Hurricane Katrina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example cane Katrina is discussable; however, an aspect that remains critical in the minds of individuals who survived the disaster is that, despite the measures taken as preventive strategies, such did little in offering preventive measures during the occurrence of the deadliest and most destructive Hurricane Katrina (Nova). New Orleans is one region that underwent significant destruction from the devastating actions of Hurricane Katrina. The region saw the effects of the Hurricane Katrina cause deaths of approximately 1,500 individuals with another hundreds of thousands left without residential areas after the violent storm surges caused by Katrina breached levees leaving behind it about 80 percent of the city submerged below water (Nova). Despite such destructions, New Orleans city remains very vulnerable to flooding, raising fear among residents that in a repeat of a similar disaster, equal destruction will be witnessed as previously seen. The main reasons in support of the increased vulnerability of New Orleans city to flooding is the element of low elevation in comparison to the sea levels. Secondly, the city lacks the appropriate preventive mechanics against storm surges such as wetlands and barrier islands, which have proved worthwhile in other regions towards the prevention of increased flooding (Frontline). Human activity has significantly contributed towards the damage of the city. In creating room for expansion during its construction, swamplands were drained around the sea in creating a room for more expansion, which interfered with the wetlands available for preventing flooding (Nova). Such drained resulted into subsidence of the city land to a level 6 feet below the sea level. In preparation for the Hurricane Katrina, scientists and city officials developed the levee system as a means of replacing the natural protection that had previous been destroyed. In addition to such preparations, scientists also published a number of warnings informing city