Hurricane Katrina 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,836 total Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the... The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, shattering previous records on repeated occasions. ...

General Image File history File links Katrina-noaaGOES12. ... Timeline Meteorological history Preparations New Orleans preparedness Impact This article contains a historical timeline of the events of Hurricane Katrina. ... The path of Hurricane Katrina. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... New Orleans, Louisiana sits between (and below) the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. ... Economic effects Political effects Criticism of gov't response Social effects Effects by region Effects on Mississippi Effects on New Orleans Levee failures Infrastructure repairs Reconstruction Relief The economic effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana and Mississippi in late August 2005, were far-reaching. ... The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has already begun to have significant political effects manifested in criticism of the government response. ... The neutrality of this section is disputed. ... This article describes the impact of Hurricane Katrina on different regions of the United States and nearby areas. ... Damage to Long Beach, Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. ... {{Katrina) nathan cuff got on my compute ... Sketch of New Orleans (shaded grey), indicating the locations of the principal breaches in the levees/floodwalls (dark blue arrows). ... When Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, storm surges estimated at 20 feet took place; levee height was about 17 feet. ... The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans was catastrophic. ... Disaster relief International response Analysis The disaster recovery response to Hurricane Katrina included federal government agencies like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and local-level agencies, federal and National Guard soldiers, non-governmental charities, and private individuals. ... Many countries and international organizations have offered the United States relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. ... Alternative theories Historical context Media involvement Other wikis Following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, various conjectures were put forward suggesting that Katrina was not an ordinary natural event, but was instead influenced by human behavior or supernatural forces. ... Hurricane Katrina was the third most intense to hit the United States in recorded history. ... It has been suggested that Hardy Jackson be merged into this article or section. ... Commons: Katrina images Wikinews: Katrina stories Wikisource: Katrina sources

The impact and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina led to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the history of the United States. In addition to the over 1,300 fatalities caused by Katrina over the Southeast, there were thousands of people, and as many animals, who rode out Katrina and were left without clean water, food and shelter. This has lead to many social effects that are complex and yet to be fully determined. Initially, many lives were lost, while many more were disrupted. The event has left hundreds of thousands without access to their homes or jobs, has separated people from their loved ones, and has inflicted both physical and mental distress on those who suffered through the storm and its aftermath.^[1] Unlike economic damage, human suffering is extremely difficult to quantify, but it is clear that Hurricane Katrina has caused more immediate anguish than any other natural disaster to ever hit America. However, in the longer term, the effect will likely be an end to some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the United States, and end to a large degree the cycle of self-perpetuating poverty contained therein. Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,836 total Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Water (from the Old English waeter; c. ... Shelter can refer to several things: Look up shelter on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A homeless man pushes a cart down the street. ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ...

Psychological impact

Many victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the speed and quality of the government's response to the tragedy. This, in addition to the disastrous event itself, has left many victims with a sense of isolation. However, this is contrasted by the generosity of many outside communities welcoming evacuees into their communities, and volunteering to help them find employment. The civil disturbances and violence that took place in New Orleans amid the prevalence of death and destruction of property also suggest an atmosphere of the type with which lasting psychological trauma is usually associated, but it is too soon to know what the long-term psychological effects will be. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, looting, violence, and criminal activity became serious problems in the evacuated city of New Orleans. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City That Care Forgot Location Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates , Government Country State Parish United States Louisiana Orleans Parish, Louisiana Founded 1718 Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 350. ... Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. ...

In addition, the media has been saturated with apocalyptic-type messages in reference to the hurricane which, in itself, can contribute to the victim's sense of trauma, isolation, and abandonment. One sensitive issue concerned the term for the displaced, 'refugees', which appears five times more frequently in the global media than the more neutral ‘evacuees’.^[2] The somewhat hyperbolic representations of the devastation have served to increase the level of attention and support provided for the victims of this disaster. When compared to the massive and instantaneous loss of life incurred contemporaneously by the recent tsunami in Asia, the relatively slow incursion of the flood waters, and the much larger survival window gave many thousands an opportunity to escape with their lives and families. The tsunami caused by the December 26, 2004 earthquake strikes Ao Nang, Thailand. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

Evacuee displacement

Evacuated citizens have spread to all 50 states and many major cities.^[3] Due to this, many people were separated from their family members, including young children separated from their parents and pets. A coordinated effort by the American Red Cross, Microsoft, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center, combined many diverse databases and has been very effective in reconnecting children with their parents.^[4] An effort to catalog, identify, or even to collect remains of the dead is still ongoing as of April, 2006, leaving those who do not know the whereabouts of loved ones to suffer uncertainty and anxiety. Over time both the reconnection and recovery operations have improved, but it will be much time before the majority of bodies are retrieved and people reunited. A WWII-era poster encouraged American women to volunteer for the Red Cross as part of the war effort. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is an international computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of US$42. ... The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) is an organized research unit of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

While many existing organizations have worked to help those displaced, and some new groups and special efforts have been initiated, the survivors of Hurricane Katrina are still largely unorganized. Survivors have only recently begun to form associations for their own interests in the recovery effort. The largest of these associations is the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association,^[5] led by members of New Orleans ACORN. The group has protested FEMA policies in both Houston, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and claims over 2,000 members. ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the largest community organization of low and moderate-income families in the United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Space City Location Location in the state of Texas Coordinates , Government Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Mayor Bill White Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,558 km²  (601. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Red Stick Motto: Authentic Louisiana at every turn Location Government Country   State     Parish United States   Louisiana     East Baton Rouge Parish Founded Incorporated 1699 16 January 1817 Mayor Melvin Kip Holden Geographical characteristics Area    - City 204. ...

Many evacuees from New Orleans, facing months without income, severely damaged or destroyed homes, and little in the way of recoverable possessions have begun expressing desires to permanently resettle elsewhere.^[6] Possible locations include the areas to which they were evacuated, or with friends or family in other states. This would lead to potentially large demographic effects not only on New Orleans but on the entire country, rivaled only by the Great Migration of African Americans in the first half of the 20th century, and the mass migration of the 1930s as a result of the Dust Bowl. The diaspora of displaced survivors is likely to endure for decades as former citizens of New Orleans resettle in other areas and yet retain strong cultural ties. The Great Migration was the movement of millions of African Americans out of the rural Southern United States from 1914 to 1950. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas, in 1935. ...

Studies have shown that the concentration of poverty is self-perpetuating, thus some postulate that the hurricane may have a small positive impact on future poverty levels.^[7]

Health issues

Aside from the lack of water, food, shelter, and sanitation facilities, there were concerns that the prolonged flooding might lead to an outbreak of health problems for those who remained in the hurricane-affected areas. In addition to dehydration and food poisoning, there was a potential for communicable disease outbreaks of diarrhea and respiratory illness, all related to the growing contamination of food and drinking water supplies in the area. Water (from the Old English waeter; c. ... Shelter can refer to several things: Look up shelter on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydor in ancient Greek) from an object. ... Foodborne illness or food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites. ... Diarrhea or diarrhoea (see spelling differences) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; lit. ...

President Bush declared an emergency for the entire Gulf Coast. Before the hurricane, government health officials prepared to respond, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began sending medical emergency supplies to locations near the worst-hit area within 48 hours after landfall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the leading United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people. ...

Supplies shipped by CDC's Strategic National Stockpile provided pharmaceuticals, technical assistance teams, and treatment capacity for citizens otherwise stranded by the hurricane's catastrophic effect on hospital infrastructure in Louisiana and Mississippi. These supplies served an estimated 30 acute care hospitals south of Interstate Highway 10, and volunteers organized around its, "contingency stations," to become temporary stand-ins for hospitals, warehouses, and distribution facilities damaged by the storm. Alongside strong responses from state and local medical teams, CDC support remained crucial until normal infrastructure support began to return a week and a half later.

Within days after landfall, medical authorities established contingency treatment facilities for over 10,000 people, and plans to treat thousands more were developing. Partnerships with commercial medical suppliers, shipping companies, and support services companies insured that evolving medical needs could be met within days or even hours.

There was concern the chemical plants and refineries in the area could have released pollutants into the floodwaters. People who suffer from allergies or lung disorders, such as asthma, may have health complications due to toxic mold and airborne irritants, leading to what some health officials have dubbed, "Katrina Cough". In Gulfport, Mississippi, several hundred tons of chicken and uncooked shrimp were washed out of their containers at the nearby harbor and could have contaminated the water table. On September 6, it was reported that Escherichia coli (E. coli) had been detected at unsafe levels in the waters that flooded New Orleans. The CDC reported on September 7 that five people had died of bacterial infection from drinking water contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium from the Gulf of Mexico. Molds are ubiquitous in nature, and mold spores are a common component of household dust. ... Gulfport, Mississippi city flag. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Binomial name Escherichia coli T. Escherich, 1885 E. coli at 10,000x magnification Escherichia coli, usually abbreviated to E. coli, discovered by Theodor Escherich, a pediatrician and bacteriologist, is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of mammals. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...

Wide outbreaks of severe infectious diseases such as cholera and dysentery were not considered likely because such illnesses are not endemic in the United States.^[8] Drawing of Death bringing the cholera, in Le Petit Journal. ... Dysentery is an illness involving severe diarrhea that is often associated with blood in the feces. ...

Animal issues

A stray dog abandoned by its owners approaches a rescue worker in New Orleans. Many animals were left by their owners who could not take them to the evacuation shelters.

As with any major disaster, animals are affected as well as human beings. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, approximately 8,000 animals were rescued and brought to temporary shelters set up at the Lamar-Dixon Exposition Center in Gonzales, Louisiana, or the Parker Coliseum at Louisiana State University.^[9] ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2835x1786, 3991 KB) Description New Orleans, September 15, 2005 - A dog, seeking affection, food and water, slowly approaches a rescue worker. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2835x1786, 3991 KB) Description New Orleans, September 15, 2005 - A dog, seeking affection, food and water, slowly approaches a rescue worker. ... Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. ... Memorial Tower. ...

Helicopter pilots and rescue boat captains had refused to load pets in order to hold more people. Many families in the affected area refused to evacuate without their pets. While some field hospitals allowed pets to enter with their patients, those who were evacuated from the Superdome were not allowed to take their pets with them (see also Snowball).^[10] A police officer taking Snoball away The photo on the right is not a picture of Snowball. ...

Rescue teams were set up in the worst hit regions in response to desperate pleas from pet owners. Horses posed a particular problem, as they are easily stranded and cannot stand in water for long periods of time. Rescue agencies set up shelters and tried to find homes to adopt pets lost by their owners. Rescue centers were becoming overwhelmed in the days immediately following the hurricane. Several online resources were set up to give rescue groups, individuals, and businesses from around the country a centralized venue to publish their offers and requests for helping the animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Most of the 10,000 fish at the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas died because the backup power ran out after four days.^[11] Most of the marine mammals and a large sea turtle survived. The Audubon Zoo lost only three animals out of a total of 1,400 due to good disaster planning and location on high ground. Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium in New Orleans. ... The Audubon Zoo is a zoo located in New Orleans and is part of the Audubon Nature Institute. ...

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in conjunction with the Louisiana SPCA and many other groups, had hundreds of staff and volunteers working in Louisiana and Mississippi. As of September 20, 2005, 6,031 animals were rescued and 400 were reunited with their owners.^[12] An estimated 600,000 pets were killed or left without shelter as a result of Hurricane Katrina. ^[13] A humane society is a group that aims to stop animal and human suffering due to cruelty or other reasons. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33... Official language(s) English Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Area  Ranked 32nd  - Total 48,434 sq. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Hurricane Katrina
• Snowball (Hurricane Katrina dog)
• Economic effects of Hurricane Katrina
• Political effects of Hurricane Katrina
• Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina

Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,836 total Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the... A police officer taking Snoball away The photo on the right is not a picture of Snowball. ... The economic effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana and Mississippi in late August 2005, were far-reaching. ... The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has already begun to have significant political effects manifested in criticism of the government response. ... The neutrality of this section is disputed. ...

References