2008 Woodie Awards
Gustav: a disaster in disguise
Nicholas O'Malley, Collegain columnist
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: Editorial / Opinion
The levees did not fail, and the city was not flooded. Such words were encouraging after the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe that swept over New Orleans a few years ago.
Now, three years later, New Orleans has undergone miraculous efforts in order to prepare the city for the next major storm to hit the gulf. Many "I-frame" levees that failed during Katrina have since been replaced with the stronger, better designed "T-frame" levees. The heights of the walls have been raised, many to the optimal height of 15 feet.
Regardless of their expectations and planning, the improvements on the city's protection from flooding were truly tested during Gustav's landfall. Thankfully, the city was not directly hit by the Category 2 storm, and did not sustain major damage or casualties.
Therein lies the problem.
The city of New Orleans was the focal point of the destruction left in the wake of Katrina. The despicable reaction of government aid coupled with inept preparation by residents led to one of the worst natural disasters in recent history.
The city was not the only victim. Countless other smaller communities were rocked by Katrina three years ago, and now by Gustav. The storm's estimated damage is between 2 and 10 billion dollars and could cause extended power outages in some parts of Louisiana.
Unfortunately, they may not receive enough relief since the disaster received nowhere near the attention that Katrina received. Efforts to rebuild communities after Katrina stretched far beyond the city limits, and it was the attention it received through media and charitable foundations that led to major recovery efforts.
With New Orleans escaping the full force of the storm, the outcry for relief that was present three years ago will almost be silent. Contributions toward post-Katrina rebuilding will most likely continue and increase. But these will only come from individual groups. Our government claimed that it was not aware of the disaster caused by Katrina until hours after it was reported on TV, leading to a debacle of an effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other relief organizations. Of course, this all occurred while the entire nation was in an uproar.
Now, three years later, New Orleans has undergone miraculous efforts in order to prepare the city for the next major storm to hit the gulf. Many "I-frame" levees that failed during Katrina have since been replaced with the stronger, better designed "T-frame" levees. The heights of the walls have been raised, many to the optimal height of 15 feet.
Regardless of their expectations and planning, the improvements on the city's protection from flooding were truly tested during Gustav's landfall. Thankfully, the city was not directly hit by the Category 2 storm, and did not sustain major damage or casualties.
Therein lies the problem.
The city of New Orleans was the focal point of the destruction left in the wake of Katrina. The despicable reaction of government aid coupled with inept preparation by residents led to one of the worst natural disasters in recent history.
The city was not the only victim. Countless other smaller communities were rocked by Katrina three years ago, and now by Gustav. The storm's estimated damage is between 2 and 10 billion dollars and could cause extended power outages in some parts of Louisiana.
Unfortunately, they may not receive enough relief since the disaster received nowhere near the attention that Katrina received. Efforts to rebuild communities after Katrina stretched far beyond the city limits, and it was the attention it received through media and charitable foundations that led to major recovery efforts.
With New Orleans escaping the full force of the storm, the outcry for relief that was present three years ago will almost be silent. Contributions toward post-Katrina rebuilding will most likely continue and increase. But these will only come from individual groups. Our government claimed that it was not aware of the disaster caused by Katrina until hours after it was reported on TV, leading to a debacle of an effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other relief organizations. Of course, this all occurred while the entire nation was in an uproar.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Ed Cutting
posted 9/06/08 @ 12:18 AM EST
1: What kind of idiot builds/lives BELOW sea level? Where I am from, we consider any building less than 40/50 ABOVE the flood high tide line to be expendable. (Continued…)
Sean
posted 9/06/08 @ 2:48 PM EST
Ed Cutting has no life. This guy has been responding to every article in a COLLEGE newspaper since the beginning of time.
No one's blaming the disaster(s) on Bush, more the response to Katrina. (Continued…)
Post a Comment