HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE DEVASTATION OF NEW ORLEANS

HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE DEVASTATION OF NEW ORLEANS

GENERAL INFORMATION • OCCURRED ON AUGUST 29, 2005 • CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE • PARTICULARILY EFFECTED NEW ORLEANS (INCLUDING FLORIDA AND LOUSIANA) • MORE THAN 1800 LIVES WERE LOST • $100 BILLION DAMAGES IN COMMUNITIES, LEADNING TO MASS FLOODING AND LAND FILL • IT WAS THE THIRD MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE RECORD-BREAKIGN 2005 ATLANTIC HURRIANE SEASON

THE IMPACT OF NEW ORLEANS "HURRICANE KATRINA TOOK A HUGE TOLL ONNEW ORLEANS. . . "IT WAS KNOWN TO BE SO POWERFUL AND ALMOST UNSTOPPABLE THAT IT TOOK 80 PERCENT OF NEW ORLEANS UNDER WATER. THE LEVEES BUILT TO PROTECTNEW ORLEANS FROM A PREVIOUS DISASTER, WAS BROKEN DOWN BY A POWERHOUSE OF MOTHER NATURE. THE LEVEES POOR STRUCTURE STALLED TIME FOR SOME PEOPLE TO EVACUATE, BUT STILL LEFT A MASS OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY. THIS THEN LED TO MASS FLOODING'S, LANDFILL'S AND CAUSING A LOT OF THE VICTIMS BEING LEFT HOMELESS.

THE AFTERMATH POLITICAL EFFECTS: After the Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans struggled gaining back the state it used to be. Even 10 years after, the state is still not the same.

Economic effects: The economic effects of the storm reached high levels. The bush administration sought $105 billion for repairs and reconstruction in the region, which did not account for damage to the economy caused by potential interruption of the oil supply, destruction of the Gulf Coast’s highway infrastructure, and exports of commodities such as grain. Katrina damaged/destroyed 30 oil platforms and caused the closure of nine refineries. The forestry industry in Mississippi was also affected- 1. 3 million acres of forest lands were destroyed, with the total cost of damage being about $5 billion. Thousands of local residents were left unemployed. The estimated total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi was around $150 billion. Katrina displaced over 1 million people, which meant that many other states had a large increase in the number of residents, for example Houston, Texas had an increase of 35000 people. This impacted several states financially, insurance companies had to raise their insurance prices due to the hurricane, which led many to be unable to live in those areas anymore. The state of Louisiana showed a population decline of 219, 563 people (4. 87%).

CELEBRITY CONTRIBUTIONS • AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, MANY CELEBRITIES HELPED THE CONTRIBUTION TO KATRINA RELIEF: • THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CELEBRITIES WHO VISITED NEW ORLEANS INCLUDING; MICHAEL MOORE, HARRY CONNICK JR. , ANDERSON COOPER, JAMIE FOXX, FAITH HILL, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, LISA MARIE PRESLEY, CHRIS ROCK, LISA LING AND NATE BERKUS. MANY CELEBRITIES WHO DONATED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IS AID OF THEKATRINA RELIEF, FOR EXAMPLE JAY-Z AND DIDDY DONATED $1 MILLION TO RED CROSS.

EXAMPLES OF CELEBRITY CONTRIBUTIONS • Morgan Freeman organized an online auction of celebrity items at charityfolks. com, which benefited the American Red Cross disaster relief fund. • Curt Schilling opened his home to a family of nine who were driven out of their home in New Orleans. The Schilling family also provided housing for the Fields for a year while their home was rebuilt and repaired. Singer Macy Gray and television personality Phil Mc. Graw visited Houston’s Astrodome. • John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston flew their private plane to deliver supplies and the tetanus vaccine to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. • Kevin smith held an online auction on his website to raise money for the relief. Sean Penn went to Louisiana, who tried to help rescue some of the victims in a rescue boat.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS • THE STORM SURGE CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL BEACH EROSION, IN SOME CASES COMPLETELY DEVASTATING COASTAL AREAS. IN DAUPHIN ISLAND, WHERE HURRICANE MET LANDFALL, THE SAND THAT COMPRISED THE ISLAND WAS TRANSPORTED ACROSS THE ISLAND INTO THE MISSISSIPPI SOUND, WHICH MEANT THAT THE ISLAND WAS PUSHED TOWARDS LAND. THE STORM ALSO SEVERELY DAMAGEDCHANDELEUR ISLANDS, WHICH HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY HURRICANE IVAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

LINKS TO BEYONCÉ'S FORMATION • THE MUSIC VIDEO'S OPENING FRAMES SHOW BEYONCÉ STANDING ON TOP OF ANEW ORLEANS POLICE CAR THAT IS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN WATER. IT LINKS TO HURRICANE KATRINA BECAUSE THE MAIN DEVASTATION CAUSED BY THE STORM WAS IN NEW ORLEANS, AND ONE OF THE MAJOR IMPACTS THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE WAS FLOODING. HER MOTHER WAS FROMLOUISIANA WHICH MEANT THE SUBJECT WAS CLOSE TO HOME FOR BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z OWN A HOME IN NEW ORLEANS, AND BEYONCÉ'S SISTER WAS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ONLY BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHEREHURRICANE KATRINA'S FLOODS HAPPENED.