Flood Resilience

After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, there was a lot of flooding because of the storm and failed levees. People were forced to wait in their attics or on the rooftops for help to arrive. Although, some people died from heat exhaustion in their attics. Disaster aid was slow to come.

There were other problems that the flood brought with it. Looting was taking place because most of the city was underwater and no one was able to (or really concerned about) controlling that type of thing. But it certainly didn't help matters. Disaster aid was slow to come.

There was a mandatory evacuation issued for the city the day before the storm was supposed to hit. Most evacuated, some stayed in their homes, and others were able to go to the Superdome for shelter. A lot of extra water and food was needed for the victims. Disaster aid was slow to come.

In First the Dead, a book by Tim Downs, the main character signs up to help with the aftermath and describes how desperate people were to find food and water. FEMA seemed to be the least prepared for the severity of the disaster. Once again, aid was slow to come.

Community resilience is important. State resilience is important. National resilience is important. The New Orleans mayor seemed to be well prepared/knowledgeable about what could potentially happen. The evacuation the day before saved thousands of lives. Other than evacuation, there isn't much a community can do to prepare for a flood. But if they are going to higher ground, people need to make sure they bring necessary supplies with them. 

The aftermath of a flood can be difficult to deal with because so many lives, homes, and businesses have been lost. Not only is it important for a community to be resilient but for communities around the area to be resilient as well. More often than not, a community would have a very difficult time dealing with natural disasters on their own.