Hurricane Katrina was a destructive and deadly Category 5 hurricane that caused major damage along the Gulf coast in 2005. This tragic natural disaster exposed the inequities toward the black communities at all phases of disaster response. African-American neighborhoods were destroyed by the effects of Hurricane Katrina, while neighborhoods inhabited by Whites were remarkably untouched. Failures and biases in the preparedness of federal and local governments hindered and prevented the evacuation of black residents from their neighborhoods. There were several socio-economic factors that contributed to African-Americans being more vulnerable to damage to their homes and made it harder for them to get help. This damage made it more difficult for African Americans to return to their homes after Hurricane Katrina ended.
African-American neighborhoods were devastated by the effects of Hurricane Katrina, while neighborhoods inhabited by Whites were remarkably untouched. Several years before the hurricane struck New Orleans, there had already been a divide in the city by race. Affluent whites that lived in the cities with nicer neighborhoods, also happened to be located at higher altitudes. Meanwhile, less affluent African Americans tended to live in neighborhoods at lower altitudes. According to a report titled Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Return Migration to New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina, the segregation in the city had been historically low compared to the rest of the country however “by 2000, the standard index of black–white segregation showed New Orleans to have reached, and even gone a bit beyond, the national average”
(Fussell, Elizabeth). When the storm hit in 2005, this previously unnoticed difference was magnified because it became obvious that the difference in altitudes would lead to extremely different outcomes for the residents in the different neighborhoods. Because African Americans lived in low lying areas with lower sea levels compared to those areas where wealthier White Americans tended to live. Since these homes were at lower sea levels they were more affected by Hurricane Katrina’s high waters and some neighborhoods inhabited by White affluent populations were not even affected by Hurricane Katrina’s waters, because they were in higher altitude levels.
Failures and biases in the preparedness of federal and local governments hindered and prevented the evacuation of black residents from their neighborhoods. Response plans at all levels of government were not flexible and couldn't adapt once it happened. Officials seemed to be waiting for the disaster to meet their plans, rather than planning and building to anticipate for the worst. The city's evacuation plan states, "The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." The city had enough school and transit buses to evacuate over 12,000 citizens for one trip (Gonzales). Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin delayed ordering a mandatory evacuation 19 hours before the disaster (Tom Foreman and Mike Ahlers). The failure to order timely mandatory evacuations, the decision to shelter and not evacuate the remaining population led to deaths, thousands of dangerous rescues, and horrible conditions for those who remained (Tom Foreman and Mike Ahlers). It was an incomplete evacuation. Many people that were supposed to be of authority played a part in the slow response. The citizens of New Orleans counted on the people that are supposed to be of high authority to do their best to save them, and they failed (Stapp, Katherine).
There were several socio-economic factors that contributed to African-Americans being more vulnerable to damage to their homes. According to the data provided from Fussell’s report, “Race and socioeconomic status are strongly related to the duration of residents’ displacement one-quarter of white residents had returned to the city within 2 months of Hurricane Katrina, whereas it took an additional month for one-quarter of the black residents to return” (Fussell, Elizabeth). Additionally Fussell states, “half of white residents had returned within 3 months of the storm; on the other hand, fewer than half of black residents had returned by the time of the survey which occurred 14 months after the hurricane.” (Fussell, Elizabeth)
In addition, there were several factors that made it harder for African-Americans to get help. For example, the social vulnerability of African Americans complicated the basic provision of health care, the liveability of places, and accessibility to lifelines (goods, services, emergency response personnel), capital, and political representation. In addition, the response of local, state, and federal authorities to the Katrina was inadequate. I also believe the slow response was based on race and class. There were resources to help people that just weren't used. There were buses to get people out, but instead shelter was provided. They had hardly any security to protect people.
Although most people hoped to get back to normal post Hurricane Katrina life as soon as possible that hasn’t been the case for many, especially African American residents of the New Orleans. Due to the damage caused to homes that were at lower sea levels, many African Americans were not able to return to their homes as soon at Whites. Additionally because of the renovation, some areas like the French Quarter remained at a 37% vacancy rate because “people who own the buildings have decided that they would rather board up the apartments than take reduced rent” (Disaster Profiteering: Purging the Poor in the New New Orleans). The higher
rents have allowed for the French Quarter to be made up of a disproportionately 90% White Residents. Furthermore, according to the data provided from Fussell’s report, “Race and socioeconomic status are strongly related to the duration of residents’ displacement one-quarter of white residents had returned to the city within 2 months of Hurricane Katrina, whereas it took an additional month for one-quarter of the black residents to return” (Fussell, Elizabeth). Fussell also stated in her report that “half of white residents had returned within 3 months of the storm; on the other hand, fewer than half of black residents had returned by the time of the survey which occurred 14 months after the hurricane” (Fussell, Elizabeth).
Furthermore, there was evidence of individual discrimination towards black homeowners during the reconstruction of the city. The article,"White New Orleans Has Recovered from Hurricane Katrina. Black New Orleans Has Not." reported that the largest housing recovery program in U.S. history, “Road Home,” was created in the months after Katrina. However the money was disbursed based on the appraised value of a home instead of the cost of rebuilding it. Typically a home in a white community is appraised at a far higher price than the same house in a black community. Years after the tragedy, a federal judge sided with black homeowners in a racial discrimination suit against the program but it was too late for a change. Officials had already spent more than 98 percent of the $13 billion that the federal government had committed to Road Home. Overall, the handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster would cause many people to conclude that race still holds influence amongst our government.