Effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest storm in the U.S. history with damages of approximately $70 billion across New Orleans, which was the most affected part of the hurricane’s path. The cyclone’s effects were catastrophic, causing levees to fail, leading to flooding in the New Orleans area. About 80% of the city was submerged, causing the loss of about 1800 lives and damage of property.15 years after the tragedy, New Orleans is not back to what it used to be, but its rebuilding is still a work in progress. The U.S. Corps of Engineers has reconstructed many levees that had failed, releasing tens of gallons of water. Water and sewage services were slowly restored. The Louisiana Superdome, which is now known as the Mercedes Benz Superdome, was used as a shelter to the ones displaced from their homes. It has reopened for the saint’s super bowl-winning season with the refurbishing already done.
Left: after the hurricane. Right: 10 years after the storm.
Places like restaurants and hotels have mostly been reestablished, and areas are filled with people as ever. The city has become populous even though a drop in the numbers is witnessed compared to a census carried out in the 2000s. Most businesses that had suffered a significant blow due to property destruction and financial problems are back on their feet, with some profit more than before.
Left: impact of Katrina on the city THEN. Right: NOW 10 years after Katrina.
Although rampaged by hurricane Katrina, the city has also emphasized the restoration of not only its economy but also the cultural sector, which had yielded much social advantage.
References.
Kates, R. W., Colten, C. E., Laska, S., & Leatherman, S. P. (2006). Reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: a research perspective. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(40), 14653-14660.
Shklovski, I., Burke, M., Kiesler, S., & Kraut, R. (2010). Technology adoption and use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. American Behavioral Scientist, 53(8), 1228-1246.