Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
Hurricane PBL
Introduction
Scenario
On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina formed as a tropical storm off the
coast of the Bahamas. Over the next seven days, the tropical storm grew into
a catastrophic hurricane that made landfall first in Florida and then along the
Gulf Coast in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, leaving a trail of
heartbreaking devastation and human suffering. Katrina wreaked staggering
physical destruction along its path, flooded the historic city of New Orleans,
ultimately killed over 1,300 people, and became the most destructive natural
disaster in American history.
Awakening to reports of Katrina’s landfall on the Gulf Coast the morning of
Monday, August 29, American citizens watched events unfold with an initial
curiosity that soon turned to concern and sorrow. The awe that viewers held
for the sheer ferocity of nature was soon matched with disappointment and
frustration at the seeming inability of the “government”—local, State, and
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
Federal—to respond effectively to the crisis.
Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent sustained flooding of New Orleans
exposed significant flaws in Federal, State, and local preparedness for
catastrophic events and our capacity to respond to them. Emergency plans at
all levels of government, from small town plans to the 600-page National
Response Plan—the Federal government’s plan to coordinate all its
departments and agencies and integrate them with State, local, and private
sector partners—were put to the ultimate test, and came up short. Millions of
Americans were reminded of the need to protect themselves and their families.
Even as parts of New Orleans were still under water, President Bush spoke to
the Nation from the city’s historic Jackson Square. He stated unequivocally,
that “[f]our years after the frightening experience of September the 11th,
Americans have every right to expect a more effective response in a time
of emergency. When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation,
I, as President, am responsible for the problem, and for the solution.”1
In his address, the President ordered a comprehensive review of the Federal
response to Hurricane Katrina so we as a Nation could make the necessary
changes to be “better prepared for any challenge of nature or act of evil men
that could threaten our people.”2
Excerpt from “The Federal Response to Katrina: Lessons Learned” 2006, Office of
Homeland Security.
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
Information Resources
Wikipedia (2005), “Hurricane Katrina,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina)
Access Board (2005), Resources on Emergency Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness,
Access Board (www.access-board.gov/evac.htm). Discusses evacuating people with
disabilities.
American Red Cross (2005), “Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?”
Frequently Asked Questions, (www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html)
APTA (2001), Checklists For Emergency Response Planning And System Security, American
Public Transit Association (www.apta.com/services/safety/checklist.htm).
Sheron Begley (2005), “Man-Made Mistakes Increase Devastation Of ‘Natural’ Disasters,”
Wall Street Journal, September 2, 2005; Page B1.
Katja Berdica (2002), “An Introduction to Road Vulnerability,” Transport Policy, Vol. 9. No.
2 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tranpol), April 2002, pp. 117-127.
Ralph Blumenthal, “Miles of Traffic as Texans Heed Order to Leave,” New York Times,
(www.nytimes.com/2005/09/23/national/nationalspecial/23storm.html), September 23,
2005
Leo Bosner (2005), Radio Interview, National Public Radio, 16 September 2005.
Joel K. Bourne, Jr. (2004), “Gone With The Water,” National Geographic
(www.nationalgeographic.com) October 2004.
Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky (2005), Hurricane Katrina - Our Experiences,
EMSNetwork.org (www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/article_18427.shtml), 6 Sept.
2005.
Marjorie Cohn (2005), “Cuba’s hurricane response far superior to America’s,” La Prensa
San Diego (www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/september09-05/superior.htm), 9
September 2005.
Wendell Cox (2005), “Highways to Hell: Investing In Our Safety,” National Review
(www.nationalreview.com/comment/cox200509270811.asp).
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
Mark Fischett (2001), “Drowning New Orleans,” Scientific American (www.sciam.com)
Harold Foster (1995), “Disaster Mitigation: The Role of Resilience,” in D. Etkin (editor)
Proceedings of a Tri-lateral Workshop on Natural Hazards, Merrickville, ON, pp. 93-108.
Mary Foster (2004), “Some Can’t Evacuate New Orleans for Ivan,” Free Republic
(www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477282/posts), from Associated Press.
Susan Taylor Martin (2005), “Can we learn from Cuba’s lesson?” St. Petersburg Times
(www.sptimes.com/2005/09/09/Worldandnation/Can_we_learn_from_Cub.shtml), 9
Sept. 2005.
Cash Michaels (2005), “What Really Happened? Week of Sept. 8-14,” Wilmington Journal
(http://wilmingtonjournal.blackpressusa.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=61378&s
ID=12),
11 Sept. 2005.
Edward K. Morlok and David J. Chang (2004), “Measuring Capacity Flexibility of a
Transportation
System,” Transportation Research A, Vol. 38, No. 6 (www.elsevier.com), July 2004, pp.
405-420.
Deroy Murdock (2005), “Multi-Layered Failures: Government Responses To Katrina,”
National
Review (www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200509130839.asp), 13 September
2005.
New Orleans (2005), City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan,
City of
New Orleans (www.cityofno.com).
Randal O’Toole (2005), Lack of Automobility Key To New Orleans Tragedy,” The Thoreau
Institute (www.ti.org). Also published as “Mobility Counted Most in Fleeing New
Orleans,” Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com), 14 September 2005.
Nancy W. Okasaki (2003), “Improving Transportation Response and Security Following a
Disaster,” ITE Journal (www.ite.org), August 2003, pp. 30-32.
John Renne (2005), Car-less in the Eye of Katrina, Planetizen
(www.planetizen.com/node/17255), 6 September 2005.
Nicholas Riccardi and James Rainey (2005), “Save Yourself: New Orleans Had A Plan To
Warn
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
The Poor, But It Sat On A Shelf In L.A.,” Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com), 13 Sept.
2005.
Safety and Security Website (http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov), Federal Transit
Administration,
provides information on transit safety and security issues, including disaster
preparedness.
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Awareness
www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml
Brian Wolshon (2002), “Planning for the Evacuation of New Orleans,” ITE Journal
(www.ite.org/itejournal/index.asp), February 2002.
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
Guiding Questions
1. What can we do to prevent another disaster such as Katrina’s aftermath?
2. How can the Rio Grande Valley prepare for a Category 5 Hurricane?
3. What went wrong in our preparations and response to Katrina?
4. What would be the impact of a Category 5 Hurricane on our area?
Learning Goals
After completing this PBL, the students will be able to:
 Explain the mistakes made by local, state and federal agencies in response to recent
major hurricanes such as Katrina.
 Explain the problems faced by people trying to flee a major hurricane event.
 Cite examples of the measures taken by government agencies to prevent another
Katrina disaster.
 Propose their own preventive measures.
Lesson Activities
Activity 1: Hurricane PBL Topic and Goals Are Established
The entry event for this PBL is a video about Hurricane Katrina. A set of guiding questions
about the video will be completed individually by the students and then discussed by the entire
class. Many students in the Rio Grande Valley have probably experienced the effects of
hurricanes and will be able to respond to prior knowledge questions such as “How can a family
prepare for a hurricane?” and “What kinds of problems do you think people face in a hurricane
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
situation?” Answers to these questions will be posted and shared via a discussion blog, on a
chart, or sticky notes on wall posters.
Following the class discussion, the students will be informed that they will be working on a PBL
about Hurricanes. The students are presented with the PBL guiding questions:

What can we do to prevent another disaster such as Katrina’s aftermath?

How can the Rio Grande Valley prepare for a Category 5 Hurricane?

What went wrong in our preparations and response to Katrina?

What would be the impact of a Category 5 Hurricane on our area?
The students are told that the will be completing their assignments in a collaborative small
group. A PBL rubric will be handed out indicating that each group member will be evaluated
based upon their collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and use of technology to
contribute to the group’s effort. The task of the group will be to formulate a Problem
Statement based upon their research and to propose a set of Solutions to the problem. The
culminating product will be a Web Page or Brochure outlining the group’s findings and
recommendations.
Individually, the students will maintain a log of their evolving knowledge about Hurricanes,
contributions to the group’s research, and responses to peer review of their contributions.
Activity 2: Katrina:
What Do You Think Went Wrong?
Individually, the students brainstorm about what they think led to the Katrina aftermath
disaster. The students are coached to write freely about what they think they know about the
event, however sketchy their background knowledge might be. The students are instructed to
propose 5 to 10 hypotheses about the problems faced by people in a Katrina type event. The
students’ comments must then be uploaded to a discussion blog or posted on a wall space
Galveston Hurricane: Cycle C Individual
EDTC 6341.60
Juanita Urbano
November 20, 2011
reserved for their group. Each group member must receive feedback from at least two of the
group members and respond in kind.
From this exchange of ideas, the group must then draft a list of 5 to 10 questions and tentative
solutions relating to a hurricane event in the South Texas Region. The PBL Guiding Questions
will set out the parameters of the group’s inquiry.
Activity 3: Research the Causes of the Katrina Disaster
Each group member is assigned a specific role in researching the Katrina disaster and our
region’s current level of preparation. Their findings are uploaded and shared with the group in a
discussion blog. In their research the students must address the PBL Guiding Questions. The
students must use a variety of sources including printed articles, websites, books,
documentaries, and recorded interviews with knowledgeable sources. An evaluation of the
credibility of each information source must be supplied to the group.
Activity 4: Formulate the Problem Statement and Solutions
As part of the PBL, the students must demonstrate collaboration in developing a Problem
Statement and Solutions concerning the hurricane topic. The group members give each other
feedback on their research contributions and form a consensus on the Problem Statement and
proposed Solutions. They must record their rationale for their consensus decisions. The
culminating product for the PBL will be either a Web Page or brochures intended for a general
audience.
In closure, the group members present and defend their findings to the rest of the class as well
as reflect individually on the evolution in their thoughts about the topic.