Is New Orleans Better Prepared For a Hurricane?
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Simply put, it depends on your wealth and race. Among those who applied for post-Katrina disaster assistance from FEMA those who reported incomes at least four times the federal poverty level were more likely to say their application was approved, at 45 percent. And while only 34 percent of all white residents who sought federal assistance said their application was passed , that number dropped to 28 percent for Hispanic residents and just 13 percent for black residents.
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A lack of affordable rental housing in the city, has left the many tenants booted from their homes few options if or when they return. Government-assistance programs go a long way in helping the displaced, but they’re structured such that the neediest groups have a difficult time receiving help, or are left out. Katrina was not an equal opportunity storm. Nor has New Orleans experienced an equal opportunity recovery- because of the white civic leaders who openly advocate for a whiter, wealthier city.
Sea levels in New Orleans are continuing to rise, over the past 20 years the annual rate of rise has been 0.13 inches, twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years. Nearly every coastal city is in danger of flooding. Economic losses totaled around 2.5 trillion and the costs are expected to continue to rise. The intensifying effects of climate change and the growing populations in hazardous areas means another disaster like Katrina is not only likely but inevitable. Hurricanes and floods are only two of the environmental risks facing New Orleans, the community also faces other physical stresses such as land subsides and loss of wetlands.
In the years since Katrina, the government has funded programs to make New Orleans more “resilient” and “weather ready”. The White House has built collaborations with community groups in disaster-prone areas and enacted new policies to better address vulnerable populations. New Orleans is better prepared than before, but another disaster is bound to happen. Katrina has made groups more aware about how to address communities during times of catastrophe. Most of the infrastructure that broke during Katrina is still vulnerable.
New Orleans is converting all street lamps into LED and installing predictive technologies in buildings to look at energy efficiency and use. Dikes, levees and seawall pumps have also been added to protect the city. Sensors have been added to monitor where water is and where it is moving and where it could potentially flood. Parks and other green spaces are being added to help absorb water. The Network For Economic Opportunity is designing programs and policies that will insure all residents are able to access economic opportunities, affordable housing, health care, and education.
New resiliency projects and green infrastructure have also been put in place. 14.5 billion dollars was invested into a coastal flood protection system and local transportation along with one time disaster funding.
Spikes in violence and struggles in education have also happened in the past year. Data shows that the number of black middle class households in the city, those bringing in $35,000-$100,000 per year, dropped by 9 percent from 2005 to 2013. Additionally, the share of black households earning more than $100,000 also has dropped nine points since Katrina. Four out of five white residents say the city has recovered while three out of five black residents say it has not.
In the years since Katrina, the government has funded programs to make New Orleans more “resilient” and “weather ready”. The White House has built collaborations with community groups in disaster-prone areas and enacted new policies to better address vulnerable populations. New Orleans is better prepared than before, but another disaster is bound to happen. Katrina has made groups more aware about how to address communities during times of catastrophe. Most of the infrastructure that broke during Katrina is still vulnerable.
New Orleans is converting all street lamps into LED and installing predictive technologies in buildings to look at energy efficiency and use. Dikes, levees and seawall pumps have also been added to protect the city. Sensors have been added to monitor where water is and where it is moving and where it could potentially flood. Parks and other green spaces are being added to help absorb water. The Network For Economic Opportunity is designing programs and policies that will insure all residents are able to access economic opportunities, affordable housing, health care, and education.
New resiliency projects and green infrastructure have also been put in place. 14.5 billion dollars was invested into a coastal flood protection system and local transportation along with one time disaster funding.
Spikes in violence and struggles in education have also happened in the past year. Data shows that the number of black middle class households in the city, those bringing in $35,000-$100,000 per year, dropped by 9 percent from 2005 to 2013. Additionally, the share of black households earning more than $100,000 also has dropped nine points since Katrina. Four out of five white residents say the city has recovered while three out of five black residents say it has not.
Are marginalized and vulnerable communities prioritized in response efforts now?
FEMA’s Failure
FEMA was shamed by the whole country- and some may say world- for their horrible job taking care of Louisiana, especially its poor and black residents, but in the years following the disaster, what changed in FEMA’s approach? Did it change? Based on the devastation of Puerto Rico after Maria, the uncomplicated answer is no. Poor communities of color are still being hurt, neglected, ignored and not given what they need. In Puerto Rico, the total lack of compassion for Americans literally starving was clear, showing that FEMA was (still) not even remotely interested in caring for poor brown people. Even during hurricane Harvey, (which happened in developed, suburban, wealthy Texas) ‘’Only 52 percent of the survey’s white respondents impacted by Harvey said they were able to get the help they needed; that number dropped to 46 percent for Hispanic and 32 percent for black respondents.’’ The sudden flood of promises after Katrina has amounted to nearly nothing in actual policy changes. “While disaster recovery is inherently a long process, under the Trump administration those impacted say the process has become untenable. The issue has been exacerbated through a combination of staffing shortages at key agencies, a maze of bureaucratic red tape, and political fights over disaster relief aid.” It can be argued with total validity that the simple fact that the government is still impeding the progress of getting food to people shows no progress. The neglect of these people is shameful, and in their gravest hour of need, no compassionate action is shown. The government and FEMA may have held press conferences, but no other progress has been made
FEMA was shamed by the whole country- and some may say world- for their horrible job taking care of Louisiana, especially its poor and black residents, but in the years following the disaster, what changed in FEMA’s approach? Did it change? Based on the devastation of Puerto Rico after Maria, the uncomplicated answer is no. Poor communities of color are still being hurt, neglected, ignored and not given what they need. In Puerto Rico, the total lack of compassion for Americans literally starving was clear, showing that FEMA was (still) not even remotely interested in caring for poor brown people. Even during hurricane Harvey, (which happened in developed, suburban, wealthy Texas) ‘’Only 52 percent of the survey’s white respondents impacted by Harvey said they were able to get the help they needed; that number dropped to 46 percent for Hispanic and 32 percent for black respondents.’’ The sudden flood of promises after Katrina has amounted to nearly nothing in actual policy changes. “While disaster recovery is inherently a long process, under the Trump administration those impacted say the process has become untenable. The issue has been exacerbated through a combination of staffing shortages at key agencies, a maze of bureaucratic red tape, and political fights over disaster relief aid.” It can be argued with total validity that the simple fact that the government is still impeding the progress of getting food to people shows no progress. The neglect of these people is shameful, and in their gravest hour of need, no compassionate action is shown. The government and FEMA may have held press conferences, but no other progress has been made
How has FEMA adjusted? How has it failed to?
FEMA’s director resigned during the Katrina disaster and has since then been replaced multiple times. Directors since then have more experience Current FEMA, Director Brock Long, used to direct the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and had previously worked at FEMA. FEMA has attempted to involve community perspectives, they've started to engage with social media, and moved focus from rebuilding towards resilience. However FEMA is still a part of department security, a department that focuses on terrorism, immigration, and the border. FEMA is still not the first group to take action when a disaster happens. While FEMA has taken some action to this day “The country as a whole is really not prepared for disasters of this sort,” as stated by Georgia Tech President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough, this is partially because advice from experts has been widely ignored. Clough himself advised that re development, especially on the coast lines, should be limited. That was not heeded and to this day Louisiana is still rebuilding. He also recommended adjusting debris removal protocol and to further focus on the elderly, FEMA has not done any of these.
How do other hurricanes after Katrina compare?
Hurricane Sandy took place in October of 2012. This Category 3 storm hit the entire east coast of the United States, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hati, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, which resulted in 286 fatalities. Sandy caused a detrimental amount of damage, the cost of which totaled to 70 billion dollars. It took about 2 days for aid to start coming in for people who were affected by the hurricane. FEMA provided 26.5 billion dollars in aid. Similar to Katrina, people of color were affected more by Sandy. According to DirectRelief, “during Sandy, approximately 80,000 public housing residents in 402 NYCHA buildings lost power, heat, and hot water. Power wasn’t restored in many of the buildings until Wednesday November 14th, more than 2 weeks after the storm.”
Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August of 2017. With the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina looming, Harvey left many Louisianians feeling a sense of deja vu. An estimate of 13 million people were affected by the hurricane, 107 of which died. Harvey caused a tremendous amount of damage: 175 billion dollars worth. FEMA helped out a lot with the cost, providing 119 billion dollars in aid. Fortunately, aid was quickly received. Resources started coming into affected areas 1 day after Harvey hit. Unfortunately, this aid wasn’t evenly distributed. “27 percent of Latinx Texans whose homes were badly damaged by the hurricane are still not able to live in them. The same goes for 20 percent of Blacks… At the same time, 50 percent of lower-income respondents said they weren’t getting the help they needed,” ColorLines reported.
Hurricane Maria was the most destructive hurricane to hit Central America in all of recorded history. Puerto Rico was the most devastated by the hurricane; over a third of homes in Puerto Rico were destroyed. Like Katrina, Maria was a Category 5 storm, the highest rating on the popularly used Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. It made landfall in September of 2017, only one month after Hurricane Harvey. Over 4,600 people died in Maria, more than double the people that died in Katrina. Unsurprisingly, Hurricane Maria mainly people of color, many of which are very poor. According to the Natural Hazards Center, “Puerto Rico has a very high poverty rate, with just more than 45 percent of Puerto Ricans living below the federal poverty level”. Despite this, FEMA only provided 19 billion dollars in aid out of the 175 billion dollars worth in damage. There was very little government response, and it took over a week for aid to come in.