Module 6: Formative Assessment 2 (Case Studies Section B)
U.S. examples of communities dealing with coastal hazards.
Objectives – The students will:
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Examine, analyze, and respond to specific examples of ways in which
catastrophes caused by coastal hazards impact communities (examples are
Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina)
Compare and contrast the impacts of two major catastrophic events that have
recently affected large U.S. cities.
Reflect on lessons learned in the past decade from recovery experiences in
New Orleans and New York/ New Jersey.
Part A.
Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans; Super Storm Sandy’s Impact on New York and
New Jersey
Instructions: Read the sections on Super Storm Sandy in New York and New Jersey and
Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to gain a good idea of all of the ways catastrophic
events such as these can impact large U.S. cities and densely populated coastlines.
Organize the main points covered in the materials under the following headings. Write
brief notes under each heading.
1. The statistics of the two storms: Katrina and Sandy (this can be in the form of a
table)
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Surge heights
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Wind Strengths
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Total areas covered by storms
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Areas of land impacted by the storms
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Number of fatalities caused by the two storms
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Overall cost of damages incurred
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Number of structures (homes and businesses) destroyed by the two storms.
2. Other metrics mentioned in the materials that help to provide a picture of the
magnitude of the impact to the communities affected (e.g., loss of power, loss of
services such as health care, schools, etc.)
3. Make a list of the types of infrastructure that is compromised by a storm of the
magnitude of Sandy or Katrina in a densely populated area.
4. In what ways are the lives of residents disrupted when a disaster like these two
storms hits a large city?
5. What long term impacts to the communities have occurred? Was the overall
economy of either place impacted in a negative or positive way?
6. Recovery from the widespread destruction that New Orleans experienced with
Katrina is a complex topic, which we do not have time to examine in detail here.
The articles at: http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/how-to-tell-when-new-orleans-hasrecovered-from-katrina and
http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2013/08/hurricane_katrina_eight_years.ht
ml are very helpful summaries of where things stood in 2008 and 2014.
After reading these articles, list three main points you took from the article in
regard to where New Orleans was as of 2008 and summer 2014 in the recovery
process.
7. As of writing in 2015, it is a decade since Katrina happened and three years since
Sandy. What lessons can be taken from these events that would help a U.S.
community affected in the future by an event of such a size?