New Orleans Hurricane Katrina

BEFORE THE STORM: On August 23, meteorologists examined hurricane Katrina on a radar and realized that a major storm was nearing. Quickly after finding this out, they informed many people in the gulf states about what was coming there way. New Orleans knew that they were at great risk for the most damage. Even though, some of the city rests above sea level, the normal elevation is six feet below sea level. Plus, to add to the lists of downfalls, New Orleans is almost fully locked in by water. During the 20th century, New Orleans built a system of levees and seawalls to keep the city from usual flooding. The levees adjacent to the Mississippi River were durable and stable, but the ones built to hold back large bodies of water next to the city’s were less reliable. Even before the storm, officials worried that the levees, might not tolerate a massive storm surge. Neighborhoods that lied below sea level, housed the city’s neediest and most unfortunate people, were at high risk of flooding. On August 28th, before Katrina hit, New Orleans issued the city’s first essential evacuation. They also declared that the Superdome, would be used for people who could not leave the city. This is because the …show more content…
A hurricane is an intense tropical storm with winds exceeding 119 km/h or roughly 73 mph. The formation of Katrina started on August 23rd. It started as a tropical depression located southeast of the Bahamas. On August 24th, the tropical depression moved closer to the Bahamas where the water drifted around 85 degrees fahrenheit. The warm water caused warm moist air to rise, creating a wide layout of thunderstorm clouds. The condensation of the clouds released more heat causing the cool air to heat and rise. As the air rised, more warm air took its place and created a circling spiral of wind. the depression soon intensified to a tropical storm with winds only reaching 40