 Located
on the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans is no stranger to
tropical storms and hurricanes. But Hurricane Katrina was
unlike anything the city had ever experienced. Most of the
old city, built below sea level on lowland swamps, was
protected by a series of levees and pumping stations. But
the Category-4 hurricane that swept through the Gulf Coast
region of the United States pushed water over the levees
and submerged 80 percent of the city. The flooding was the
worst in the history of New Orleans.
Even a month after the disaster, residents were still
unable to return to their homes. Most neighborhoods were
still submerged under stagnant and contaminated water,
drinking water and electricity had still not been fully
restored, and the levees repaired by the Army Corps of
Engineers were not strong enough to withstand another
natural assault.
The physical damage to the city is matched only by the
psychological and spiritual trauma of its residents.
Everyone has lost something, and many have lost
everything. Jobs, businesses, possessions, homes--all were
swept away by the disaster. Even children have not been
spared, having lost their schools, their neighborhoods,
and their sense of security. Nobody is sure when things
will return to normal. Even worse, the low socioeconomic
status of many of the hurricane victims makes the process
of recovery even more daunting.
|