Hurricane Katrina Environment

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast on August 29, but first touched down in Florida a few days earlier. In Florida the storm was only a Category 1 and caused minimal damage to people and the environment. However, the well documented damage caused in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana was one of the greatest natural disasters to ever strike the United States. While much of the Gulf Coast was adversely affected by the hurricane, the majority of damage to human life and the environment was in and around New Orleans. While the hurricane was only a Category 3 when it touched down it caused the destruction of levees in New Orleans. When the levees broke water rushed into the city causing unprecedented amounts of damage. The initial flooding destroyed residential neighborhoods as well as businesses. The debris caused from this destruction, as well as the stagnant water in the city, would pose tremendous health risks in the coming days and weeks.
Initially there were numerous reports of people getting strange rashes on the parts of their skin that came into contact with toxic water.
The toxins in the water are suspected to have come from the wide spread debris. It is well known that there were many oil refineries in the Gulf Coast, and when they were destroyed they leaked oil and other harmful chemicals into the water. In addition, plants in the area that refined chemicals and produced other materials hazardous to the environment were destroyed and their contents were released into the water. One nurse working for the Red Cross was quoted as saying, "We observed in our tour of hard-hit areas that as the floodwater has receded, and the toxin-laced sediment and residue has dried, dust begins to swirl with wind or disturbance. This fine, toxic dust presents a serious risk to citizens if inhaled." This toxic dust which is now covering the city and surrounding areas can potentially pose severe risks to human and animal health, as well as damage the
soil. In a report published on October 6, 2005 the Natural Resources Defense Council announced their findings that upwards of 10 million gallons of oil were released into the environment from destroyed petroleum plants and damaged automobiles. The report goes on to say that toxic sediment that has been accumulating on the bottoms of lakes in industrial areas will contribute to causing environmental damage because it was stirred up during the hurricane. Not only are the toxins being found on the ground and in the water, but also in the air. The same report goes on to say that the level of air contaminants in many parts of the city is unsafe for repopulation. The damage that has been caused in the Gulf coast is different from many other natural disasters that we often see in the United States today. For example, we know the effects of mudslides or forest fires. Usually we are able to clear people from the areas that are suspected to be in danger and the impact on human life is minimal. Animal habitats may be destroyed by mud or fire but often they can relocate or return to the damaged area once the disaster has ended. Unfortunately, the damage caused to the environment by Hurricane Katrina seems to be much more severe. We do not know how the toxins in the environment will affect wildlife or agriculture. While we may have to wait many years to see what lasting effects these toxins have, there will no doubt be many.