On August 29, 2005 the United States experienced one of the greatest natural disasters it had ever encountered. Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans[,] producing immense damage and devastation to [in] the city. It also proved to be a huge blow for the United States as a whole in terms of economy in the aftermath. The hurricane hit land as a Category 4, which carries sustained winds of 131-155 mph and 13-18 foot storm surges. This proved to be too large of a storm for Louisiana and its surrounding areas to survive. When the storm hit, some of the levees surrounding New Orleans were breached. Walls lining shipping and draining canals near Lake Pontchartrain broke allowing water to flow in. 80% of the city was flooded with some parts under 20 feet of water or more (Effect, Wikipedia). Death tolls were heavy and those who survived were forced to abandon their homes to flee the storm. The magnitude of damage produced by Hurricane Katrina was caused by a lack of preparation of the city to handle such a threat.

New Orleans was built upon a delta marsh surrounded by bodies of water with the Gulf of Mexico to the east, the Mississippi River to the south, and Lake Pontchartrain to the north. When first built, the city was above sea level but erosion had placed it below sea level bringing along an increased risk of flooding. Due to the geography of the land, a one-two punch could easily knock out the city as it did this year. Hurricanes bring surges of water and since the city is below sea level, flooding could easily overtake New Orleans (Wilson). Being built in this area, erosion is another thing to worry about. Erosion is a continuous process that increases the vulnerability of the city to hurricane damage. Louisiana is losing its protective fringe of marshland faster than any place in the United States. “Since the 1930’s some 1,900 square miles of coastal wetlands – a swath nearly the size of Delaware or almost twice that of Luxembourg – has vanished beneath the Gulf of Mexico…The state continues to lose about 25 square miles of land a year…” (Bourne Jr.). It is evident that the building of a city on this type of land with this select surrounding area is a very dangerous action to take considering the known risks [these risks were not known at the time of teh city's construction. I don't know this, but I wonder, does the city's existence have something to do with the erosion?].

In an attempt to decrease the amount of flooding caused by annual rain, state officials decided to install a levee system around the city. This flood protection effort involved installing sea walls to try to keep the water out. One problem with them though, is that they were built only to withstand Category 3 hurricane forces, which was not sufficient for protection against Hurricane Katrina. The levees were to be updated and plans were in the process, but it was not a top priority on everyone’s mind since there seemed to be no real pressing concern. Along with the levees, pumps were installed to help empty water from the land when it rained. These pumps, however, seemed to do more harm than good. As it rains, water is pumped uphill to Lake Pontchartrain. When the water is drawn from the ground it causes the ground to become dry. Since delta soil naturally compacts, the ground sinks deeper by way of subsidence. The pumps pull sediments out and new layers are not replaced (Effect, Wikipedia). This causes New Orleans to sink more, placing it farther below sea level increasing the risk of damage by hurricanes.

As the city is industrialized, new factors and risks need to be taken into consideration [I don't understand this sentence]. Building structures were not built strongly enough when taking into regard the weather that they could be subjected to. Most buildings were only built strong enough to sustain hurricanes of a Category 2 force, which consist of winds 96-100 mph and surges of 6-8 feet, or less. Along with this industry, the population boomed as well. Most houses built by the working class only have two floors which remain below the height of the levee walls. This means that when Hurricane Katrina hit, the surge went over the wall and submerged the houses. Another problem with the increase in population is the fact that the larger a population is, the harder it is to completely evacuate everyone in times of emergency. In the case of this hurricane, officials could only help evacuate so many people. Those who could not get out on their own were left there to wait out the storm, increasing the number of deaths that resulted from the catastrophe.

Although the lack of preparation by New Orleans did not directly cause the magnitude of damage, it can be considered the underlying cause. There was no way to escape the fact that a hurricane of such force would produce some damage and unfortunately some loss of life. Hurricanes are natural disasters and there is no way to hinder their force. However, if the planning of the city and its safety elements had been thought about more carefully, we would not be dealing with the catastrophe that we have on our hands right now.

Due to the lack of preparation by state and government officials, Hurricane Katrina hit the coast of Louisiana and completely washed out what we once knew as New Orleans. Much of the damage suffered by the city could have been prevented if officials worried more about long-term affects[,] such as erosion and natural disasters[,] rather than focusing on short-term problems[,] such as minimal flooding. Bourbon Street could have been spared had the proper precautions and preparations been taken. As a result of the mistakes that have been made, New Orleans is completely ravaged and it will take a long time to rebuild an environment that will even come close to what New Orleans once was. New plans need to be thought out to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future. On an even larger scale, the United States economy also could have been spared suffering such a huge blow. Through the trail of damage she left behind, Hurricane Katrina provided an answer to a question that should have been thought about a long time ago, “What will happen to the ‘Crescent City’ when, not if, a hurricane of large force strikes the coast of Louisiana head on?”