Katrina: Hurricane Katrina and Emergency Management Agency Essay

Submitted By KrisBrunson1
Words: 633
Pages: 3

The Sorry G
Hurricane Katrina, one of the most known of natural disasters to happen in the United States. Government agencies such as Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency did what they could to sustain the situation by helping residents move out of the path of the storm. Not everybody got out in time, nor did some even want to leave. People were stranded for days without the proper help. This caused more casualties than expected. How was the response to Hurricane Katrina amongst relief organizations and government effective?
Initial research states that Hurricane Katrina started as a tropical depression over the Bahamas. Traveling to Florida it became a Category I hurricane. Continuing on to the Gulf Coast of Mexico it rapidly picked up speed and became a Category V hurricane right before hitting Louisiana and Mississippi. People were let known that the levees may break. A mandatory evacuation plan was made. The hurricane finally hit. Thousands of people left in the city, some of which managed to make it to the Superdome. Government requested supplies and evacuation trips but were not assisted expeditiously. People started dying due to the conditions from the storm and the newly living environment. Food and water quickly ran out. It took the president 4 days to even contribute to helping out with the aftermath of the storm.
Government agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, and Department of Homeland Security contributed a lot towards helping the victims of this disaster.
The underlying question is where did they go wrong? First it was the lack of support from government. They tried to compensate people with monetary valued cards but they didn’t have any money on them when victims finally received them there wasn’t any value to them. Secondly, the president flew over the damage on Air Force One and only gave a speech when he landed. It still took him two days to even start to send in more help. Third, state didn’t think the storm would get as big as it did. They tried to make all the right actions in order to save as many lives but they didn’t contact higher authorities for help until it was already too late. Fourth, the evacuation busses came later than expected. 700 buses were delayed. Food and water supplies went low. Government officials were understaffed. Ending result was everything became too hectic.
Typical attitudes are on both sides.