The main health concern following Hurricane Katrina dealt with the large amount of water left behind by the storm. West Nile outbreaks, mold, and endotoxin levels were all rising, causing a large concern to the people living in New Orleans. Flooding also brought large amounts of bacteria into the city from the ocean causing a wide range of contamination in both food and water supplies. In addition to loss of food and water, medical centers, shelters and power lines were all destroyed in the storm (Frank 2016). More severely, the death toll following Hurricane Katrina was one of the largest in history. The final death toll was taken to be 1,836 deaths, with 238 occurring in Mississippi and 1,577 in Louisiana. “More than half of the victims of Hurricane Katrina were senior citizens. Sadly enough, 705 people are reported as still missing as a result of Hurricane Katrina” (11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina). Aside from the physical aspects of health, multiple new cases of psychological disorders developed within the residents of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Serious emotional disturbance (SED) can also be accounted for severe stress generated in survivors of Hurricane Katrina. "SED is normally associate with children and has been witnessed to have educational implications. This because children with serious SED disorders can exhibit distorted thinking abilities, extreme anxiety, and irregular mood swings. A survey was conducted 18 to 27 months after Hurricane Katrina in order to estimate the prevalence of SED among children that had been exposed to this disaster. This survey resulted in data that conveyed 9.3% of youths who ranged from 4 to 17 years of age were estimated to have SED that was directly caused by the events of Hurricane Katrina. It was also found that stress exposure was compellingly correlated with SED, and that 20.3% of youth surveyed with high stress exposure had SED that was accredited to Hurricane Katrina (Derner 2010).
This is an image of a Mexican Sargent preparing noodles for citizens of New Orleans.
This is an image of US Marines bringing "Meals in a Bag" to citizens of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit the city in August 2005.
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) were designed by the military with long shelf life and sturdy packaging to make them invaluable during disasters. A flameless process heats the food so that they are edible at any location. Contents generally included a main course, side dish, dessert, crackers, spread, beverage mix, seasoning, utensils, napkin, gum, and a beverage-mixing bag. In addition to military relief, the American Red Cross distributed cans of drinking water after Hurricane Katrina that were to be used until the local water was deemed safe to consume, which did not happen until five and a half weeks after the storm.
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) were designed by the military with long shelf life and sturdy packaging to make them invaluable during disasters. A flameless process heats the food so that they are edible at any location. Contents generally included a main course, side dish, dessert, crackers, spread, beverage mix, seasoning, utensils, napkin, gum, and a beverage-mixing bag. In addition to military relief, the American Red Cross distributed cans of drinking water after Hurricane Katrina that were to be used until the local water was deemed safe to consume, which did not happen until five and a half weeks after the storm.
These are actual images of canned water and MRE meals that were provided to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
"11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change. N.p., 2014. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
Derner, G. "Hurricane Katrina." Hurricane Katrina - Psychological. N.p., 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
Frank, Brianna. "The Health Effects of Hurricane Katrina." Case Studies. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
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