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Information Help Out |
Our Mission iCommissions started CatFiveMarketing.com as an informational resource on Hurricane Katrina and St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, where our offices are located. We hope to provide more information on the widespread devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as host links to local recovery organizations. 2005 Disasters Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. In New Orleans, the storm surge breached the city's levees at multiple points, leaving 80 percent of the city submerged, tens of thousands of victims clinging to rooftops, and hundreds of thousands scattered to shelters around the country. Over 217 square miles of Louisiana's coast was eroded, which destroys a crucial buffer zone for future hurricane damage. Coastal communities from Texas to Alabama were hit with high winds that tore off roofs and toppled electric lines, and the tremendous storm surge engulfed entire cities. The entire 70 miles of coastline across Mississippi was devastated with $125 billion dollars worth of damage, over 300 dead or missing with over 65,000 homes destroyed. Three weeks later, Hurricane Rita reflooded much of the area. The devastation to the Gulf Coast by these two hurricanes has been called the greatest disaster in our nation's history. St. Tammany Parish was highly affected by Hurricane Katrina, not only by a storm surge but 102 to 125 mph hurricane force winds as well, which persisted for almost 20 hours. Lake Pontchartrain inundated the northern shore at the western end of the parish with a 12-foot surge of lake water that flowed inland several blocks. At the eastern end of the parish, an 18-foot storm surge traveled approximately six miles inland, devastating the City of Slidell. Rain persisted from Aug. 28 through Aug. 30, causing flooding in low lying areas and in the flood plains adjacent to the rivers and bayous. More than 6 deaths and 5,000 injuries were due to the storm in St. Tammany Parish alone. The Road To Recovery There are several areas that need to be addressed for St. Tammany Parish’s recovery from the 2005 hurricanes. A main priority is to restore and reopen businesses to full service levels, and to provide no- or low-interest loans to help small businesses rebuild. The next biggest step would be to restore or rebuild damaged housing and neighborhoods, and to provide a variety of new affordable housing opportunities for all income levels. The fragile coastal wetlands should be restored and protected, as they are protection against future storms. For future emergencies, it is essential to develop better emergency communications and well-thought-out evacuation plans. Taking these steps will help the residents of St. Tammany recover from the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as prevent devastation from future Hurricane seasons.
201 Carroll St., Suite A, Mandeville,
LA 70448 |
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