Hurricane Katrina

29th August 2005
Hit the South-East coast USA
strengthened from a cat 1 to a cat 5

Social Impacts 

• 1836 killed
• 300,000 homes destroyed 
• 3 million people without electricity
• Bridges collapsed
• Water supplies damages, 5 dead from waterbourne diseases 
• 18 schools in New Orleans destroyed 

Economic Impacts

• 230,000 jobs lost
• Total damage $300 billion
• 30 oil platform in Gulf of Mexico destroyed 
• Many ports damaged, disrupting the shipping industry

Environmental Impacts

• Sea turtle breeding beaches damaged 
• Flooding caused oil spills
• Flooding of salt marshes caused loss of habitat 

Responses before:

• National Hurricane Centre tracks and predicts hurricanes
• 26th August, NHC issued a hurricane warning 

Responses during/after

• Emergency centres set up
• Coastguard, police, fire and army rescued 50,000
• Charities collected $4 billion

Criticisms 
-Emergency shelters weren't properly prepared
-Wide spread looting in New Orleans
-Not enough transport to help Evacuate