Katrina caused the biggest evacuation in US history, but many people couldn't afford … Be sure to cite the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center: Hurricane Katrina was an extremely destructive 2005 storm that caused more than 1,800 deaths along the U.S. Gulf Coast. (2) Damages include all financial losses directly attributable to Katrina (damage to buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, etc., irrespective of whether insured or not). This earlier tropical depression was actually dissipating, but was then fed by a band of low pressure moving through the atmosphere. (2006). Hurricane Katrina was born on August 25, 2005. Hurricane Katrina deaths, Louisiana, 2005. (2005). FEMA hadn't always been in disarray. Katrina first made landfall in South Florida. Katrina Was the Strongest Hurricane Ever Recorded on the Gulf. The views expressed here are Mr. Bosner's personal views only. Some people who evacuated could never move back. Plyer, A. and Liu, A. Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue task forces continue to help residents impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina completely overwhelmed systems that had been built to control coastal flooding. your source for the most up–to–date, reliable data. The flooding of New Orleans could have been prevented, and both the city and the State of Louisiana could have been better prepared. People also lost their lives in the chaos that followed the storm. Hurricane Katrina, tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in August 2005, breaching levees and causing widespread damage and deaths. Over 1 million people were told to evacuate the Gulf Coast. Many people returned home within days, but up to 600,000 households were still displaced a month later. This could have been the end of Hurricane Katrina facts, which would have been a good thing. The Hurricane Pam exercise took place in the summer of 2004. Hurricane Katrina had sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, or 280 kilometers per hour! More than 700 people died in the city. From August 26 to August 27, the hurricane experts at NOAA watched Hurricane Katrina closely and recorded more Hurricane Katrina facts. — For several years after Hurricane Katrina, ads selling FEMA trailers were on the Internet and in publications. The unusually warm water current fed the storm, giving it incredible strength. Who Lives in New Orleans and Metro Parishes Now? FEMA dollars are still flowing to localities, but Road Home grants and FEMA trailers are ending. These acts of heroism are some of the few positive Hurricane Katrina facts. Displaced residents. Important Note: As some of the links below to articles on Hurricane Katrina and FEMA failures no longer function, see this webpage for verbatim quotes from many of these articles. They only send 100. Some of the saddest Hurricane Katrina facts also emerged from New Orleans. For the past 15 years, we have been both a trusted resource and an objective partner in bringing reliable, thoroughly researched data to conversations about building a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable region. Liu, A., Fellowes, M., and Mabanta, M. (2006). Here are some staggering facts and statistics about Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090702415.html. This includes business interruption directly due to building damage, but does not include indirect financial detriments such as loss of earnings by down-stream suppliers, shortfall in GDP, nor non-economic losses. One of the most surprising Hurricane Katrina facts is that Hurricane Katrina first made landfall in the United States in Florida. history." The simulation proved useful, as FEMA distributed copies of a plan that emerged from the exercise in the hours prior to the Katrina … Total damages. Based on New Orleans’ lack of protection against flooding in a hurricane, some people who evacuated never would move back. NEW ORLEANS – August 26‚ 2016 – As we approach the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, people around the world will reflect on the devastating impact that the storm and subsequent levee failures had on New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region. FEMA is being asked to retract $2 billion in grants given to New Orleans to fix sewers and water pipes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. FEMA refuses hundreds of personnel, dozens of vehicles - Chicago Tribune, 9/2/05 Hurricane Katrina facts and information Adding to the destruction following Hurricane Katrina, fires burn in parts of New Orleans in an apocalyptic scene from early on September 3, … Hospitals were also unable to evacuate their patients because there were not enough ambulances available. There was mismanagement of the response and relief efforts at all levels of government by the local, state, and federal governments. Some areas received one foot of flooding while others were submerged by more than 10 feet of water. Privacy Policy An interesting fact about Hurricane Katrina is that to date, it remains the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. The saddest of all Hurricane Katrina facts is that over 1,800 people lost their lives as a result of the storm. During the storm, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many ordinary citizens became heroes as they improvised shelter and rescued people. Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures resulted in the deaths of at least 986 Louisiana residents. The support for people affected by Hurricane Katrina has also been one of the most disappointing Hurricane Katrina facts. Hurricane Katrina facts about the strength of the storm were now starting to be replaced by facts relating to the incredible damage this massive storm was causing to the lives of people on the Gulf Coast. On August 28, 2005, approximately 10,000 residents, along with about 150 National Guardsmen, sheltered in the Superdome anticipating Katrina's landfall. At this point, the incredible wind speeds and other astonishing Hurricane Katrina facts were recorded. Where is the money? The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center makes informed decisions possible. Swiss Reinsurance Company. (2009). FEMA. Many people were unable to be evacuated because there were not enough busses to transport them. On August 28, as the storm grew in size, people on the Gulf Coast were told to evacuate. The most simple of Hurricane Katrina facts is that by the time Hurricane Katrina made landfall, it had already been measured as the most the powerful hurricane ever on the Gulf Coast. According to FEMA, Katrina is, " the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. Population decrease. The table compares the data for these states to the data for other states and the nation. The day before the storm the National Guard requests 700 buses from FEMA to add to the city bus fleet. These Hurricane Katrina facts tell the story of a huge storm that impacted the lives of many people. Copyrights © 2019 Interesting-Facts.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from http://gnocdc.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/HurricaneFundingGap.pdf. Hurricane Katrina started out as a tropical depression, which is a lower grade tropical storm. The Data Center and Brookings Institution. The City of New Orleans flood management system was built by the Army Corps of Engineers, but failed so badly that nearly 80% of the city was flooded. Ahlers, D., Plyer, A., and Weil, F. (2008). As of August 2013, FEMA has obligated $10.3 billion for debris removal and infrastructure repairs for the New Orleans metro, with $6.9 billion paid to localities and $3.4 billion still forthcoming. Testimony of Robert David Paulison, Acting Director, FEMA, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Connect with Us: Twitter Facebook LinkedInInstagram. For further analysis and recommendations see The New Orleans Index at Ten at www.datacenterresearch.org. Branding Web Design by Southpaw Creative, To learn how we can combat COVID with data, check out our new, Independent Analysis for Informed Decisions in Southeast Louisiana, The New Orleans Prosperity Index: Tricentennial Edition, The New Orleans Prosperity Index: Tricentennial Collection. The major causes of death include: drowning (40%), injury and trauma (25%), and heart conditions (11%). Many displaced by Katrina turn to relatives for shelter. All Rights Reserved. When Katrina was born, it was a dying tropical depression brought back to life by the band of low pressure that was in the atmosphere. Natural catastrophes and man–made disasters 2005: High earthquake casualties, new dimension in windstorm losses. In doing so, we are uniquely able to step beyond the limits of analyzing data from just one perspective and take a 360–degree look at issues that matter most to our region from the government, business, nonprofit, and community perspective. A well-defined band of storm clouds began to wrap around the north side of the storm's circulation center in the early morning hours of Governmental Gulf Coast response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Here are 10 facts about what Washington did and didn’t do to help New Orleans. Within hours of being upgraded to hurricane status, Hurricane Katrina crossed over the southern tip of Florida from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. Early the following day, the depress Retrieved August 2, 2013 from http://www.census.gov/popest/. That reduced oil production by a third. Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall in Louisiana. The agency was created in 1978 to coordinate the response to disasters that occurred within the US, and that could not be contained by local and state authorities (Ouellette, 2010). (Source: "Hurricane Katrina: Facts, Damage & Aftermath," Live Science.) Without its water vapor "fuel" its intensity decreased and when it hit Louisiana it was classed as a Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 127 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center, which is part of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is responsible for naming storms. JACKSON, Miss. (2006). There was some hope the storm would dissipate in the Gulf. The storm surge from a storm, particularly a hurricane, is a large coastal wave or flood. 4  Katrina was massive before it even made landfall. Current housing unit damage estimates: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. While it was less than a Category 5, Katrina still had winds up to 125 miles per hour, or 200 kilometers per hour! (1) Not all people that left the city within the year following Katrina were involuntarily displaced, nor were all people who moved to the city returning residents. Meanwhile, private insurance claims covered less than $30 billion of the losses. Hurricane Katrina facts tell us about the power of the storm and the devastation it left in its wake. Katrina developed from a tropical storm into a hurricane and made landfall in late August, 2005. These Hurricane Katrina facts will leave you in awe of the power of nature, and saddened by the incredible destruction that occurred. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was the government agency responsible for an emergency response to a hurricane striking New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The first Hurricane Katrina facts began to emerge, and the storm made landfall shortly after being upgraded to hurricane status. Ultimately, the storm caused more than $160 billion in damage, and it reduced the population of New Orleans by … Sign up for our email newsletter, a periodic email alert about new publications and data updates from The Data Center. (1) By July of 2015, the population was back up to 386,617 — 80% of what it was in 2000. 2. For additional demographics and information about New Orleans and the metro area, see our brief: Who Lives in New Orleans and Metro Parishes Now? The extent of damage varied greatly from one part of town to another. After levees and flood walls protecting New Orleans failed, much of the city was underwater. More sad Hurricane Katrina facts resulted from the lack of preparation. (1) By July of 2012, the population was back up to 369,250 — 76% of what it was in 2000. FEMA is accused of directing the government reaction to the country’s calamities both regular and man-made. The Washington Post. Harden, B. and Vedantam, S. (2005). 1  It was the most destructive natural disaster in U.S. history. It's … Nine hours after crossing over Florida, Katrina had reached Category 5 level Hurricane status. In some ways, the damage that was done to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina was an accident waiting to happen. That’s what the FEMA system expected to see. Hurricane Katrina changed many people’s lives forever. Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency was heavily criticized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, primarily for its slow response and inability to coordinate its efforts with other federal agencies relief organizations. FE: What did FEMA expect to encounter going into the Katrina … Brookings Institution. When a tropical depression is upgraded to a tropical storm, it is given an official name. That’s how large Hurricane Katrina was! Dinged for a similarly slow response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the agency had improved during the Clinton years. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA. Deaths. While the hurricane experts at NOAA were gathering Hurricane Katrina facts, they continued to warn governments in the Gulf Coast of the progress of the storm. NEW ORLEANS – August 14‚ 2013 – As we approach the 8th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, people around the world will reflect on the immediate and devastating impact that the storm had on New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region. (2005). Officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in the City of New Orleans were removed, or resigned, from their positions as a direct result of their actions during and after Hurricane Katrina. At their peak, hurricane evacuee shelters housed 273,000 people and, later, FEMA trailers housed at least 114,000 households. Table 1 shows the poverty rate and median household income in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This powerhouse storm caused extensive damage on the Gulf Coast in 2005, killing people, destroying property, and flooding much of New Orleans.