When a tropical depression began to form off the Southeastern coast of the Bahamas, no one could have imagined the damage that would soon ensue. What we have now come to know and fear as Hurricane Katrina began to churn in the late August of 2005 and still continues to have an impact today. This natural hazard quite literally blew everyone’s expectations away. Despite the warnings and alerts, no one could anticipate the worst natural disaster in the United States history. Hurricane Katrina brought devastation and destruction to the Gulf Coast region in a ghastly fashion.
Katrina first began as a tropical depression that morphed into a tropical storm and finally, a hurricane. It was a storm that was carefully watched and predicted for over …show more content…
“Effective disaster plans must account for the specific obstacles encountered by vulnerable and minority communities” in which the case of Hurricane Katrina there was none (Eisemann, APHA). People had extreme trouble or were not able to leave the targeted areas in time for safety. Originally, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation but by the next day it was declared as mandatory. This was first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans's history. Due to the lack of timely notice, the Superdome and Convention Center were opened up to the public as “refuges of last resort”. The Superdome alone was able to shelter 25,000 - 30,000 people (Rushton, USA TODAY) who did not have the means or proper notice to evacuate. Unfortunately, the Superdome’s ceiling was ripped open which led to Mayor Nagin sending an SOS alert for means to transport the victims and relocate (Rushton, USA TODAY). The poor preparation is displayed by the city not having a solid evacuation plan for their population. There was not an appropriate amount of buses nor roadway for people to flee on. A journal also stated how it is “essential to demand better community-based communication and preparation strategies” as a result of Katrina (Eisemann, APHA). See Figure 2 to graphically see how Katrina’s mass exodus resulted in the largest displacement of people since the Great …show more content…
Ten years after the disaster, Anand Irimpen, M.D., professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and the chief of cardiology at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System began to notice a drastic increase of patients to their cardiology department (American Heart Association). After conducting research, the hospital discovered that their admissions had increased three-folds in the 10 years post-Katrina. Many of the patients were diagnosed with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease as well as diabetes (American Heart Association). Due to the main focal point being about rebuilding the city, most people did not stop to think about the underlying health issues that would occur as well. Not only were there many cardiological issues but mental health and stability worsened as
Katrina first began as a tropical depression that morphed into a tropical storm and finally, a hurricane. It was a storm that was carefully watched and predicted for over …show more content…
“Effective disaster plans must account for the specific obstacles encountered by vulnerable and minority communities” in which the case of Hurricane Katrina there was none (Eisemann, APHA). People had extreme trouble or were not able to leave the targeted areas in time for safety. Originally, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation but by the next day it was declared as mandatory. This was first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans's history. Due to the lack of timely notice, the Superdome and Convention Center were opened up to the public as “refuges of last resort”. The Superdome alone was able to shelter 25,000 - 30,000 people (Rushton, USA TODAY) who did not have the means or proper notice to evacuate. Unfortunately, the Superdome’s ceiling was ripped open which led to Mayor Nagin sending an SOS alert for means to transport the victims and relocate (Rushton, USA TODAY). The poor preparation is displayed by the city not having a solid evacuation plan for their population. There was not an appropriate amount of buses nor roadway for people to flee on. A journal also stated how it is “essential to demand better community-based communication and preparation strategies” as a result of Katrina (Eisemann, APHA). See Figure 2 to graphically see how Katrina’s mass exodus resulted in the largest displacement of people since the Great …show more content…
Ten years after the disaster, Anand Irimpen, M.D., professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and the chief of cardiology at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System began to notice a drastic increase of patients to their cardiology department (American Heart Association). After conducting research, the hospital discovered that their admissions had increased three-folds in the 10 years post-Katrina. Many of the patients were diagnosed with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease as well as diabetes (American Heart Association). Due to the main focal point being about rebuilding the city, most people did not stop to think about the underlying health issues that would occur as well. Not only were there many cardiological issues but mental health and stability worsened as