Hurricane+Katrina

Nature's Wrath
In August 2005, while America was involved in war in the Middle East, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. The category 3 hurricane struck the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, causing much damage. Damage was especially severe in the city of New Orleans, where the levees meant to protect the city from flooding broke, which caused water to pour into most of the city. Thousands of families were displaced and some were unable to return home due to extreme property damage. Clean drinking water and electricity were unavailable for a time, and looting occurred in the city of New Orleans among those who had not evacuated the city. The storm also interrupted oil flow from the Gulf of Mexico, which caused a rise in fuel prices. The rise in fuel prices affected all Americans via gas prices. Those not affected directly by the storm’s fury watched on the news as stories of horrible losses, images of flooded and destroyed homes, and the beginning of the slow process of reconstruction flashed before their eyes. The government soon came under attack for its slow response to the disaster.

The Government Comes Under Fire
In response to Hurricane Katrina, George W. Bush presented a speech in which he sympathized with the losses of the victims of Katrina and outlined a plan for rebuilding those cities damaged. He also commended the first responders that aided victims that had not evacuated for their sense of hope:

“Many first responders were victims themselves, wounded healers, with a sense of duty greater than their own suffering. When I met Steve Scott of the Biloxi Fire Department, he and his colleagues were conducting a house-to-house search for survivors. Steve told me this, ‘I lost my house and I lost my cars, but I still got my family, and I still got my spirit’” (“ George W. Bush Hurricane Relief Address to the Nation”).

Despite his speech, Bush’s administration still received much criticism for the slow response to the flood damage. Eventually the National Guard was sent into the destroyed areas to administer aid to those in need. However, the majority of the criticism for the slow response was directed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.) Critics considered FEMA to be largely responsible because they knew of the storms potential but did not take the needed steps to prevent what damage they could and because of their slow response in the administration of aid. This criticism of FEMA led director Michael Brown to step down from the position. However, some critics felt that a new FEMA leader would not be enough and that a new organization should have been created to replace FEMA.