User:DachshundLover82/sandbox/Effects of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana
| Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Hurricane Katrina after landfall in Southeast Louisiana on August 29 | |
| Duration | August 27–30, 2005 |
|---|---|
| Winds | 1-minute sustained: 125 mph (205 km/h) |
| Pressure | 920 mbar (hPa); 27.17 inHg |
| Damage | $70 billion (2005 USD) |
| Areas affected | Louisiana |
| Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Background
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: Info from other parishes and cities. You can help by adding to it. |
In 1965, heavy flooding caused by Hurricane Betsy brought concerns regarding flooding from hurricanes to the forefront. That year, Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1965 which, among other issues, gave authority for design and construction of the flood protection in the New Orleans metropolitan area to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, subject to cost sharing principles, some of which were waived by later legislation. The local municipalities were charged with maintenance once the projects were completed. After 1965, the corps built a levee system around a much larger geographic footprint that included previous marshland and swamp. Many new subdivisions were developed to cater to those who preferred a more suburban lifestyle but were open to remaining within the city limits of New Orleans. Historians question why the area farthest east was developed, since it was viable wetlands and because ringing this region with levees did nothing significant toward protecting the city. What expansion accomplished was to increase the amount of land that could be developed, and it was a reason for the Army Corps to expand the size of its project. In addition the structures caused subsidence of up to 8 feet (2.4 m) in some areas due to the consolidation of the underlying organic soils. A 1999–2001 study, led by Richard Campanella of the Tulane School of Architecture, used LIDAR technology and found that 51% of the terrestrial surface of the contiguous urbanized portions of Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes lie at or above sea level, with the highest neighborhoods at 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) above mean sea level.[1]
When authorized, the flood control design and construction were projected to take 13 years to complete. When Katrina made landfall in 2005, the project was between 60 and 90% complete with a projected date of completion estimated for 2015, nearly 50 years after authorization.[2] However, even the most insistent calls from officials to evacuate ahead of Katrina did not warn that the levees could breach.[3]
Meteorological history
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Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionOn August 23, a tropical depression developed over the Bahamas. The depression intensified, becoming Tropical Storm Katrina by 12:00 UTC the following day. Katrina moved westward in response to a subtropical ridge, becoming a Category 1 hurricane late on August 25, before making landfall in South Florida. The hurricane pulled inland over Florida, as its eye unusually improved over land.[4]
Preparations
[edit]Impact
[edit]Plaquemines Parish
[edit]Plaquemines Parish was the first parish to receive the impacts of Hurricane Katrina.[5]
Saint Bernard Parish
[edit]Jefferson Parish
[edit]Saint Charles Parish
[edit]LaFourche Parish
[edit]Orleans Parish
[edit]Saint Tammy Parish
[edit]Elsewhere
[edit]Aftermath
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Richard Campanella (2007). "Above Sea Level New Orleans: The Residential Capacity of Orleans Parish's Higher Ground" (PDF). Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ Anu Mittal (2005). "Army Corps of Engineers Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ Rosenthal, Sandy (October 11, 2011). "Insistent Appeals to Evacuate Did Not Warn That the Levees Could Break". huffingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- ^ "Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Katrina" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. December 20, 2005. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Kelsey Davis (August 29, 2015). "Plaquemines Parish officials, residents remember Hurricane Katrina, look to the future". WSDU 6 News. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
External links
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