Comparisons Between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey

Table of Contents 

Comparisons Between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey 3 

Introduction 3 

Year of occurrence 3 

Hurricane Katrina 3 

Hurricane Harvey 3 

The part of formation to landfall 4 

Hurricane Katrina 4 

Hurricane Harvey 4 

Where it made the landfall 4 

Hurricane Katrina 4 

Hurricane Harvey 5 

Category on the Saffir-Simpson’s scale 6 

Hurricane Katrina 6 

Hurricane Harvey 6 

Reason(s) why it made news headlines 6 

Hurricane Katrina 6 

Hurricane Harvey 7 

Evacuation 7 

Hurricane Katrina 7 

Hurricane Harvey 8 

Rainfall 8 

Hurricane Katrina 8 

Hurricane Harvey 8 

Death and Damage 8 

Hurricane Katrina 8 

Hurricane Harvey 9 

Reponses by Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) 9 

Hurricane Katrina 9 

Hurricane Harvey 9 

Any unusual features about the hurricane 10 

Hurricane Katrina 10 

Hurricane Harvey 10 

Conclusion 10 

Reference 11 

Comparisons Between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey 

Introduction 

Over the past few years, the United States of America (USA) has been on the receiving end of the wrath mother nature. Some of the worst storms to hit the nation include Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey. These two storms crippled the economy and social life of the states they affected leaving behind destruction of property and loss of life. They might have occurred during different time but their effect was devastating to the people and the economy of the states as much income that could have used for development was channeled to helping the states, and people affected rebuild their lives. This indicated that there are several areas through which the two hurricanes are comparable. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey are the two most devastating storms to hit the US over the past decade. Every year several catastrophes hit the world resulting in loss of life and destruction of property. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey had damaging winds and resulted in flooding. They will be remembered by everyone across the world to their adverse effect on the nation, people and states affected. 

Year of occurrence 

Hurricane Katrina 

Hurricane Katrina occurred on August 29 th , 2005 and affected several cities in New Orleans. Primarily, the storm originated from Bahamans on Aug. 23 rd , 2005 as a result of interaction between the tropical depression ten and tropical wave (Schwartz, 2017) . The areas affected by the storm included South Florida, Cuba, Central Florida, Louisiana, Bahamas, and Alabama. The speed of the storm reached 175 mph which is equivalent to 280 km/h. 

Hurricane Harvey 

Hurricane Harvey formed on Aug. 13 th , 2017 but occurred September 2 nd , 2017. The areas affected by the storm included Suriname, Windward Islands, Nicaragua, Guyana, Texas, and Honduras (Weisberger, 2017) . The wind had a speed of about 130 mph which is equivalent to 215 km/h (Schwartz, 2017) . 

The part of formation to landfall 

Hurricane Katrina 

On 23 rd August 2005 a tropical depression to occurred on the south over the southeastern parts of the Bahamas giving birth to Tropical Storm that has come to be known as Katrina on early hours of 24 th August 2005 (Weisberger, 2017) . The storm then transformed to a tropical storm Katrina and moved towards Florida. 

Hurricane Harvey 

The birth of hurricane Harvey occurred on Aug, 13 th , 2017 along the west coast of Africa as a tropical wind emerged at the region. Consequently, the wave merged with a broad area at low pressure near Cape Verde Island ( Long, Kachroo, Musser, & Olsen, 2017 ). The wind moved across the Atlantic Ocean towards the eastern part of the Caribbean. For several days it remained uncertain whether the wave would mature into a tropical cyclone. On the contrary, on 17 th August the National Hurricane Centre started giving warnings, forecasts, and advisories. Primarily, during the initial stages of the storm broke and later re-emerged at the warm waters at the Bay of Campeche. At this point, the National Hurricane Centre was confident that the storm would form a tropical cyclone ( van Oldenborgh, van der Wiel., Sebastian, Singh, Arrighi, Otto, & Cullen, 2017 ). Primarily on during the morning hours on 23 rd August, the Tropical Depression of the storm formed. 

Where it made the landfall 

Hurricane Katrina 

From there the storm tracked towards the west while intensifying and making it initial landfall along the coast of Florida on August 25 th . At the time the storm was categorized as category one hurricane with as speed of 80 mph on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. According to Liang, Hayashi, Bennett, Johnson, & Aten, (2015) , upon moving to west across south Florida, the wind came across the very warm waters on the Gulf of Mexico. At this point, the Katrina gradually intensified rapidly and gained the status of category five hurricane reaching a speed of 170 mph. Katrina then moved to the direction of the northwest on Aug. 28 (Weisberger, 2017) . Before, Katrina could make a landfall of the northern Gulf Coast it weakened to a category three hurricane. In southeast Louisiana, Katrina sustained winds of 125 mph while along the Mississippi Gulf Coast it sustained wind of about 120 mph. Hurricane Katrina finally weakened on Aug. 26 th over central Mississippi ( Bleemer, & Van der Klaauw 2017 ). 

Hurricane Harvey 

NHC believed that the wind was a category one hurricane before making the first landfall on Huston and Brownsville. Risser & Wehner (2017) , argues that on August 24 th the storm impact on the upper and middle Texas Coast seemed potentially devastating and inevitable. Hurricane Harvey impact was not only to have devastating winds but extraordinarily excessive and heavy rainfall, historic flooding on areas east of the center of circulation. By the next day, the storm had undergone rapid intensification and became a category three hurricane. By the evening of Friday 25, the storm was categorized as a category four hurricane with sustained winds of about 130 mph. According to Long et al., (2017) , after causing damaging and deadly winds and floods in Texas and also devastating, life-threatening flooding, historical and catastrophic flood over the areas of southeast Texas the storm finally made its final landfall near Louisiana and Cameron during the night hours in 30 th Aug. 

Category on the Saffir-Simpson’s scale 

Hurricane Katrina 

Katrina was categorized as a category five hurricane wind winds reaching a speed of 170 mph. However, the storm made its initial landfall as a category three hurricane ( Schwartz, 2017 ). 

Hurricane Harvey 

Hurricane Harvey at its peak it reacted category four hurricane. However, its winds weakened to a tropical storm a day after it made its landfall. Its maximum wind reached 130 mph. 

Reason(s) why it made news headlines 

Hurricane Katrina 

Katrina remains one of the most devastating storms to hit the united states over the past century. This is because most of the areas that were affected by the storm remained uninhabitable for weeks. Moreover, despite the warning, most of the people and even the government failed to take the necessary precautions. There are three essential reasons why Katrina made headlines. Firstly, the evacuation, several people remained stranded for many days at the New Orleans Convention Centre in squalid conditions ( Weisberger, 2017 ). Primarily, nothing was offered to them, and things at the center were getting crazy and dangerous as the conditions there were worse. A delay by the government and the state to order evacuation only 19 hours before the storm made its landfall, for example in New Orleans. An investigation by the Senate found out that the delay caused deaths and suffering that was preventable ( Williams, 2017 ). Furthermore, lack of buses was another reason why the hurricane made a headline. Busses started arriving four days after the landfall, while school owned buses were trapped underwater yet they could have been used for rescue. 

Secondly, the levees, this was another reason why Katrina made a headline. The three hundred and fifty miles of floodwalls and levees were supposed to shield New Orleans, but it failed to meet its obligation. Importantly, more than 80 percent of the city was under water ( Bleemer & Van der Klaauw, 2017 ). Upon investigation my professions on the failure of the levees and floodwall it emerged that there were flaws in the design which included weak soil. Thirdly, government mismanagement, there was a complete breakdown in the coordination between the government institutions. 

Hurricane Harvey 

Having been hit by hurricane Katrina a decade ago, it would have been possible for the government to stay alert in case another storm hits the country. The reasons why the hurricane Harvey made headlines was that the government was too slow to respond. Further, the city officials did not call for the residents in the city to evacuate until it was late and further asked those who could shelter not to leave. For instance, in Bay city which as 10 feet under water during the flood more than 30,000 people remained under shelter ( Weisberger, 2017 ). Additionally, most of the houses in Huston were not insured, this raised the question of the efficiency of the city and state government. 

Evacuation 

Hurricane Katrina 

There was a mandatory evacuation in New Orleans, and it was announced almost a day before the landfall. Furthermore, about 100,000 people were stuck in the city ( Schwartz, 2017 ). Weeks later about 100 people died during another chaotic evacuation while trying to leave Huston while escaping Hurricane Rita ( Weisberger, 2017 ). 

Hurricane Harvey 

On the other hand, Huston city did not call for its residents to evacuate their houses instead asked them to shelter in places. Most people remained stuck with about 30,000 people in the Bay city ( Schwartz, 2017 ). 

Rainfall 

Hurricane Katrina 

During the Katrina hurricane, the rainfall was not the main problem as it only yields about 5-10 inches ( Schwartz, 2017 ). The primary challenge was the strong winds which caused a lot of destruction and loss of life. 

Hurricane Harvey 

Rainfall was the primary challenge for hurricane Harvey as it brought a deluge of about 50 inches in several areas more than the city used to receive ( Schwartz, 2017 ). This made it impossible for people to move around to higher ground as some paces were ten feet submerged under water. 

Death and Damage 

Hurricane Katrina 

Hurricane Katrina was responsible for about 1,833 deaths with some of the bodies remaining untouched for several days ( Schwartz, 2017 ). It remains one the deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the USA for several years. On the other side, the storm resulted in damage more than $100 billion with most of the damage being caused by the strong wind that came with the storm ( Weisberger, 2017 ). Consequently, other reasons for the devastating effects was the failure of the levees and storm surge. The hurricane also left about three million households without power. 

Hurricane Harvey 

Official report indicates that there were about 39 deaths that were caused by the storm. Further, officials state that they were prepared for rain. The storm left about 300,000 people without power in Texas ( Schwartz, 2017 ). Estimates indicate that the damages because of the storm were approximately $180 million ( Weisberger, 2017 ). 

Reponses by Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) 

Hurricane Katrina 

The response of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the government was a total failure. This was due to several factors which include perceptions and pressures, and lack of planning and coordination ( Bleemer, & Van der Klaauw, 2017 ). The NGOs failed to link up with the national and local government to help reduce the impact of the storm. The main issue was that the governmental agencies were not responsive when the NGOs tried to contact the government institution to determine areas to concentrate resources. Additionally, the NGOs were not pressured or called upon to help with. 

Hurricane Harvey 

The response of the government and NGOs to hurricane Harvey was more improved as compared to Katrina. This is because several NGOs were involved in facilitating and coordination of re relief food. Some of the NGOs that were involved in the programme included Red Cross and the Salvation Army ( Risser, & Wehner, 2017 ). They were effective in medical service and distribution of relief food. More than 300 million dollars was raised for the relief program ( Williams, 2017 ). This shows how the government and the NGOs worked together to help compact the problem. 

Any unusual features about the hurricane 

Hurricane Katrina 

Hurricane Katrina 3 rd most robust and the largest hurricane ever recorded in US history ( Bleemer, & Van der Klaauw, 2017 ). 

The levees in New Orleans were mainly designed for level three hurricane, but Katarina peaked to category 5 with winds of about 170 mph ( Williams, 2017 ). 

The storm surge was about 20 feet 

More than 705 people were reported missing 

The storm was heavily characterized by strong winds 

Hurricane Harvey 

The hurricane was characterised by heaviest rains of about 50 inches 

There was a lot of flooding 

It was uncertain whether the storm would develop into a hurricane 

Conclusion 

Hurricane Harvey and Katrina are some of the deadliest storms to strike the USA over the recent decades. The hurricanes were characterized by heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, and destruction of property, and loss of life. Harvey took place in 2017 while Katrina occurred in 2005. During hurricane Katrina, there was a high number of people reported dead than hurricane Harvey. Similarly, Katrina was the strongest ever recorded with winds up to 170 mph. On the other hand, hurricane Harvey conveyed higher rainfall than hurricane Katrina. The Government and NGOs response to the hurricanes was not near perfected and poor coordination and planning resulted in the high loss of life during hurricane Katrina. The two hurricanes have raised essential flaws in planning and decision making that need to be solved to avoid such calamities in near future. 

Reference 

Bleemer, Z., & Van der Klaauw, W. (2017). Disaster (over-) insurance: the long-term financial and socioeconomic consequences of Hurricane Katrina. 

Lewis, J. A., Zipperer, W. C., Ernstson, H., Bernik, B., Hazen, R., Elmqvist, T., & Blum, M. J. (2017). Socioecological disparities in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.  Ecosphere ,  8 (9). 

Liang, L., Hayashi, K., Bennett, P., Johnson, T. J., & Aten, J. D. (2015). Resource loss and depressive symptoms following Hurricane Katrina: A principal component regression study.  Int J Behav Res Psychol ,  3 (4), 91-98. 

Long, S. W., Kachroo, P., Musser, J. M., & Olsen, R. J. (2017). Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Human Clinical Isolate of emm28 Streptococcus pyogenes Causing Necrotizing Fasciitis Acquired Contemporaneously with Hurricane Harvey.  Genome announcements ,  5 (45), e01269-17. 

Risser, M. D., & Wehner, M. F. (2017). Attributable Human‐Induced Changes in the Likelihood and Magnitude of the Observed Extreme Precipitation during Hurricane Harvey.  Geophysical Research Letters ,  44 (24). 

Schwartz, S. (2017).  How Does Harvey Compare With Hurricane Katrina? Here’s What We Know .  Nytimes.com . Retrieved 21 March 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/us/hurricane-katrina-harvey.html 

van Oldenborgh, G. J., van der Wiel, K., Sebastian, A., Singh, R., Arrighi, J., Otto, F., ... & Cullen, H. (2017). Attribution of extreme rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, August 2017.  Environmental Research Letters ,  12 (12), 124009. 

Weisberger, M. (2017).  Harvey vs. Katrina: How Do These Monster Storms Compare? .  Live Science . Retrieved 21 March 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/60257-harvey-vs-katrina-storm-comparison.html 

Williams, A. (2017).  How does Harvey measure up to Hurricane Katrina, other US flooding catastrophes? .  Accuweather.com . Retrieved 21 March 2018, from https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/how-does-harvey-measure-up-to-hurricane-katrina-other-us-flooding-catastrophes/70002615