Hurricanes, no matter the Category are serious, and can cause catastrophic damage with winds going as fast as 155 mph sweep through areas. Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 hurricane, with winds going approximately 40 mph, and Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane, with winds going 130 mph at landfall, are both great examples of hurricanes that resulted in a great mass of destruction. While Katrina and Harvey’s differences are evident, some similarities are conspicuous. New Orleans destruction caused by Katrina was due to levee and flood wall failures mainly because of engineering faults (Cite), while Hurricane Harvey in Houston caused destruction that was due to flooding. Houston, like New Orleans was not prepared for a hurricane that would
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About 1,833 died as a result of Katrina, while 82 were killed in Hurricane Harvey. 80 percent of New Orleans became submerged under floodwater and the water stayed high for weeks. Many parts of Houston also have soil made from clay, a material that does not absorb water well (Zimmerman). The day before Katrina hit New Orleans, for the first time ever, Mayor Ray Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation. The people of New Orleans who had become homeless and had nothing used the Superdome Stadium as shelter. Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston did not call a mandatory evacuation because he deemed it as impossible. “You literally cannot put 6.5 million people on the road.” Turner said. Turner’s conclusion was reasonable because there was no way such a large amount of people could possibly evacuate and evacuate safely. Turner remembered how Mayor Nagin of New Orleans called on a mandatory evacuation the day before the hurricane hit, but later renounced it because more than 100,000 residents of New Orleans didn’t own cars. Houston’s main problem was the amount of rainfall, and they had up to 50 inches of rain in some areas. There were tens of thousands of homes damaged or completely destroyed and majority of the homes in Houston are not insured against flooding. Houston did take some things done to help to bring people to safety during Katrina such as using boats for rescue. Both states were victims of loss
About 1,833 died as a result of Katrina, while 82 were killed in Hurricane Harvey. 80 percent of New Orleans became submerged under floodwater and the water stayed high for weeks. Many parts of Houston also have soil made from clay, a material that does not absorb water well (Zimmerman). The day before Katrina hit New Orleans, for the first time ever, Mayor Ray Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation. The people of New Orleans who had become homeless and had nothing used the Superdome Stadium as shelter. Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston did not call a mandatory evacuation because he deemed it as impossible. “You literally cannot put 6.5 million people on the road.” Turner said. Turner’s conclusion was reasonable because there was no way such a large amount of people could possibly evacuate and evacuate safely. Turner remembered how Mayor Nagin of New Orleans called on a mandatory evacuation the day before the hurricane hit, but later renounced it because more than 100,000 residents of New Orleans didn’t own cars. Houston’s main problem was the amount of rainfall, and they had up to 50 inches of rain in some areas. There were tens of thousands of homes damaged or completely destroyed and majority of the homes in Houston are not insured against flooding. Houston did take some things done to help to bring people to safety during Katrina such as using boats for rescue. Both states were victims of loss