American Safety Zone - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina Was One Of The Worst Disasters In History

When hurricane Katrina first made landfall in the United States, it was as a Category 1 hurricane.

It proceeded to cross the state and gained strength over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall again -- this time as a Category 4 storm. There are many reasons that hurricane Katrina was as destructive as it was, but part of the reason is that people just ignored the warnings and didn't evacuate.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina

We all saw the footage of the destruction of hurricane Katrina and watched as the death tolls climbed. So far, hurricane Katrina has claimed 1,302 lives--possibly more. Forecasters knew that Katrina was headed to the Gulf Coast and they warned residents to get out. But many were either too stubborn to go or didn't have a way to get out. For those who stayed behind, all the hurricane safety preparations in the world couldn't have helped them.

Nobody anticipated that any hurricanes would be strong enough to cause the levees at Lake Pontchartrain to break. Those who didn't evacuate but at least prepared for the hurricane may have taken home safety steps to save their homes from damaging winds and light flooding, but they weren't expecting the type of flooding they got. Even people who bought enough food, bottled water, flashlights, etc. didn't get the chance to use those because flood waters engulfed their homes.

Not just minor flooding. Water accumulation to the point that they were forced to their attics and rooftops.

Something the 2005 hurricanes taught us all was that hurricanes are only predictable to a point. Hurricanes definitely have a mind of their own, so rather than practicing the rules of hurricane safety, maybe you should practice the rules of general weather safety when a hurricane is headed your way. Obviously, don't prepare for blizzards, but it wouldn't hurt to be ready for damaging winds and damaging floods. Take what you need and evacuate.

Let insurance cover the rest. Don't risk your life.
Do not let the next Katrina, whatever its name might be, take this kind of toll on you!
What if you stay, and you end up on your roof for days or weeks with no food or water? You might not last. Remember--things can be replaced, but people can't. The next time an equivalent of hurricane Wilma or Katrina hits, you have to be ready!