Human failure during Hurricane Katrina

Human failures and being unprepared for a disaster are also pertinent factors for the loss of human life and property. The levels for safeguarding against disasters have failed miserably and are regarded as the worst civil engineering catastrophe in the history of the United States. Lawsuits were brought against the U.S. Corps of Engineers including the designers and builders of these levels. Although the U.S, District Court under Judge Stanwood Duval squarely blamed the Corps of Engineers, because it was a Federal Agency, it could not be held financially accountable because it had sovereign immunity from such matters.

Other agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were also blamed for human failure which led to the resignation of its director, Michael D. Brown and of New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Eddie Compass because of their very poor handling of the disaster. Overall the entire government machinery for handling crisis and disasters because most government agencies who are responsible for handling such crises responded too late and provided too little in the aftermath of the hurricane. Most criticisms were directed after televised images flashed across America showing the damage caused by the hurricane a large part of which could have been prevented if preventive measures had been adequate.

The images showing people without food, water, and basic medical facilities causing the death of citizens due to starvation, dehydration and from being physically exhausted also resulted in severe criticism of the government. Citizens that had been evacuated and were registered in facilities such as the Super Dome and the treatment they were given was also severely criticized by the entire country. For mitigation purposes, citizens should construct their houses according to specifications provided by FEMA titled “Home Builders Guide to Coastal Construction”. This keeps the house safe even if the wind blows at 135 miles per hour. This includes constructing a safe room that should be stocked with emergency essential items.

All structural elements are fixed to the ground in a regulated pattern. To alleviate the sufferings of the evacuees, government officials carried out 24-hour relief measures in several Emergency Operations Centres. Future preparedness must concentrate on the evacuation and the care of helpless segments of the population including the sick, elderly, disabled and children. This should include people in hospitals or facilities and homes. An improvement in mortalities will help rescue workers and response teams for providing the necessary activities for these citizens and most important everyone, especially the government must be adequately prepared to put into practice prevention methods and procedures before the next disaster takes place