influence that are identified as major components of the disaster, including engineering failures and government neglect.

The most prominent example of human error leading to losses in New Orleans is the failure of government-engineered levees to prevent catastrophic flooding due to storm surges. Over 50 flood-banks built by the Army Corps of Engineers following the Flood Control Act of 1965. Investigations of the breaches found several design flaws that led to collapses and overflows. While the engineering failures are widely acknowledged, there remains a serious controversy regarding the suspicion of levees being intentionally dynamited to direct flood waters away from wealthy areas. This theory has found little support through physical evidence, though there is historic precedence for such an act like detonations that were authorized during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 (O’Daniel n. p.).

The accusation of intentional flooding of poor areas is reflective of the tension between social classes in the New Orleans area. The Lower Ninth Ward was especially devastated due to the failed levees, particularly because construction of the banks destroyed a vast amount of wetlands that had previously acted as a storm buffer for the at-risk area (Colten 6). The status of the population of the Lower Ninth Ward as an economically disadvantaged group with a high proportion of African American membership was already a source of controversy regarding class and race divisions in the New Orleans area, but the events surrounding Katrina escalated these tensions to a new level. While the damage experienced in the area is most likely attributable to unintentional engineering errors and unfavorable geographical positioning rather than sabotage, the slowness of government service responses to the suffering of people of the Lower Ninth Ward is nearly impossible to defend. Clearly, for some reason, the area was given less priority that other parts of New Orleans during disaster relief efforts.

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating disasters in the history of the United States. The cause of deaths and costs associated with the storm have been a point of contention for parties interested in placing blame. However, the fact remains that better prevention and response systems are necessary to prevent future repeats of the situation, regardless of the blame.

Works Cited

Boin, Arjen, et al. “Leadership Style, Crisis Response and Blame Management: The Case of Hurricane Katrina.” Public Administration 88.3 (2010): 706-723.

Colten, Craig E., and Alexandra Giancarlo. “Losing resilience on the Gulf Coast: hurricanes and social memory.” Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 53.4 (2011): 6-19.

O’Daniel, Patrick. When the Levee Breaks: Memphis and the Mississippi Valley Flood Of 1927.The History Press, 2013.