Hurricane Katrina and Its Effects

Hurricane Katrina, which occurred in 2005 was one of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters to have hit the United States. This hurricane left massive destruction and loss of lives in its path and thus prompting governments on the regional and federal level to cooperate in evacuating the people trapped. Hurricane Katrina formed in the southern parts of the Bahamas before proceeding to move to the central regions. The hurricane moved to the west, arriving in Florida as Category 1 cyclone. It also followed the northwestern path on high intensity before weakening as Category 3 on the coast of Louisiana. Various aspects distinguish hurricanes from other natural disasters. First, hurricane causes heavy rainfall followed by widespread flooding on the mainland. Such rainfall rises to about 6 inches causing floods that are likely to cause deaths and destruction. Secondly, hurricanes cause high-moving winds which range from tens to hundreds of miles per hour. This phenomenon causes massive loss including the destruction of houses within the hurricane’s path. Third, hurricanes can cause tornadoes which occur as thunderstorms carrying rainbands on the outside. Despite those tornadoes having weak intensity, they still pose a significant danger to human lives and properties. The review on the impact, properties, and paths of Hurricane Katrina provides one with an insight into how this natural phenomenon has had significant impacts on many countries and people. First, the hurricane’s path description shows a disaster that requires a combined effort between various governments in mitigating its effects (Anastasopoulos, 2016) . Hurricane Katrina started in the Bahamas before proceeding to the southern regions of the United States and causing massive destruction on its path. Secondly, various aspects and features that define a hurricane show the need for the government to commit more resources as preparation for such disasters. Such resources help in evacuating people and thus avoiding massive loss of human life.

Reference 

Anastasopoulos, L. (2016). The Effects of Urban Diversity on Geographic Polarization: Evidence from Hurricane Katrina Migration. SSRN Electronic Journal . https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2818631