Ben Philipson

There are many health and safety issues that people deal with in their daily lives. Some issues are more serious than others that may have been caused by a tragic event. Well in the summer of 2005, a projected storm that turned into a hurricane changed the lives of many not only physically but psychologically as well. This hurricane is known as Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina originated as a storm which was formed in the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. This would be the 12th tropical depression formed in the Bahamas during that season. A day later, the storm (now given the name tropical storm Katrina) had gotten a lot stronger and organized. The location of the storm was calculated about 230 miles east of Miami with winds moving about 40 miles an hour. Later in the evening, the storms’ winds got much stronger, hitting a top speed of 80 miles an hour. Destruction was starting to occur as falling trees killed two people. This was just the beginning of the nightmare. Tropical storm Katrina was no longer considered a tropical storm. This “storm” can now be classified as a Category One hurricane.

A day or two pass, as people are really starting to get concerned about this hurricane. “The National Hurricane Center reports that the hurricane is “rapidly strengthening” as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico’s very warm waters. In only a few hours, the storm’s strongest winds have increased to about a hundred miles an hour”. After this report by the National Hurricane Center, Governors Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi declare a state of emergency in their respective states. By this time, Hurricane Katrina’s winds hit 115 mph and is now a Category Three hurricane. The hurricane continuously became stronger and more threatening. Within the days, this storm became one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to form in the Atlantic as the winds hit a maximum speed of 175 miles per hour. At last, this storm is now classified as a Category Five storm which is the highest category possible. Citizens of New Orleans were ordered to evacuate but it was very hard for people to leave. Those residents who were unable to leave or decided not to had to seek shelter in the Louisiana Superdome. The storm was so treacherous that the Mayor of New Orleans reported that water was flowing over one of New Orleans’s levees and was pouring through the 17th street canal and had flooded the city.

Immediate Effects

After this horrific and tragic event, many people were affected physically, and psychologically. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was not only depressing but countless lives were ruined. Hurricane Katrina killed nearly 2,000 and displaced more than 250,000 from Louisiana to Florida. Homes were ruined, towns were destroyed, and families were separated. Not only were the effects on the cities and homes evident, but the emotional and psychological state of mind of the residents expressed a feeling of distraught. The delayed help from the government after the disaster didn’t exactly make the situation any better. According to a survey of more than 1,000 New Orleans residents and surrounding areas, 17 percent of people in the city reported signs of serious mental illness in the month after the disaster, compared with 10 percent in surrounding areas. This shows that life-changing events like this storm can really affect your health. Post Hurricane Katrina, one of the most common mental illnesses was PTSD, also known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD includes symptoms such as flashbacks, and nightmares. Nearly half the residents of New Orleans reported significant symptoms of anxiety in the survey, especially after the first month, according to an article published by the Archives of General Psychiatry. Also, women, young adults, and lower-income residents were hardest hit.

In conclusion, New Orleans residents were the most affected by this catastrophic storm. In fact, those who resided in New Orleans were nearly twice as likely than those who lived elsewhere to report mild or serious mental distress. Some people believed that many of the post-traumatic effects to resolve with time.  

5 Years Later

It was more than obvious to see the immediate effects of Hurricane Katrina but who would’ve thought that people are still suffering? “A study released this week linked the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history with a high incidence of anxiety in Gulf Coast-area children displaced by the hurricane, while another found increased sensitivity to mold in children with asthma whose homes were flooded” according to FoxNews.Com. It is easy to decipher that people are still feeling the effects today not only physically but mentally as well. Anthony Speier, a psychologist and deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Behavioral Health for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, said “Being exposed to transient home situations, not being able to get access to care and the adversity of just the recovery process fraught with so many difficulties added and compounded the stress and trauma of being exposed to the devastation and personal loss of life and property during the event of the hurricane and the flooding itself. Many of the 500,000 people, including 160,000 children, who couldn’t return to their homes for at least three months after the storm have been left with a combination of anger, grief and loss.”

One of the hardest things people must face is driving down streets that they used to drive down before the hurricane. It must bring back hard memories and those streets may be filled with many disheartening emotions. According to a study computed by Columbia University, at least 20,000 children displaced by the hurricane and one-third of the children of 1,079 families in Louisiana or Mississippi, have developed serious emotional or behavioral problems, and nearly half of the families studies still lack permanent housing.  

Overall, Hurricane Katrina certainly had a humongous impact on New Orleans and its surrounding areas. Unfortunately, innocent lives were lost and homes were destroyed. Residents of the impacted cities still aren’t emotionally and psychologically stable. In conclusion, Hurricane Katrina had an everlasting effect on society today.