Hurricane Katrina: Disaster Response and Lessons Learned

Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in modern history, claimed many lives and was a challenge for disaster responders. The events that took place have been recorded in modern history. On the morning of Monday August 29th in 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi just east of New Orleans.  Areas of Louisiana such as St. Bernard parish and the Lower Ninth Ward flooded with six to ten feet of water.1 By the afternoon, the levee at the 17th Street Canal, and two other levees were breached.1 The City of New Orleans flooded worse than ever before. People became stranded in this city and in many other areas. By Tuesday August 31st a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans was ordered by the Governor of Louisiana, which included over 20,000 people in emergency shelters at the Superdome and Convention Centers.1 Approximately 5,000 evacuees were relocated to the Houston Astrodome by the first day of September, and 10,000 more people went to the New Orleans Superdome seeking shelter.1 By Friday over 40,000 evacuees had been relocated.1 Many people were unable evacuate on their own and needed assistance.

The death toll from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was much higher than it should have been. Many articles and studies have explored the problems that occurred. Several thousand people who sought refuge at the emergency shelter in the New Orleans Convention Center ended up with no food or water, and many people died.  While people were in this emergency shelter, the conditions were reported to be horrible, they could not receive any health care, and they were forced to live like animals.2 Many of the events that took place were shocking and the death toll from Hurricane Katrina was unnecessarily high. The Coast Guard attempted to rescue as many people as possible from the flooded waters, but had to avoid areas where gunfire was heard.2 Armed criminals were running the streets around some areas of New Orleans and looting was widespread.2 The disaster response to this hurricane was insufficient in many ways, and people were out of control. According to a CNN report, the total number of deaths from this hurricane was 1,833, which includes the following numbers by state: Alabama-2, Florida-14, Georgia-2, Louisiana-1,577 and Mississippi-238.  FEMA called Katrina the most damaging natural disaster in history, with total damages of $108 billion, Katrina had the highest costs of all the hurricanes.3 Evaluating and improving upon the disaster response to this hurricane is a worthwhile objective for multiple agencies.

Experts who study this disaster, can evaluate the performance of disaster response plans, and provide recommendations for improvement. “The lack of coordinated city, state and federal policies undermined emergency responses to Katrina and the evacuation of New Orleans, which left hundreds of thousands stranded,” commented George Bugliarello, President Emeritus and University Professor at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, and foreign secretary of the National Academy of Engineering.  Bugliarello suggests that realistic plans should be made in advance to ensure defenses and be able to restore services quickly.4 Decisions must be made rapidly and efficiently in emergencies.4 People in affected areas must receive clear instructions.4 An additional recommendation is that organizations with the logistical capacity to address very large scale disasters, handle the restoration and recovery efforts, in combination with the local jurisdiction.4 This hurricane surpassed the capacity of local disaster responders.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did eventually provide an enormous amount of aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The governmental response as of May 2015 included assistance to over 1 million households, provided $6.7 billion in disaster-related expenses, performed 1,220 projects to lessen the impact of future disasters, funded $1.7 billion in mitigation projects and provided $15 billion for public works projects.  Over time FEMA has responded well to this natural disaster. Ten years later, the amount of federal aid reported given to individuals and households approved for assistance by state was as follows: 738,318 in Louisiana, 273,829 in Mississippi and 55,827 in Alabama.  The disaster response of FEMA to Hurricane Katrina was truly incredible.

Some critics argued that the response of the government was insufficient. Studies by scholars examined the failures and called for improved policies for disaster preparedness. The high death toll of Katrina was blamed by some on a failure of federal organization of disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.  Some believe that the reorganization by the Department of Homeland Security in response to the threat of terrorism may have undermined the ability of the government to respond to natural disasters.7 Government reorganization and bureaucracy may have slowed disaster response during this period of time. The perception of some people surveyed was that they blamed the federal government for failure to evacuate New Orleans, failure to build adequate levees and failure to provide adequate emergency shelters.7 The opinion of some people surveyed was that the federal government was responsible for the insufficient immediate response to Katrina. These studies also found that state and local governments must implement federal ideas and comply with policies to obtain federal assistance.7 Sometimes communication between governmental agencies is complicated or delayed. Furthermore, federal incentives like the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program may not be taken up by local governments, especially if the state or local government bares the cost.7

Expectations of the federal government to handle local infrastructure may exceed the capacity of the government to do so. Citizens must help by taking self-protective measures, and not place excessive demands on the federal government that exceed resources, authority or political feasibility.7 Many of the problems, which occurred during Hurricane Katrina, were failures on the local level. Local and state agencies must properly address regional issues, and not automatically assign responsibility to the federal government. Federal disaster response may be slower to come, while the local disaster response should be immediately available. If the local government prepares an adequate plan for hazard mitigation, then negative outcomes can be reduced in the future.  Burby suggests that the federal government can increase local responsibilities by adjusting the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the Flood Insurance Act, or restructuring the National Flood Insurance Program to insure communities, instead of just individuals.8 Updated policies and procedures can prevent loss of lives in the future.

New policies and legislation has been developed since Hurricane Katrina. The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) of 2006 enables better collaboration with state and local stakeholders.  By facilitating teamwork, FEMA intends to improve disaster outcomes in the future for the Gulf Coast Region. New measures, such as the National Planning Framework, coordinates governmental agencies and aligns responsibilities between all organizations in the public and private sectors.9 The National Planning Framework addresses the following five key initiatives: prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery.9 FEMA is improving its ability to provide faster and more effective support to local government. Another important program is aimed at increasing the capabilities of search and rescue missions.9 The new Federal Search and Rescue Coordinating Group (FSARCG) coordinates resources and supports these personnel better in the field.9 Search and rescue personnel played a very important role in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Many new governmental programs have been designed to reduce the risks associated with hurricanes.

Appropriate disaster responses require involvement from the private sector also. Many private and community organizations helped provide victims of Hurricane Katrina with disaster relief. Big box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot responded to victims with speed and effectiveness.  Private organizations were able to respond quickly to the needs of the local community. The superior performance of Wal-Mart at mobilizing resources during Hurricane Katrina was impressive.10 Wal-Mart responded faster than FEMA to provide what the suburban New Orleans’ area needed, water.10 The community of was very thankful to have local Wal-Mart stores, and many believed that the provision of supplies by Wal-Mart, eliminated looting in these areas.10 People did not need to steal and fight for supplies where these stores existed. The crime rate was lower.

Big retailers have extensive supply chains that can be leveraged for emergency responses during hurricanes. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Wal-Mart shipped approximately 2,500 truckloads of merchandise to affected areas.10 The logistics of these retailers can provide disaster relief more easily because they already have personnel and vehicles in the area that can be utilized. Wal-Mart provided a variety of free supplies to disaster victims, including prescription drugs.10 People in the emergency shelters were able to receive supplies from private businesses during Hurricane Katrina. The private sector was able to deliver needed items to evacuees.

Private organizations had a stake in protecting stores located in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. These businesses are experienced at asset protection, security and disaster planning. The Wal-Mart employees were already trained to handle emergencies and had command centers established. One Wal-Mart in Mississippi was prepared for Hurricane Katrina before it made landfall, had staging areas set up, with 45 trucks available.10 This organization had the resources to prepare in advance. Although many stores had lost power and closed due to the hurricane, Wal-Mart reopened their stores very quickly.10 “By 10 days after landfall, all but 15 of its stores were open and the 15 still closed were ones that had suffered major flooding or severe structural damage.”10 Regaining power and reopening the Wal-Mart stores was very important to the community. Getting the power restored was an important priority after Hurricane Katrina.

Power companies across the Gulf Coast region faced quite a challenge with this hurricane. The following Southern Company subsidiaries were affected across this region: Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power and Mississippi Power.  Disaster preparedness is an essential part of strategic planning for power companies. Mississippi Power began tracking Katrina in advance and was prepared for the storm before Hurricane Katrina made landfall.11 Before the storm hit, Mississippi Power had already requested 3,000 lineman and 1,750 tree trimmers.11 The disaster plans for this company already anticipated the number of extra personnel that would be needed. Some of the additional supplies that were ordered in advance of Katrina included transformers, poles, conductors, hardware and fuel.11 The policies and procedures in place were aimed at optimizing the supply chain. The logistics of providing for the additional personnel and services required were accomplished. Approximately 4,800 beds for personnel were made available by this company in mobile trailers, military facilities, colleges, and even motels far away11 Three days before the storm hit, this company had vendors in place to provide everything staff needed, and spent $7 million on securing equipment and logistical support before Katrina hit.11 This utility company provided an example of the types of disaster preparedness that should be leveraged in the future.

Many customers did lose power during Hurricane Katrina. In Mississippi, 195,000 customers lost power; 1,385,374 customers went without power in Alabama; over 2 million customers ended up without power in Georgia.11 The hurricane relief provided by these organizations accounted for the power loss of its own employees, because many of its own employees were affected by the storm.11 Provisions were made for families of employees that did not have electricity.

Many valuable lessons were learned by the experience of Hurricane Katrina. One of these lessons was that enormous cost savings may result from the efficient use of resources and time.11 By planning ahead resources can be allocated more effectively. Staging areas are an important operational asset for companies to plan for in advance.11 Resources can be shared and conserved more easily when the supply chain is centralized. Cooperation and collaboration between all stakeholders is a necessity for both public and private organizations to continue functioning and facilitate communication.

Electric companies coordinate teamwork between multiple agencies and local communities during natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina. The federal government provided support to utility companies affected by this storm by exempting their reporting requirements to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in an effort to save time and work.11 Any techniques that save employees’ time and streamline processes are beneficial policies to adopt. Technological advancements that can be developed to restore power sooner are being studied by the US Department of Energy.11 Next generation technology is needed that can withstand severe storm damage. Lastly, companies need to have more backup personnel on call and ready to replace workers, who are either exhausted or unable to complete work. Companies should combine resources and personnel in future disasters of the same magnitude as Hurricane Katrina.

The disaster response of Hurricane Katrina had many shortcomings, but also taught us some valuable lessons. Mistakes were made by not building stronger levees around New Orleans, which can withstand stronger storms and protect property. More people should have been notified sooner of the mandatory evacuation order; transportation should be readily available for residents needing assistance with evacuation. Emergency shelters needed adequate provisions for more people, which should have been coordinated with and supported by large retailers like Wal-Mart. Federal, state and local authorities should share the burden of disaster response, as no one agency can provide all the supplies, resources and personnel that are required for major hurricanes like Katrina. When a major hurricane hits, having electricity restored quickly is one of the first priorities to prevent loss of life. Too many deaths occurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina. More research is needed to study policies and procedures that are effective at managing natural disasters of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina.

Bibliography

Ball, B. (2006). Rebuilding Electrical Infrastructure along the Gulf Coast: A Case Study. The Bridge. 36(1), 3. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b539/336585155e9ec09cec6365c28a2b1a888fb0.pdf#page=29

Birkland, T. & Waterman, S. (2008). Is Federalism the Reason for Policy Failure in Hurricane Katrina? Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 38(4), 692-714. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/publius/article-abstract/38/4/692/1853488

Bugliarello, G. (2006). Editor’s Note: The Aftermath of Katrina. The Bridge. 36(1), 3. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b539/336585155e9ec09cec6365c28a2b1a888fb0.pdf#page=29

Burby, R. (2006). Hurricane Katrina and the paradoxes of Government Disaster Policy: Bringing About Wise Governmental Decisions for Hazardous Areas. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 604, 171. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0002716205284676

CNN Library. (2017). Hurricane Katrina Statistics Fast Facts. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/us/hurricane-katrina-statistics-fast-facts/index.html

Eisenman, D., Cordasco, K., Asch, S., Golden, J. & Glik, D. (2007). Disaster Planning and Risk Communication With Vulnerable Communities: Lessons From Hurricane Katrina, American Journal of Public Health, 97(S1), S109-S115. Retrieved from http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2005.084335

FEMA. (2015). Hurricane Katrina 10 Year: Recovery by the Numbers [PDF]. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/108100

FEMA. (2015). Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years Later [PDF]. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/108100

FEMA. (2016). Hurricane Katrina: A Decade of Progress through Partnerships. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-katrina-decade-progress-through-partnerships

Horwitz, S. (2009). Wal-Mart to the Rescue: Private Enterprise’s Response to Hurricane Katrina. The Independent Review, 13(4), 511-528. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24562893?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Joyner, J. (2005). Katrina: People Dying at New Orleans Convention Center. Outside the Beltway. Retrieved from http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/katrina_people_dying_at_new_orleans_convention_center/