Hurricane Katrina Essay Example

Numerous businesses and essential infrastructure suffered extensive damage or were entirely obliterated, resulting in tens of thousands of job losses.

The commerce in and around New Orleans was profoundly impacted by the devastation of major highways. The oil and gas industry in southeast Louisiana/Mississippi, which contributes almost 30% of national crude oil production and 20% of domestic natural gas production, was also greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina. Moreover, the hurricane caused extensive damage to more than 30 oil platforms and resulted in the temporary closure or impairment of nine refineries for several weeks. Additionally, both the Port of South Louisiana and the Port of New Orleans, which are ranked as the largest and fifth largest ports respectively in the United States, faced severe disruptions.

The damage caused to these ports, with an evaluation of over $75 billion, accounts for 20 percent of U.S. import/export cargo traffic annually, representing a total of $150 billion. Consequently, this incident is categorized as one of the most expensive natural disasters ever recorded.

The primary peril encountered during Hurricane Katrina was the extensive flooding that obliterated everything in its trajectory. Louisiana bore the brunt of the impact, although Alabama and Mississippi also faced substantial areas submerged in water. The city most devastated by this catastrophic storm was New Orleans, which was nearly decimated. Gusts of powerful winds intermingled with water to form colossal flood barriers, causing canals and numerous watercourses to overflow. These waterways had never encountered a hurricane stronger than Category 3.

Both sea and land structures were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 storm. The hurricane caused extensive flooding, completely submerging the city of New Orleans. Along with this catastrophic

event, residents faced numerous hardships such as shortages of drinkable water, power outages, and inadequate rescue responses from responsible agencies.

In response to the crisis, authorities advised those who lost their homes to seek shelter at the Super Dome and Convention Center. Although these facilities had the capacity to accommodate thousands of people for an extended period, they lacked necessary resources and security measures to handle such a large influx of individuals. As a result, due to limited alternatives available, thousands of people were forced to stay at these facilities.

Both facilities had to be demolished due to the damage and extreme unsanitary conditions they endured during the chaos. Officials argue that the increase in atmospheric warming is a result of the high levels of carbon dioxide emitted from our use of fossil fuels. The pollution produced by power plants that generate electricity, oil used for home heating, and their byproducts have become trapped in our atmosphere. Consequently, this leads to higher ocean temperatures and more powerful storms. These devastating storms that affected New Orleans are believed to be influenced by global warming. Many have questioned the link between global warming and the formation of these destructive hurricanes. However, recent articles in Nature and Science Magazine provide compelling evidence indicating that global warming has significantly impacted hurricane intensity.

The Nature article verifies the results of a previous article in Science Magazine (8 July 2005), which provided clear proof of human-induced global warming in the Earth's oceans. It establishes a strong connection between sea temperature and yearly hurricane intensity in three different hurricane basins: the North Atlantic and two in the Pacific. There are several measures individuals can take

to lessen global warming, such as embracing a more responsible lifestyle with the aim of conserving our planet. Activities like walking, biking, carpooling with friends, or using public transportation can decrease air pollution caused by driving cars. By eliminating a weekly drive of 10 miles, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 500 pounds per year. Therefore, opting for public transportation is the most effective way to support this endeavor.

Planting just one tree has the potential to reduce the future effects of climate change caused by global warming. This is due to a single tree's ability to absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifespan.