Recovery from Hurricane Katrina - Research Paper Example

 Hurricane Katrina : Recovery from a Natural Disaster In the history of the United States, Hurricane Katrina stands to be one of the devastating to life and property in the hurricane season of 2005. It succeeds the Okeechobee Hurricane that happened in 1928 when it comes to death toll that yielded 1, 836 deaths. What started as a category 1 hurricane that formed over the Bahamas in August 23, 2005 became a powerful category 5 storm after 5 days over the gulf of Mexico. According to the report of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( 2007 ) when it reached Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana, it was a category 3 hurricane that packed maximum winds “near 125 mph to the east of the center “. The areas destroyed by the hurricane included the Gulf Coast ( Central Florida to Texas ) which was mainly caused by a storm surge. The impact of the hurricane was severely felt in New Orleans, Louisiana since it was compounded by the failure of the flood protection system in the state; thus, resulting to the flooding of 80% of the city that lasted for weeks ( Marshall, Swanson ). Floodwaters as high as ten feet posed as a threat to the safety and sanitation of the areas affected. Subsequent floods caused additional loss of lives and property as people helplessly waded in their homes submerged in waters. Indeed, Hurricane Katrina was a lesson in disaster history that had serious environmental, economic and social impact to the inhabitants affected by the hurricane. Nevertheless, the human spirit prevails over adversity as this paper discuss how the area affected by Katrina would recover and rehabilitate . THE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE KATRINA Before discussing the recovery programs that were implemented by the government and private organizations, it is necessary to have information on the extent of devastation that hurricane Katrina lashed out on the economy, environment, and lives of the victims. A detail of the destruction caused by Katrina could make us understand the extent of the recovery program that was implemented by the stakeholders in this disaster. Environmental Damage: Water Pollution. One of the biggest damage caused by Hurricane Katrina was to the environment. The severe flooding caused by failure of the levee heavily contributed to the contamination and pollution of the water in New Orleans. After the hurricane, the flood in New Orleans contained oil spills from coastal refineries and offshore rigs that contained roughly seven million gallons of oil from various parts of the region. In addition to this, raw sewage and industrial waste are part of the toxic flood. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency regards Katrina as one of the formidable environmental disaster it has handled due to the extent of the damage it has caused, especially the flooding of the Superfund Site. To make matters worse, the environmental regulations in place that would prevent further discharge of pollutants were not enforced, according to Hugh Kaufman, an EPA senior policy analyst. Even before Hurricane Katrina, the progress around the region was not monitored thereby making the environment vulnerable to absorption of toxic materials during the disaster. Either Hurricane Katrina cut short the borrowed time people had in maintaining their environment or hastened the destruction of the environment which have been abused by the people. Professor Lynn Goldman ( environmental health sciences professor ) from John Hopkins University argued that : “The range of toxic chemicals that may have been released is extensive, we’re talking about metals, persistent chemicals, solvents, materials that have numerous potential health impacts over the long term.” ( cited in politicalaffairs.net 2006) This statement is a cause for concern over the issue of public health years after Katrina has occurred. Even if the Coast Guard has helped clean-up the oil spills and informed the public that water has been “naturally dispersed”, still, the contaminated floodwater that contained toxic waste has seeped into the ground. Indeed, there are reasons why environmentalists are concerned about the future of the biodiversity as well as the ailing fishing industry in Louisiana due to the contamination of water. On the contrary, the EPA published the results of sediment sampling from Orleans, Plaquemines and St Bernard Parishes. Some areas were re-assessed since high levels of arsenic, lead, arsenic, benzo(a) pyrene, and diesel and oil range organic petroleum chemicals were present. The EPA assessment indicated that: 1) the highest concentrations of arsenic were likely associated with herbicides used at or near golf courses; 2) benzo(a)pyrene was found in a small section of the Agriculture Street Landfill Superfund site and will be addressed as the Housing Authority of New Orleans finalizes its plans for badly damaged townhomes in the area; 3) the concentrations of diesel and oil range organic chemicals are diminishing and will be monitored over time to ensure that these concentrations continue to decrease; 4) the elevated levels of lead detected in samples collected by EPA predate the hurricanes. With aforementioned results, the EPA concluded that no adverse health impact are caused by the sediments left by the flooding ; thus, residents can safely return to New Orleans ( EPA ,2006). However, the public is still advised to take precautionary measures when in contact with floodwater. Ecological Imbalance: Destruction of Trees. Unfortunately, aside from water pollution, another important part of the ecological balance that was heavily disturbed by Katrina was the loss of trees. In an Earthtimes article in 2007, it was reported that Hurricane Katrina ( along with Hurricane Rita ) caused the destruction of “320 million trees in Mississippi and Louisiana” as shown by satellite images from NASA ( Masheer ). In the article Hurricane Katrina caused Untold Damage to Environment : Study, a group of researchers from Tulane University led by Jeffrey Chambers argued that : "The loss of so many trees will cause these forests to be a net source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere for years to come. If, as many believe, a warming climate causes a rise in the intensity of extreme events like Hurricane Katrina, we're likely to see an increase in tree mortality, resulting in an elevated release of carbon by impacted forest ecosystems." ( cited in Masheer, 2007 ). The greenhouse gases emitted from the decomposition of trees will further contribute to global warming that will continue to escalate in the next few years. Economic Damage. In the book Real Estate Damage written by Randal Bell, a recognized economist and crisis consultant, he argued that: "Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.”( Bell). Thus, Hurricane Katrina can be considered as the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Foxnews reported in 2005 that the U.S. government has been experiencing a budget deficit nearing $331 billion; thus, the financial damage wreaked by Katrina added strain on the budget since the government spent almost $2 billion a day for the relief efforts ( foxnews 2005). At that time, the government had no choice but to rehabilitate the affected areas, charging the costs straight into the budget deficit. The federal money used in Hurricane Katrina was for the following purpose : repair of New Orleans’ levees, give compensation to victims, clear tons of debris, and house evacuees. The repairs needed for the coast as well as other infrastructure such as schools, roads, and buildings would require billions of money. However, the Congress had to stick to its budget which caused frustration on the part of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. The Government Accountability Office has claimed that as much as $ 1.4 billion of funds was misspent by Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) due to safeguards that were not implemented ( USA Today 2006). This could have possibly happened since FEMA have to be quick in making the estimates of the repairs since the citizens were impatient. However, even FEMA itself held some bidding for projects since it was afraid that the national government would not reimburse the expenses. The Office of Management and Budget that time considered the costs as short-term which would be absorbed in the budget of the succeeding years since the economic recession this year was not forecasted yet. But with the recent economic slump, the fiscal impact of Hurricane Katrina cannot be underestimated. New Orleans Economy. New Orleans has a distinct industry dictated by it geographic location. According to an article in the Monthly Labor Review ( June 2007 ), its main industries that form a “three-legged stool” are: 1. Tourism - this includes entertainment, food service, and hotel industry . New Orleans is frequently visited by people from other states for its popular attractions such as the Mardi Gras, Sugar Bowl, Jazz Festival which is complemented by exquisite restaurants. 2. Port Operations – This place has two ports: Ports of New Orleans and Port of South Louisiana . The latter handles the “ most bulk tonnage in the world” ( p. 4) due to the 5,000 ships that dock into its port annually. Most of the produce of Midwestern farmers that are exported to Latin America pass through here. 3. Educational Services. Aside from tourism and port operations, New Orleans can also be considered as a center for higher education for it has the following institutions: Tulane University, the Uni­versity of New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans, Xavier University of New Orleans, Southern University of New Orleans, Dillard University, and the Louisiana State University Medical School. Some of the institutions cater to African-American students that became professionals and have taken residence in New Orleans. Indeed, New Orleans was a busy place that provided jobs to thousands of people, but with the event of Katrina, the loss of wages in the ten months that followed “approximately reached $2.9 billion “ ( Dolfman Wasser Bergman 1 ). There is no arguing that this hurricane is one of the worst natural disasters that affected mankind. RECOVERY AFTER KATRINA With all the economic, social, environmental damage brought by hurricane Katrina, the questions are : What has happened a few years later? Were the localities reconstructed? Did the economy pick-up in New Orleans? What lessons have the survivors learned? Indeed, these are some of interesting points that will be presented in the following discussion. The government’s role. Even at the very beginning of the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, it earned criticism from the public due to poor leadership. The response to the disaster was delayed which caused additional suffering to the thousands of people who were cold and hungry, wading in the toxic floodwaters. Incidence of violence and looting particularly in the Crescent City complicated the rescue operations. This was a result of the civilians impatience in getting food and supply rations during and after the disaster. At the beginning of the hurricane, the government through its Department of Homeland Security immediately set up the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office that would assist in rebuilding public infrastructure that was damaged not only by Katrina but by Hurricane Rita as well. Thus, after these twin hurricanes, the Federal government expressed its assistance in rebuilding the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. This was accomplished through the Stafford Act’s Public Assistance ( PA) Grant Program which is directly administered by FEMA. According to the FEMA website, it provides federal grant assistance “for the repair, replacement, or restoration of publicly owned facilities and the facilities of eligible private nonprofit organizations” ( fema.gov 2008). The FEMA website explains how the Alternative Arrangements ( AA ) work for FEMA by wisely using it in compliance with National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA). The website point out the critical infrastructure such as schools, buildings, hospitals, and utilities that need to rebuilt in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. These projects are considered under the funding of the federal government through the PA program. The FEMA website is now updated with events, precautionary measures in case of disasters, informational advice for those filing claims, and other relevant information that the public can access in preparation for the hurricane season. For this year, it has marked June 1st as the start of the hurricane season. Indeed, FEMA has come a long way in providing assistance to victims of hurricane from the Gulf Coast. Moreover, it has made sound disaster plans that would now be effectively used and implemented by the affected people. In addition to this, the “Environmental Health Needs and Habitability Assessment “ was prepared by a joint taskforce of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report made last September 17, 2005 gave an accurate report and recommendations on what actions should be done by the local officials as well as the national government in aiding the population understand the health and environmental risks before returning to their homes. This report would later become a handy guideline in handling other natural disasters like Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav. The Economy after Katrina. It is surprising to know that the economy of New Orleans experienced growth after Hurricane Katrina. This growth was mainly caused by the influx of billions of dollars used in the construction industry. In 2006 alone, it has $61 billion worth of construction which surpass decades of annual building in New Orleans. It seems that Hurricane Katrina gave New Orleans a much needed boost after it has been considered as the “slowest growing economy of any major city in the South” according to New Orleans chancellor Timothy Ryan ( Thomas 2006 ). But since billions of money have been used in the reconstruction projects, the economy experienced a dynamic drive that affected victims could benefit from. Emergency Preparedness and Response. One of the greatest lessons gained from this disaster is the skill and knowledge gained in responding to a natural disaster with a scope this big. This lead to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief and Economic Recovery Act which provides the following highlights: 1.Ensures that religious organizations will not be denied federal assistance in repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing their facilities following damage or destruction of those facilities as a result of Hurricane Katrina; 2. Authorizes $91.2 million to provide immediate command centers and communications following a disaster or other emergency; 3. Authorizes $50 million for speedy submission of a regional plan and its implementation, including a center at the Federal City complex that will be constructed at the Naval Support Activity in Algiers, LA; 4. Provides $600 million to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement to implement the Louisiana Totally Interoperable Environment (LATIE). 5. Provides emergency funding for the rebuilding of the public telecommunications infrastructure and facilities that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the amount of $250 million. Labor Market After Katrina. An interesting point that must be made in the labor market of New Orleans after Katrina is that even if massive job loss occurred, there was an increase in the city’s average weekly wages ( Dolfmann 17 ) . Also, it was mentioned that “the three-legged stool” formed the basic industry in New Orleans. After Katrina, it continued to flourish since these three sectors have bright prospects for the future especially the educational services sector. Dolfmann states that the location quotient of its two services - port operations and educational services has increased. He cited that: “Port operations, with a location quotient of 2.22 (compared with 1.80 in 2004), has increased in im­portance, as has educational services, with a 2006 location quotient of 3.30, compared with 2.52 in 2004”. ( Dolfmann et.al 16 ) The tourism sector maintained its strength which was mainly derived from the heritage of the place. Although museums were destroyed, the culture was left intact among the people that was reflected in the music and songs. Even the employment outlook was still favorable in these sector which made New Orleans a better place for artists. Aside from this, other sectors grew such as the professional, scientific, and technical sector. The thrust of this growing sector is on extending the useful life of existing wells as well as enhancing offshore drilling capacities. The current Bureau of Labor and Statistics Data reflects that the rebuilding of New Orleans yielded to encouraging results. Employment growth in the three-legged stool seems to be increasing. Therefore, despite Hurricane Katrina’s intervention in the economic lives of the people, it has produced growth and progress. It may have slowed down the labor market but it has opened other opportunities in sectors that were unknown before. Hurricane Katrina has indeed damaged billions of properties, claimed thousands of lives , and endangered the existing environment. However, the human spirit has shown its resilience even through this disaster which has been considered the costliest and damaging so far. Affected areas like Louisiana and other areas bounced back by relying on its best resource: people’s will to survive . WORKS CITED Bell, Randall. Real Estate Damages. Dolfman, Michael L., Wasser, Solidelle Fortier , Bergman, Bruce . ( June 2007 )The Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans Economy. . Monthly Labor Review.< http://www.bls.gov/ opub/mlr/2007/06/art1full.pdf.> Earthtimes.org. Hurricane Katrina caused Untold Damage to Environment : Study. Masheer, Abdul-Salam. Nov.16,2007 May 29, 2009 Environmental Protection Agency. Summary Results of Sediment Sampling Conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita .Aug. 17, 2006.updated January 10, 2008. < http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults /sediments/summary .html#c>’ “Federal Katrina Costs Balloon”. Foxnews. Sept. 7, 2005 May 23, 2009 Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief and Economic Recovery Act Knabb, Richard D., Rhome, Jamie and Brown ,Daniel P. Tropical Cyclone Report . Hurricane Katrina 23-30 August 2005 .National Hurricane Center June 1, 2009 New Orleans Metropolitan Area Infrastructure Projects. May 2008, May 27 2009. Political Affairs.net. June 24, 2006 May 20,2009. Environmental Impacts of Hurricane Katrina. Swenson, Dan D; Marshall, Bob (May 14, 2005). "Flash Flood: Hurricane Katrina's Inundation of New Orleans, August 29, 2005" (SWF). Times-Picayune. Thomas, Greg. June 9, 2006.“N.O. Post Katrina economy rising”. Times-Picayune. Wolf, Richard. “Katrina Costs Continue to Swell” USA Today 8/22/2006. May 21, 2009. Read More