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8 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What was the cause and course of the storm? |
Storm formed over Bahamas on 23rd August, moved NW and strengthened into a hurricane over Southern tip of Florida. Over Gulf of Mexico, strengthened to a category 5, then weakened to a 3. It struck land on 29th August- Louisiana hit first. |
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What did the storm initially bring? |
Winds 200km/h 200-250mm rainfall in Lousiana Storm surge up to 8.5m in Mississippi |
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What were the social impacts of the storm? |
1836 killed 300,000 houses destroyed- hundreds of thousands made homeless 3 million without electricity Main coastal routes closed- I-10 bridge collapsed Water supplies polluted with sewage, chemicals and dead bodies. 5 died from bacterial infections caught from contaminated water. Education of hundreds of thousands of children suffered when schools were damaged or destroyed. e.g 18 in New Orleans destroyed and 74 badly damaged. |
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What were the economic impacts of the storm? |
230,000 jobs lost Cost of damage around $300 billion 30 oil platforms in Gulf of Mexico damaged or destroyed, 9 refineries had to close- disrupting the industry 5300km2 of forest destroyed in Mississippi- affecting the logging industry (loss of income estimated at $5 billion) Many ports were damaged- disrupting the shipping industry. |
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What were the environmental impacts of the storm? |
Coastal habitats damaged e.g sea turtle breeding beaches Coastal conservation areas damaged or destroyed e.g half of Breton National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana was washed away Flooding damaged oil refineries in Louisiana, causing huge spills. Permanent flooding of salt marshes in Louisiana caused loss of habitat. |
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What were the responses to the hurricane before it hit? |
1. Hurricane warning issued- monitoring system v advanced. 2. State of emergency declared in Louisiana and Mississippi 3. US coast guard prepared- helicopters and boats positioned 4. FEMA organised teams ready to deal with bodies or give out supplies. 5. Mayor of N.O ordered evacuation of the city |
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What were the responses during/after the hurricane? |
1. Emergency shelters set up for those who couldn't evacuate, e.g if they didn't have transport. 2. 50,000 rescued after hurricane hit. 3. FEMA sent search and rescue teams, medical teams etc. 4. 58,000 National Guard Troops deployed from all over US to evacuate and rescue. 5. Charities collected over $4 billion of donations from the public to provide aid. |
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Why have responses to the disaster been criticised? |
1. Some emergency shelters not properly prepared for the number of people needing shelter. e.g not enough food delivered to the Louisiana Superdrome. 2. Widespread looting in many areas e.g N.O not enough police or troops. 3. Evacuations criticised for not helping people without transport to get out. e.g N.O residents without a car. |