Hurricane Katrina is not only one of the costliest Hurricanes, but it is also one whose aftermath has been a difficult comeback, especially for New Orleans residence. Given the fact that half of New Orleans lies below the sea level, the effects witnessed during that particular day and in the aftermath of the Hurricane were devastating. At least 80% of New Orleans was under water, an occurrence that could not be contained by the infrastructure that was not made to sustain such a huge amount of flooding (Lambert, Peyrefitte & Duhon, 2011). As a result massive destruction was witnessed. Over ten years from the date the hurricane struck, both the affected adults and children still live with the scars caused by the above disaster.
The New Orleans community response to the disaster is unwelcoming. Although some residents who were initially evacuated have managed to go back to their homes, some neighborhoods do not only stay unrepaired, but they also remain uninhabited. The response has not only been discouraging in how slow people have resumed to their normal activities, but it has also been devastating regarding the mental effects it has had on the community members. The traumatic experience of seeing people dying as well as losing property and surviving death is still fresh in most of the survivor’s mind’s, regardless of their age. In light of the above, it is right to say the city has not yet fully recovered from the disaster (Reardon, 2015). The above is partly contributed by the surrounding which has remained partly unchanged, making the ordeal remembered each day.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The incident is still fresh on many resident’s minds. Although a few have tried to move away from the painful past, the trauma related to the occurrence still affects a majority of them. According to the video Katrina Scars Linger, many residents have resolved to drug abuse due to desperation (Byron 2009). Besides, suicide statistics have risen in the aftermath of the Hurricane. It is right to say mental health services to the Hurricane’s victims could have expedited the recovery process since the traumatic experience must have had long-lasting psychological effects on them.
References
Byron Pitts. ( Aug 28, 2009). Katrina Scars Linger. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xyQe6Hp9yNk
Lambert, J., Peyrefitte, J., & Duhon, D. SBS JOURNAL OF APPLIED BUSINESS.
Reardon, S. (2015). Hurricane Katrina's psychological scars revealed: mental health worsened in the disaster's aftermath, but survivors also showed resilience. Nature , 524 (7566), 395-397.
