How do hurricanes damage infrastructure?

How do hurricanes damage infrastructure?

When a hurricane strikes a community, it leaves an obvious path of destruction. As a result of high winds and water from a storm surge, homes, businesses, and crops may be destroyed or damaged, public infrastructure may also be compromised, and people may suffer injuries or loss of life.

How was the US affected by Hurricane Katrina?

Besides the death toll, hurricane Katrina left many people homeless as more than 800,000 housing units were destroyed or damaged in the storm. Katrina is the costliest U.S hurricane, with estimated damage over $81 billion and costs over $160 billion (2005 US dollars).

What infrastructure issues caused the disastrous effects of Hurricane Katrina?

The sustained loss of electrical power meant that those facilities that survived the initial storm had to run on back-up generators or batteries. Some of these were flooded out and many of the others soon ran out of fuel. Widespread disruptions of transportation, roads and bridges—and, as we will see, 6.

How did Hurricane Katrina affect resources?

Winds, storm surge, and associated flooding from Hurricane Katrina appear to have had substantial impacts on the biological resources of the affected region. Some impacts caused by Katrina included wetland and timber loss, and declines in fisheries and wildlife populations.

What is damage to infrastructure?

Infrastructure systems include utility networks such as energy, water, telecommunications, and roads or discrete critical facilities such as hospitals, ports, and airports. Earthquake-induced physical damage to infrastructure generates direct losses due to the cost of repairs to these components.

How do hurricanes affect buildings?

When a hurricane makes landfall, the shear force of hurricane strength winds can destroy buildings, topple trees, bring down powerlines, and blow vehicles off roads. Additionally, downed trees and power lines, being blown-down onto a building, is another way hurricanes can cause damage to structures.

What type of damage did Hurricane Katrina cause?

In 2005, Katrina killed more than 1,800 people and caused more than $100 billion in property damage, largely because of the failure of levees that led to catastrophic flooding. Officials say the reinforced flood-protection system appears to be working as intended, with the flooding in New Orleans minimized.

How did Hurricane Katrina impact the watershed?

Throughout the Gulf Coast region, high winds and water from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 damaged a wide range of public service facilities, including drinking water supply and treatment and sewage treatment plants.

Why was Hurricane Katrina so devastating?

Katrina was so catastrophic primarily because the very high storm surge overtopped the levee system in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes, leading to levee failures and breaches. The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East said that its levees held and were not overtopped during Hurricane Ida.

How did Hurricane Katrina affect the oil industry?

Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to U.S.refinery and production capacity in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil prices briefly spiked to above $70 per barrel before dropping after President Bush decided to release 30 million gallons from the country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).