Comparison and Contrast of the Hurricane Katrina Response and 9/11 Terrorist Attack Essay Example

9/11 attack had an unprecedented impact on bringing the country together. It profoundly affected both the nation and the world, resulting in various changes such as travel procedures and military funding.

The government's response to the terrorist attack, which was aimed at them and showed the enemy's preparedness for war against America, was eagerly awaited.

During a difficult time, the country experienced remarkable unity among its citizens and significant changes to security policies. These measures were implemented in response to an attack known as the "global war on terror" declared by President Bush. The establishment of crucial organizations like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) played a crucial role in preventing terrorist acts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has played a role in the establishment of DHS for more than two decades. FEMA has been entrusted with the task of handling various disasters such as storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, and others (Martin, 2005).

The United States faced the most devastating act of terrorism through 9/11, while Katrina emerged as the most catastrophic natural calamity in American history. This hurricane led to extensive destruction along the Gulf Coast and sadly caused the loss of numerous lives.

FEMA's mishandling of the disaster was criticized due to their incompetence and lack of preparedness before the calamity. Additionally, they faced backlash for rescuing the residents of New Orleans after the hurricane with significant delays (Martin, 2005). The global impact of Hurricane Katrina led to a renewed focus on humanitarian initiatives.

According to Science Daily (2010), Hurricane Katrina caused the death of 1,300 people and left many individuals and animals without shelter, food, and

clean water. In response to this catastrophic situation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dispatched a team of one thousand personnel to provide assistance in the affected areas (Journal of Applied Communication Research, 2007).

The Victims Compensation Fund provided financial aid to the families of the 9/11 victims, with a total allocation of $7 million. Its objective was to compensate for the pain, suffering, and loss experienced by those impacted by the tragedy.

The public or private insurance provided a relatively low amount, while the Fund was significantly high. This Fund was made available through a contract between the White House and Congressional Democrats, with the goal of reducing the liability of airline companies and safeguarding the aviation industry in challenging times.

The public's perception of terror attack victims as heroes plays a crucial role in determining the financial compensation their families receive. In the United States, families of crime victims typically do not receive compensation for the deceased's lost wages unless authorized by the court.

The victims of the 9/11 attack are not only regarded as victims of terrorism or airport security negligence, but also as courageous heroes who bravely endured an attack aimed at obliterating the nation.

According to Sebok (2005), the victims of 9/11 were fairly compensated for their immense tragedy, but the victims of Hurricane Katrina felt that their situation was not given equal attention or importance.

Although the victims of Katrina performed heroic actions, they were not regarded as heroes. Instead, the destructive impact was attributed to Mother Nature and comprehended solely by meteorologists.

The government's alleged negligence regarding events before

and after the hurricane is as serious as the allegations against the airlines and their negligence, which caused the distribution of the Fund.

The negligence surrounding the events of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina was significant. However, it can be argued that the negligence before and after Katrina was even more remarkable than that shown by the airlines during 9/11. This is because, while the hijackers used hostages instead of bombs on 9/11, there was a considerable level of predictability regarding Hurricane Katrina's approach. Despite advancements in technology, preparations and responses to this natural disaster were found to be inadequate. What proved surprising and disappointing was the lack of proper planning for evacuation and managing the aftermath of Katrina (Sebok, 2005).

The response to Hurricane Katrina was deemed a national failure despite the efforts of both private and public organizations. Investigations found that New Orleans, situated 6 feet below sea level, had not been properly prepared or protected against hurricanes. Advance warnings about the necessity to safeguard the city from Category 4 hurricanes were ignored by authorities, despite being received months prior. Additionally, funding for disaster management was reduced.

The Federal Government should have been better prepared to handle a hurricane of this magnitude.

Following the impact of Hurricane Katrina, there was a notable backlash towards the federal response which faced criticism for its delay. The National Guards took multiple days to arrive as reported by Shah (2005). However, it is worth mentioning that even before Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) had already initiated their alert procedures.

After the President declared a national

emergency on August 30, the majority of deployments occurred. In response, NORTHCOM mobilized the Joint Task Force-Katrina. On August 31, the Department of Defense (DOD) initiated medical airlift operations to New Orleans. As conditions worsened, DOD dispatched both the 82nd Airborne and the 1st Cavalry, which arrived in New Orleans on September 5. The following day, an extra assault ship also arrived (Kochems, 2005).

Many individuals drew comparisons between President Bush's handling of this crisis and his prompt actions following the 9/11 attack due to the delay in rescue efforts.

Despite being capable of declaring war in foreign lands, the most powerful country in the world's inability to handle this emergency has shocked many people globally. Additionally, questions have been raised by commentators regarding the lack of assistance offered by other nations to America during this perilous time, although some third world countries did provide help.

The proposal from Afghanistan was to give a sum of $100,000. Other countries such as Greece, Italy, China, and Singapore also offered assistance (Laville, 2005).