THE BIG UNEASY: LEADERSHIP FAILURES IN NEW ORLEANS BEFORE AND AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA

Individuals in positions of leadership should possess certain qualities that allow them to situations of great stress and crisis. These qualities are especially important in extraordinary and overwhelming circumstances such as natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina, a devastating storm which hit the United States Gulf Region back in 2005, certainly fits into that category. This project examines the leadership and disaster management efforts of prominent government officials in response to Hurricane Katrina; special focus is given to Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans at the time. New Orleans was especially impacted by Katrina, and the efforts of officials at all levels of government would significantly influence his ability to manage the crisis brought on by Katrina’s devastation. Available investigative and academic sources are utilized to discuss desirable leadership disaster management characteristics, the empirical numbers behind Katrina’s damage, actions performed by officials in Katrina’s aftermath and how those actions affected the local efforts of Nagin and his administration. Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Ray Nagin, Disaster Management, Leadershi