Five Years Later: Emergency Preparedness Improvements in New Orleans, Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina

2011PDFTech ReportDisaster preparednessEmergency managementEvacuationBest practicesStrategic planningHurricane KatrinaNew Orleans (Louisiana)Gulf Coast Center for Evacuation and Transportation ResiliencyFogarty, Robert X.Nguyen, ConniePavlovics, NicoletteHarrison, VictoriaShort, CarolMontz, ThomasMcConnell, AshleyGulf Coast Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliencyevacuteer.orgUS Transportation CollectionHurricanes Katrina and Gustav helped us to identify gaps in disaster planning. By examining changes made to emergency preparedness and disaster response and management post-Katrina, we seek to identify the most effective improvements made at individual, community, and governmental levels. In doing so, we pose the following questions: Hod did each institution or agency react to Hurricane Katrina? How did it respond during Hurricane Gustav? What changes has it made since Katrina to become better prepared for future natural disasters? Disasters, of course, are not unique to the cit of New Orleans. We must recognize how improvements and innovations made here can be applied to other communities. Additionally, then, we examine the degree to which strategies employed by New Orleans' organizations and individuals can be transferred to other American Cities.In New Orleans, common sentiment among emergency preparedness officials is that the city stands better prepared for disasters as a result of lessons leaned from Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately, our research goal is to assess the truth in this statement.92