Geography 2152F/G Lecture 6: Video Questions - Hurricane Katrina
14 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
GEOG 2152: Geography of Hazards
Video:
Hurricane Katrina
1. What did the scientists learn from the simulation of the fictional Hurricane Pam?
Computer simulation held in Louisiana to discuss major issues of what would happen if
hurricane hit New Orleans. Half a million would be homeless, mass destruction.
Category 4 – houses sustain damaged, shingles sheared off
Category 5 – whole roofs are sheared off and houses destroyed, storm surge where waters rise to
an unnaturally high tide where 90% of deaths come from drowning
Even the slow-moving category 3 storm would completely flood New Orleans, 61,000 people
would die and half million would be homeless.
2. How have we been improving the forecasting of hurricanes?
Hurricane forecasts improving due to greater understanding of hurricane dynamics and remote
sensing via satellites. External sensors record wind speed and details of hurricane, temperature,
relative humidity, pressure, GPS to see wind direction and wind speed. Relays wind speeds at
many different points of the storm. Data fed to a National Hurricane Center where it goes to a
prediction cone and it predicts 5-day forecast.
Two types of levees, earth and concrete. Made to withstand up to a fast-moving category 3
hurricane.
3. What was the engineering approach to protect the city? What were its limitations?
Designed complex system of complex drains to drain the complex wetlands because the city was
built next to the Mississippi River. Problem with drainage is that the soil was losing bulk and
caused the city to sink further. Catastrophic flood occurred. System was designed to keep the
water OUT not what would happen when the floodwall was not working and was already in the
city. There were no preparations because it was like a bowl filling up and water was not
escaping.
Using sandbags delivered by helicopter, it took a month to dry the city.
4. What role do wetlands play? How have they been altered and what has been the
impact?
Document Summary
Computer simulation held in louisiana to discuss major issues of what would happen if hurricane hit new orleans. Half a million would be homeless, mass destruction. Category 4 houses sustain damaged, shingles sheared off. Category 5 whole roofs are sheared off and houses destroyed, storm surge where waters rise to an unnaturally high tide where 90% of deaths come from drowning. Hurricane forecasts improving due to greater understanding of hurricane dynamics and remote sensing via satellites. External sensors record wind speed and details of hurricane, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, gps to see wind direction and wind speed. Relays wind speeds at many different points of the storm. Data fed to a national hurricane center where it goes to a prediction cone and it predicts 5-day forecast. Designed complex system of complex drains to drain the complex wetlands because the city was built next to the mississippi river.
