ABSTRACT
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, leaving in her path a swath of destruction and devastation not previously seen by the United States (United States Congress, 2006). After the hurricane passed, additional catastrophic damage was caused to New Orleans, in particular due to flooding in much of the city and surrounding parishes. In the wake of this national emergency, cries for assistance from the stricken communities were heard by the entire country. Even prior to the hurricane making landfall, organizations such as the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Service were providing recommendations regarding evacuation needs for the region. However, in both cases, slow and uncoordinated responses from local, state, and national government leadership resulted in the most expensive natural disaster to ever hit the United States. Indeed, the Congressional Report resulting from an investigation into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina illustrated the disorganization and disarray in the disaster’s management, calling it ultimately a massive system failure (United States Congress, 2006). The total cost of damage from Hurricane Katrina was estimated to be $81 billion, with over 1,800 lives lost (Knabb, Rhome, & Brown, 2005).
