The untold stories of Hurricane Katrina and the shock doctrine
Shock doctrine is a doctrine that is enforced as controversial policies when the victims are in emotional and physical pain due to a disastrous crisis like war, catastrophe, and terrorism and policies
Shock doctrine means to apply any policy or doctrines when devastating events like war, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters are taking time that can not be imposed on otherwise. For example after 9/11 attack, there was an controversial technology that can sees through clothing at the airport, even showing private areas on TSA scanner. This is not a policy, but it was still controversial. This technology was allowed to use because of terrorist attacks. Klein asserts that various forms of the shock doctrine have since been used for the purpose to reform a soceity in general.
On the last day of August in 2005, the largest and the most destructive disaster called Hurricane Katrina happened in the history of the United States. Shock doctrines have been also imposed because of this destructive catastrophe.
It is usually governmental responsibility for disaster response and planning. There was a criticism on the government’s mismanagement and lack of leadership in response to the storm. There were many non governmental organization such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Southern Baptist convention that provided help for the victims of the storm. Because of lack of government involvement to Hurricane Katrina, policies regarding FEMA have been changed.
FEMA is Federal Emergency Management Agency, and its duty is to assist the citizens to help recover from all dangers, to protect against any risks, and to prepare for any hazards. FEMA was created in the first day of April in 1979. FEMA was usually criticized for slow response to the disaster and an inability to manage and care for the victims of the catastrophe. FEMA also lacked professionals who are well trained and ability to provide emergency shelter and food.
“Hurricane Katrina caused a shift in government to higher dependency on faith-based organizations, and was also extremely influential on the national political realm” (jtelliot). After Hurricane Katrina, congress gave FEMA right to move resources to disaster area before any disaster happens and not after a disaster. The delayed and ineffective aid provided by FEMA in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina also translated to the national political realm.
This is a picture of a Hurricane Katrina victim, the census have said that approximately 2000 people died from hurricane katrina. Hurricane katrina affected more than 15 million people in terms of economically, mentally, and environmentally. Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages. The population in New Orleans have decreased drastically. FEMA stated that the total approximate damage for Katrina is estimated at $110 billion. US census data have reported that poverty rates in New Orleans was 27% in 2013.
https://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina
Hurricane Katrina changed some policies regarding the response to disasters, because the government have decided that FEMA have been working slow to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, some policy have been changed, so that FEMA can help recover faster from any disaster, or even from terrorist attack.
There are two stories of Hurricane Katrina survivors that I would like to share. The first story is a story of a man who survived from the storm, but who have lost his family. The second from the perspective of victim of the disaster who tried to save people in the midst of chaos and confusion of the disaster.
My name is Douglas deSilvey, and I am 59 years old. My wife and daughter died from Hurricane Katrina by the roof that collapsed. Not just my wife and daughter, but my mother in law and father in law also died from the catastrophe. I have lost all my family at once. I still remember every details that had happened, and I wish I did not. I could not protect the people I love the most, and I am the only one to survive in my family. I just wanted to share my story.
It was the most devastating experience I have ever had. When I saw the roof collapsing, I tried warning them; but when I found out, it was too late. I have witnessed my family dying. It was the most terrible thing to watch. I wanted to vanish from there. I want to forget everything that ever happened on that day. I don’t even want to recall that incident ever again, because then I would want to see them again. I miss my family so much, and I even sometimes wish that I was with them right then and there.
My name is Saussy, and I worked to save many lives from Hurricane Katrina. There was no food, water, and medicine, and I was also the victim of the catastrophe. “The city’s disaster-planning team decided to shelter anyone who remained in the city in the Super dome” (Steve Sternberg). Super dome was the place where people would go, because their homes were all destroyed. There was not enough water and food for countless people who were there, and it was even worse for the people who were in convention center. I spent night sleeping in super dome parking lot along with police and the military. Then, my team was to evacuate people out of the city by any means, whether by buses, by walking, or even by shopping carts. The patients were moved on to the fly due to the urgency and immediate help. However, the patients who were dying were left behind. It was painful to watch them just die there, but there was no way to save everyone there, and the matter was that everyone in my team was doing their best to try to save as many people as possible. The 911 call was kept coming. I had to repeat that I can not help them over and over again. I did not want to say those words, but I also did not want give them false hopes. There was a woman who called 911, because her baby was not breathing. It was just a living hell and a living nightmare. “There are a lot of awful things that happen, but people need to know,” Najberg says, “That’s what makes you prepare for the next one.” Even after 10 years, the victims still can not forget about the most devastating incident, Hurricane Katrina.
I did everything I could to save the victims. There were still many people that I could not save, but I did what I believed was the right thing to do at that time. Maybe what I did was not really the best choice and the best decision, but I am glad I have saved many people. I could not save all, but I saved as many people as possible. I do not regret the decisions I made, and I know that I would make the same exact decisions that I have made even if I go back to that horrid situation. And This is my story.
The first story was from the perspective of the victims whose family had died, and the second story was about from the view point of the survivor who have saved many lives of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The feelings that they both felt was different, but they both can never forget about this disaster. The catastrophe drained all of their emotions and energy. 13 years have passed, but many people are still suffering from Hurricane Katrina, remembering what had happened to them. The difference between the first story and the second story is that the protagonist of the first story was in a pain of loss while the protagonist in the second story tried her best, despite also being one of a victim, to save the victims from the death and the pain of the catastrophe.
There are many people who were affected by the catastrophe, but FEMA have been working slow to help the victims recover from Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, many policies have been fixed to help the victims more efficiently than before. Few things that was improved after Hurricane Katrina include: better leadership and community perspective, enhanced ability of support ahead of a disaster, and refined search and rescue capacity.
There are about 15 million people who were influenced by Hurricane Katrina, but FEMA had been slow to help them recover from it. Therefore, policies have been changed to help the victims get recover from any disasters, war, or terrorism as fast as they could. People would not put a lot of effort funding FEMA, but after Hurricane Katrina, their thought have changed. This is also known as a Shock doctrine, because the policy and many other things have been changed after a huge disaster ,or the most dreadful catastrophe.
