1. Unit 4: Global Challenge Hurricane Katrina Aim: What happened in New Orleans 2005? Key questions… How did hurricane Katrina form? What were the various impacts of the event? How was it managed? What could have been done differently? THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

2. Reading: p.18 of Global challenges along with student notes worksheet outlines how hurricanes form Case Studies: Hurricane Mitch, 1998 (notes and reading provided) Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (make notes from lesson) Activities: Summarise social, environmental and economic impacts of both case studies (LEDC cf MEDC)

3. HURRICANE KATRINA, SEPTEMBER 2005

5. Sunday 28 th August Hurricane Katrina gains strength over the Gulf of Mexico –having already battered the state of Florida. Fears grow for New Orleans, which sits some 6ft (2m) below sea level Motorways are jammed as people obey the order to leave Those who are unable to or are unwilling to leave, spend night in shelters including the Superdome stadium Monday 29 th August Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf coast, wreaking havoc in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama Many areas of New Orleans are flooded and winds of more than 100mph (160k/h) tear off part of the roof of the Superdome where 9,000 people are taking refuge Power lines are cut, trees felled, shops wrecked and cars hurled across streets strewn with shattered glass

6. Tuesday 30 th August About 80% of the low-lying city is under water. Helicopters and boats are picking up survivors. Many have been stranded on roof tops for several days. Rescuers are said to be pushing aside dead bodies as they continue with their rescues The situation worsens as the city's flood defences are breached Wednesday 31 st August Mayor Nagin says the hurricane has killed hundreds, possibly thousands. He orders a full evacuation of the city As tens of thousands head to the Superdome stadium, conditions there deteriorate fast Armed police try to stem looting The government declares a public health emergency along with the Gulf coast

7. Thursday 1 st September New Orleans descends into anarchy with reports of shootings, looting, carjackings and rape. Buses and helicopters begin to take most vulnerable out of the Superdome stadium Anger mounts over the delay in getting aid to the people in New Orleans –the response from the federal government is largely viewed as inadequate. Friday 2 nd September Relief effort is stepped up and evacuations continue Extra National guard units brought into to tackle looting and lawlessness It is still not known how many are dead Tens of thousands of people are still stranded waiting to be rescued President Bush acknowledges initial response has been unacceptable and Congress approves $10.5 billion in emergency spending

8. Saturday 3 rd September Largest airlift in US history gets under way More than 10,000 people evacuated. Many recount scenes of violence, including rapes and murders at the shelters Amid mounting political pressure, President Bush announces deployment of thousands more front line troops into the areas devastated by the hurricane Sunday 4 th September For the first time since the hurricane struck, the US appeals for international aid, requesting blankets, first aid kits, water trucks and food Visiting New Orleans, Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it could take years for the city to recover US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice rebuffs criticism that the government was slow to respond to the emergency, saying “Nobody, especially the president, would have left people unattended on the basis of race”.

9. Monday 5 th September Residents who left are allowed to return briefly to inspect their homes in New Orleans and collect personal items. An 1800 curfew is set It is estimated that 10,000 people remain in the flooded city –rescue workers continue to search President Bush visits area for 2 nd time in 3 days National appeal launched by Bill Clinton and Bush Sr Tuesday 6 th September Engineers begin pumping water from New Orleans after repairing a key breach in the city’s floodwalls 8 days after Katrina struck Mayor Nagin orders forced evacuation of anyone still in the city amid mounting health fears Amid mounting criticism, President Bush says he will launch an investigation into how disaster was handled.

10. Wednesday 7 th September The White House says it is seeking an additional £28billion to fund relief efforts. Authorities in New Orleans confirm that five people have died after contact with flood waters, containing unsafe levels of E.coli among other bacteria as well as high levels of lead. As flood waters slowly recede, emergency crews face the grim task of recovering bloated bodies amid fears that thousands have died. Hurricane may knock as much as 0.5% off the US’ annual GDP Congressional Budget Office says 400,000 people may have lost their jobs as a result of Katrina

11. Taken from BBC news [online] Friday 9 th September US public pledges £319 million in aid –more than initial donations for 9/11 and the Asian tsunami Former US Secretary Colin Powell says “not enough was done” to prevent this tragedy, despite plenty of warning over time about the dangers to New Orleans A poll finds that 2/3 of Americans think President Bush could have done more Thursday 8 th September President Bush declares September 16 th a national day of remembrance for those who lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina 25,000 body bags are sent to city where thousands are feared to have died The Federal Emergency Management Agency hands out debit cards worth £1,090 per household