Positive Aspects of Hurricane Katrina Responses - Essay Example

Response to Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive hurricanes that occurred in 2005 in the Atlantic region. The hurricane led to death of people and enormous destruction of property making it the sixth deadliest hurricane in the history of the United States.  As a result of its occurrence, various responses were put into practice; these responses had both positive and negative aspects (Brasch, 2006).

Positive aspects of Hurricane Katrina responses

After the disaster according to Gallup & Newport (2007), the government asked for assistance from the European Union, asking for medical kits, food stuffs, and blankets for victims. This was positively considered by the European Union and help was sent. In terms of positive response, the local government was more positive than the federal government and the state government. Within the first week of the hurricane, the federal government dispatched ten billion dollars as an aid package and also deployed seven thousand troops from the National Guard.

Firefighters were also relocated to the affected areas. The Mexican government which had just taken office, offered two hundred members of the National Guard to help the victims. Repair crews were sent to the areas affected so as to restore power to the various industries affected by the hurricane. Before the crisis struck, equipment was sent out of the city so as to give space for evacuees (Gallup & Newport, 2007).

Negative aspects

The metrological department had warned of a major Hurricane occurring, but the response did not reflect the earlier warning. The White House wanted the response in Louisiana to be federalized since the governor was a Democrat and not a Republican. The White House denied these allegations claiming that there was no political consideration when dealing with the situation, though there was proof that the whole situation was politicized (Brasch, 2006).

The Stafford Act which dictates that the localities should make a contribution of 10 percent of the reconstruction and clean-up services was not waived unlike in previous Hurricanes. Evacuations were not ordered in cities like New Orleans until 24 hours before the Hurricane struck. The Plaquemines Parish was not late to order evacuation though. The National Guard sent from Mexico was snarled by the state government, which made them arrive five days into the crisis. The vice president ordered that the electricity line be repaired; this electricity line only restored power to the pipeline which sent oil to the northeast. This move by the vice president delayed the restoration of electricity to the hospitals in the affected areas and increased the number of casualties who succumbed to their injuries while in the hospital (Gallup & Newport, 2007).

Reports from the United Nations showed that the response from the federal government impacted negatively on the displaced people especially black residents since they did not get housing after the Hurricane struck. The Department of Urban Development and Housing did not consider the negative effects of demolishing major public housing complexes in the affected areas. This is in that, those whose houses were demolished did not get housing rendering them homeless after the Hurricane struck.

Condemnation of mismanagement in the relief effort of responding to Hurricane Katrina and what came after its occurrence was echoed by many parties. This condemnation came due to the failure of the government to evacuate residents who experienced flooding in New Orleans and the Hurricane thereafter. In conclusion, criticism came from various people on the response strategies taken by the federal and state government in regard to Hurricane Katrina (Brasch, 2006).