Hurricane Katrina - Research Paper Example

Hurricane Katrina al Affiliation Natural disasters occur when people least expect them to occur and the aftermath is usually devastating. This was not different when it came to Hurricane Katrina that occurred in 2005. A hurricane is said to be an intense rotating oceanic weather system that has or possesses winds that move at a very high speed, causing destruction to every place they pass through. There are other natural disasters that have befallen the United States, such as Hurricane Sundy, but the destruction that was caused by hurricane Katrina is still fresh in the minds of the survivors of that catastrophe. Hurricane Katrina was so strong that it costed the American government a lot of money, and also left a large number of the victims subjected to poor living conditions and in abject poverty. In this essay, the details about Hurricane Katrina are discussed. These include its effects, responses by the government and the private sector, lessons learnt from the catastrophe, as well as the recommendations that were given to deal with other future catastrophes. Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, Catastrophe, Government Response, Private Response, Lessons, Recommendations Introduction Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst hurricanes that the United States of America has ever experienced in history. Hoffman points out that “it began as a tropical depression over the Bahamas in the North Atlantic Ocean on August 23, 2005” (2007, p. 8). Then it gained momentum and became a tropical storm. It crossed southern Florida on 25, and by that time, it had become a hurricane that was very dangerous. The Katrina’s winds had a speed of 201Km per hour. The storm weakened somewhat before hitting land for a second and third time, on the morning of August 29. Hurricane Katrina “was the eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurricane, and the second category five hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season” (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009, p. 2). The zones that were affected by this hurricane Katrina were three states namely Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. In Mississippi, one could drive for hours along the coast and what was seen was massive destruction of houses, businesses, schools, and cars among others. Even like 100-150 miles inland, significant damage from the hurricane could be seen. In Louisiana alone, approximately 1.7 million people were affected by this hurricane and needed urgent evacuation (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). Impacts of Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic destruction along the Gulf Coast. It is reported that more than one million people were left displaced, and had to be moved to the remaining fifty states, where there was no storm. They carried only what was easier to move and left their homes. People who had formerly owned big houses were displaced and were forced to seek help from the government (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). Poverty levels were also seen to increase after the hurricane. People living far much above the poverty line were left in abject poverty. Before the hurricane Katrina, the poverty rate was 28% in New Orleans compared to 12% of the entire nation, but after hurricane Katrina struck, the poverty rate hit 38% (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). At least 1,836 people were reported to have been killed by the hurricane (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). The hurricane caused an estimated damage of $81.2 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster that has ever occurred in America and also in the world (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). The hurricane revealed much about the American society. America was known to be the most powerful country where everyone had a good life. Hurricane Katrina uncovered not only the devastating poverty among the Africa-Americans, but also the racial inequalities that existed in the whole of the American society. Blacks’ poverty rate was 35%, making it three times of the whites’ poverty, which was 11% (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). Government- Private Response Government Response Effective response to masses involved in emergencies is a critical role that requires an unusual level of planning, co-ordination, and dispatch among government’s diverse units, as well as the private sector in any given country. In responding to disasters such as hurricane Katrina, the federal government organizes operations with the local and state government and the private realm. During and after this disaster, the American government was highly criticized by everyone and especially its citizens, while the private sector was praised for the good work they did before and after the hurricane. It was a devastating moment to everyone because America was believed to be the super power in the world, but their government was not handling the problem in the right manner (United States Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2007) In as much as hurricane Katrina was an extraordinary natural disaster in the history of America, the preparation of the government towards such disasters proved to be insufficient and ineffective. The suffering that continued in the days and weeks after the storm had already passed was numerous. It continued longer than it should have because of the failure of the American government at all levels; in planning, preparation, and response, which were all not aggressive. These failures were not just conspicuous, but they were also pervasive (United States Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2007). Among the many factors that contributed to the failure of the government to respond effectively, there are four of them that were overarching. They are as follows: “Long-term warnings went unheeded and the government officials neglected their duties to prepare for a forewarned catastrophe” (United States Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2007, p. 585). Government officials took actions that were not sufficient and made poor decisions in the days prior to and after the hurricane. Systems which officials relied on to support their response efforts failed. The American “government officials at all levels failed to provide effective leadership” (United States Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2007, p. 585). The result of the poor response to the hurricane by the American government resulted to being very tragic because it led to loss of many lives, and large scale human suffering. (United States Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 2007). Private –Sector Response Private sector efforts were generally much more than those of the American government during the hurricane Katrina. It is reported that the private-sector planning started days before the hurricane Katrina struck. For example, on the Friday prior to the Monday when the hurricane struck, Home Depo, a private company activated its war room at its Atlanta headquarters; it negotiated with various suppliers “to get the needed supplies staged to move into the hurricane zone” (Chamlee-Wright & Storr, 2010, p. 49). Another good example to show how the private sector was prepared is that of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is said to have arrived at the New Orleans area, which was one of the hurricane zones long before FEMA, which a government agency, and had the supplies that the community needed. Wal-Mart is said to have delivered three trailers of clean water, but they were turned back by FEMA (Chamlee-Wright & Storr, 2010). Also in the private sector, the United States coast guard is reported to have responded very effectively to the hurricane. He mobilized a total of almost 5300 personnel, 62 aircrafts, 30 cutters and 11 small boats that were used in the rescue mission. Thus in general, the private sector responded well to the hurricane compared to the American government (Chamlee-Wright & Storr, 2010). The Recovery Efforts that Developed after the Hurricane Katrina As seen earlier, the American government had failed its people, but there were certainly efforts that the government made to save its people. Recovery efforts following the Katrina made the American government decide that the existing national preparedness system was to be improved to minimize the impact of disaster on lives, health, property, and the economy. America has gone to an extent of creating a culture of preparedness (The federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learnt) Relief efforts following the aftermath of a disaster included providing people with the essentials to maintain life such as food, shelter, water, and medical care. Every second, hour, or day counts during such a time, so urgent response is very necessary. The recovery efforts were both long term and short term (The federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learnt). Short Term Recovery Efforts During the hurricane, some private organizations provided volunteers, who worked with the volunteer search team and government rescue team (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Faith based organizations provided services such as mobile kitchens to the affected citizens, where they use to feed them from. An example is the 9000 southern Baptist Convention of the North America Mission Board and volunteers (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Other non-governmental organizations brought comfort to the traumatized victims by offering counseling and medical care to them (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Other organizations and the government offered shelter to the displaced victims (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Long- Term Recovery Efforts The government, private sector and faith based organizations, non-profit organizations, and other volunteering personnel have collaborated in innovative ways to provide medical, financial, and housing assistance (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Over $ 2 billion in federal assistance was distributed to Mississippi and have been provided to the local and parish governments to reimburse them for the debris removal, emergency protective measures, and to begin permanent repair on public facilities and infrastructure (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Approximately 96% of all assistance requested by the cities and parishes that were affected has been payed through FEMA a government management agency, to fix the public buildings (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). There has been the implementation of the road home; the largest single housing program to cater for the shelters of the displaced victims (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Problems Faced In spite of the tireless support the private sector were offering the government, they were facing many obstacles in their provision of services. These included: Wal-Mart, who were turned back by FEMA, when they wanted to supply water to the affected people (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Government agencies did not effectively co-ordinate relief operations with the private-sector (The federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learnt, 2006) Moving goods, equipments, and the people who had volunteered to the disaster area was very difficult (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). The government did not have enough money and was not prepared enough to support the volunteers force in terms of food housing and operational needs (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006). Some people had refused to be evacuated until the storm came and it was too late for them. Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina In every disaster there are lessons that are learnt and experience is the best teacher. There are the dos and the don’ts in every lesson learnt. In the case of hurricane Katrina, the American government, other share holders, and its people learnt very important lessons. These lessons are as follows: The government should develop ways of communicating to the American public before and after a disaster, so that the people will be aware of the happenings that are about to befall them. There is also need to have adequate, redundant communication systems with an emphasis on satellite. The department of the state in co-ordination with the department of homeland security should review and revise the policies, plans, and procedures for the management of foreign disasters, such as hurricane Katrina. The “department of health and human services should strengthen the capability of the federal government to provide public health and medical support during crisis” (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006, p. 59), such as that of hurricane Katrina. The department of housing, urban development, in co-ordination with departments of the executive branch with housing stock should develop integrated plans, and bolster capabilities for temporary and long-term housing of the evacuees. The “American red-cross and the department of security should retain responsibilities and improve the process of mass care and sheltering during disasters” (Assistant to the President of the United States, 2006, p. 108), such as hurricane Katrina. The government should co-ordinate with non-governmental organizations and other private sectors to deliver human services during disasters so that the victims are able to receive all the assistance that they require. Analysis of Hurricane Katrina There were many reports that were written regarding hurricane Katrina, such as the national guard after-action report and the Bipartisan committee report that investigated the preparation for and response to the hurricane. This report had the following findings: The Bipartisan after –action reports viewed the department of defense as having not adequately defined what was required for military assistance to civilian authorities during large disasters (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Bipartisan after-action report found out that the department of defense lacked situational awareness of post landfall conditions, which contributed to slower response. The department has intelligence and communication equipment, but they could not be used during the hurricane Katrina because it had limited its visibility on in-transit forces (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). Hurricane Katrina required the army, air-force, navy, and Marine Corps to work together in an emergency mission, but the task force lacked joint training, which contributed to lack of co-ordination between the active members (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Bipartisan after-action Report also found out that Louisiana and Mississippi lacked the necessary communication equipment for proper ground co-ordination. The lack of infrastructure in the two areas caused a great deal of confusion for days (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The coast guards response saved many lives, but there was no sufficient co-ordination with other responders, and this ought to be improved. The first coast guard rescue occurred within a few hours after the storm made landfall. All pre-positioned coast guard aircrafts were conducting search and rescue missions, damage over-flight assessment, and logical support. By September 20, the coast guard had organized and had effectively co- ordinated the rescue of 33,544 people (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). While immediate life saving measures were taken by the coast guards, they failed on another side; they failed to communicate the location of the rescued citizens to local authorities about the people they had already rescued, leading to some rescued persons being left stranded, lacking food , water, and shelter for extended periods (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Bipartisan after action report also found out that the army corps of engineers; one of the active duty military units had provided critical resources to help the Katrina victims, but the pre-landfall contracts were not adequate (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Bipartisan after action report also found out that the department of defense has not yet incorporated the lessons they learnt during the rescue missions of victims of hurricane Katrina, from joint military exercise in military assistance to civil authorities that would have allowed for a more effective response (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The National Guard after-action reports on TOPOFF 3 found that numerous members of the guard operational leadership lacked adequate knowledge on plans during disasters, such as hurricane Katrina (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The National Guard Bureau also reported that lines of command, control, and communication lacked clear definition and co-ordination between the federal military forces and National Guard forces operating under state control resulting into duplicate efforts. For example, because of the lack of proper and effective communication and co-ordination, 82 airborne divisions moved into an area that was already being patrolled by the National Guards (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Bipartisan after-reaction report also found out that the “Northern command does not have adequate insight into state response capabilities or adequate interface with governors, which contributed to lack of mutual understanding and trust during the Katrina response” (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006, p. 4). It also found out that equipment, personnel, and training shortfalls affected the National Guard response to Katina victims (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). The Army National Guard relied heavily on its aviation units and helicopter-hoist-equipped aircrafts, which helped them in immediate success in search and rescue operations. The current Army however does not provide sufficient numbers of hoist equipped aircrafts to support responses to big disasters such as the Katrina (United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee, 2006). Recommendations As seen earlier hurricane Katrina was the largest disaster in the history of America. “Despite a large deployment of resources by the American government at all levels, many have regarded the government’s response as being inadequate” (Pickup, 2006, n.p.). Because of this, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been making recommendations to improve the military response to disasters, such as hurricane Katrina, following that the military is heavily relied on in such catastrophes (Pickup, 2006). The recommendations majorly need the military capabilities in the national response plan to be improved, because like in the case of hurricane Katrina, their response was a massive one. GAO had four main recommendations which are as follows: Given the heavy reliance on the military during catastrophes, GAO recommended that the Secretary of Defense provide the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security with proposed revision to the NRP (National Response Plan) that will fully address the proactive functions the military will be expected to perform during disasters, for inclusion in the next National Response Plan (Pickup, 2006). The second recommendation that GAO gave was in the view of the fast approaching hurricane season of 2006 and other natural and man-made disasters. The secretary of Defense should establish the development of a detailed Plans and exercises that would fully support the capabilities of the military, which is likely to provide to civil authorities in response to massive disasters (Pickup, 2006). The plan and exercises that the GAO had recommended was to specifically address the following: a) There was supposed to be the use of communication capabilities to facilitate support to civil authorities, unlike what was experienced during the Hurricane Katrina, which made the rescue operations slower. b) The plans and exercises were to address the use of search and rescue capabilities by the military. c) Also the plan and exercises would ensure the integration of an active component, the National Guard, and reserve forces. d) The role that the military might be expected to play in logistics was to be addressed. e) The plan and exercise would also recommend the use of reconnaissance capabilities to asses’ damage. The third recommendation was that, the Secretary of Defense should direct the National Guard Bureau to work with the state governors, to develop and maintain a list of the types of Capabilities the National Guard will likely to provide in response to domestic natural disasters (Pickup, 2006). The forth and last major recommendation was that “the Secretary of Defense should also establish the type of federal military capabilities and the units that could provide those capabilities in response to the full range of disasters” (Pickup, 2006, p. 54). In conclusion, hurricane Katrina necessitated a national response that the federal government, state, and local officials were unprepared to provide. The methods that had been deployed for other disasters proved to be unsuccessful for hurricane Katrina. The government suffered from organization and co-ordination problems, to lack of communication and awareness to the American public. These show the weaknesses of the national government at large to such tragic disasters. Hurricane Katrina called for a need of more and greater preparedness efforts, not only to the government, but also to the American public and even the private sector (Pickup, 2006). Because of its size and strength, hurricane Katrina will have long- standing effects for many years to come. By nature, disasters such as hurricane Katrina cause extraordinary levels of casualties, damage to the country and its people in all aspect; socially, economically, and even politically. A more detailed planning would be best, to improve the official understanding of the support the military could be expected to provide, thus every government should at least ensure that they are prepared for any natural disaster be it large or small (Pickup, 2006). Reference List Assistant to the President of the United States. (2006). The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina; Lessons Learnt. Washington: Government Printing Office. Chamlee-Wright, E. & Storr, V. H. (Eds.). (2010). The Political Economy of Hurricane Katrina and Community Rebound. Boston: Edward-Elgar Publishing. Hoffman, M. A. (2007). Hurricane Katrina. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Levitt, J. I. & Whitaker, M. C. (Eds.). (2009). Hurricane Katrina, America’s Unnatural Disaster. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Pickup, S.L. (2006). Hurricane Katrina: Better Plans and Exercises Needed to Guide Military’s’ Response to Catastrophic Disasters. Philadelphia: DIANE Publishing. United States Congress House Select Bipartisan Committee. (2006). A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee. Washington: Government Printing Office. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (2007). Hurricane Katrina: Nation Still Unprepared: Special Report. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. Read More