In 2005 New Orleans was decimated by a catastrophic hurricane: Hurricane Katrina. At one point, 80% of the city was underwater. Nearly 20 years later, another catastrophic storm hit the country, but this time it hit an area generally safe from such storms. Hurricane Helene flooded much of Western North Carolina, as well as portions of Eastern Tennessee. Helene became the second most destructive storm to hit the U.S. Mainland, right after Katrina.
Simple Facts
| Katrina | Helene | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | August 28-29, 2005 | September 26-27, 2024 |
| Highest Windspeed | 175 mph | 140 mph |
| Windspeed at Landfall | 125 mph | 140 mph |
| Lowest Central Pressure | 902mb | 938mb |
| Central Pressure at Landfall | 920mb | 938mb |
| Highest Storm Surge | 27.8ft | 15ft |
| Lowest Storm Surge | 4.1ft | 1ft |
| Tornadoes | 4, F0 | 0 |
| Average Rainfall | 5-10 in | 10-20in |
| Highest Rainfall | 14.92in | 30.78in |
There are major differences between these two storms, as indicated by the above data. When Katrina hit landfall it had weakened, whereas Helene hit landfall at its strongest point. Katrina also had a lower central pressure at its peak strength and at landfall, indicating that it was a stronger storm. Katrina also had significant storms surges, something that defines the cultural memory of this storm. The main way in which Helene cause destruction was in the amount of rain that fell. Catastrophic levels of rainfall occurred throughout the storm’s path, particularly in Western North Carolina.
Kinds of Catastrophe
While each of these storms had major flooding, the circumstances that caused the flooding couldn’t be more different
Katrina
- New Orleans is an area that is generally susceptible to flooding because of its position below sea level. The average elevation is 1.8 meters below sea level.
- New Orleans’ proximity to Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne makes storm surges a major concerns
- A major contributing factor to the flooding of New Orleans was the breaking of the levees
- Mississippi was affected more by storm surges, as they reach inland as far as 10 miles. Half the state was without power
Helene
- The most affected areas, Western NC and Eastern TN, are mountainous areas that are generally safe from hurricanes. This is the high ground people evacuate to.
- Related storm preceded Helene, dumping inches of water onto the area before the real storm hit the state.
- Record levels of rain fell, breaking the banks of rivers and saturating the soil, causing landslides
- Winds were a contributing factor, as they toppled trees whose hold had been weakened by rain.
The Failure of the Levees – Katrina
The city of New Orleans is kept dry by a complication system of pumps and levees. This system was made with the intention of protecting the city against hurricanes, but it was well known fact that the levee system was not designed to protect against the most severe hurricanes. Additionally, the responsibility to maintain these levees was split between a variety of local organizations. This allowed for gaps and weaknesses in the flood protection system.
As the map below shows, many of these levees were breached by the storm or severely distressed. In some areas the levees were overtopped, while in others the levees completely failed when truly put to the test.
Levee breeches along the 17th St. and London Ave Canals resulted in major flooding in well populated areas in the city. There were no significant breeches along the Orleans Ave Canal, as it had a larger soil embankment and was maintained significantly better than the other major canals in the city. Even if all levees had been well maintained, it is likely that the area still would have flooded, but there is a chance that the effects would not be so severe.
Mountainous Flooding – Helene
For those not familiar with the landscape and infrastructure of the mountains, it may seem like flooding is impossible, if not improbable. Its location above sea level makes it the location many run to when fleeing flooding, but the mountains are full of bodies of water. Rivers, lakes, and streams cross the landscape in low lying areas. Many of these low lying areas are where town and cities are nestled. Major roads tend to run along the rivers because that is the easiest place to make a road. This makes the mountains areas where flooding does often occur, but not to the levels that Helene brought. Rivers rose to record levels, with the French Broad River rising to 24.67ft. The Swannanoa River Valley was one of the most affected areas.
This catastrophe could have been much worse. Recent improvements to the North Fork Dam prevented the dam from failing. The main and auxiliary spillway allowed water to flow, but the auxiliary spillway is a recent improvement for this dam. It’s existence likely prevented the dam from failing, which would have resulted in a complete annihilation of the area.
The Road to Recovery
The Government’s Response
How the government responds to a natural disaster will help define that natural disaster for years to come. The response to these disasters were both dependent on the state of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). While there were other aspects of the Government’s response, FEMA is an important part of the United States disaster response.
Katrina
In 2005, the FEMA was not prepared for the catastrophe that was Hurricane Katrina. Michael Brown, the FEMA director, had informed White House officials and the Department of Homeland Security of that fact. A combinations of issues in leadership and budget issues meant that FEMA could not perform its mission when the need was pressing. They often asked for additional funding and were often denied. Personnel shortages hindered their ability to respond to disasters. FEMA’s overall response was not appropriate for a disaster of this size.
Additionally, the initial reaction from the White House was inadequate. They knew that FEMA was unprepared and that Katrina could wreck the Gulf Coast Region. However, in the critical hours after the disaster the federal response was halting. Eventually the President did devote the full resources of the federal government to the aid of hurricane victims
Helene
The federal response to Helene had mixed reactions. After Helene hit, the director of FEMA made it clear that, while they had the funds to respond to Helene, those funds would be exhausted before hurricane season was at its end. Many people criticized the federal government for sending millions of dollars to Israel when there was such a massive domestic need for aid.
Misinformation abounded as cell service was wiped out for most of the state of North Carolina. The information that people could get was often conflicting or incorrect. People critiqued the $750 in emergency funds that FEMA delivered to certain households, often discussing the funds as if that was the only assistance that was being given. People falsely claimed that FEMA was confiscating funds or donated items or that they had blocked off travel in or out of certain areas.
Meanwhile, North Carolina’s Governor, Roy Cooper, said that the response from the Federal Government was exactly what was needed. Many governors from surrounding states said the same thing of the government’s response. In addition to FEMA, the North Carolina National Guard was swiftly deployed, as was the National Guard from 15 other states.
Grassroots Recovery Efforts
Efforts stemming from the local community are vital to recovery from natural disasters. Nonprofits like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army came to aid hurricane victims in both instances. Religious groups like Southern Baptist Disaster Relief also tend to be really important to disaster relief. But local groups within the community are able to mobilize and cause change faster than these nationwide groups have the ability to. Additionally, with the loss of power, cell service, and internet access, amature radio was extremely influential for communication within the affected areas and outside of these areas.
Katrina
While grassroots relief efforts are generally local to a specific area, organizations came to aid from across the country. The Metropolitan Organization was working in Houston to demand better housing for refugees from the hurricane.
Meanwhile in New Orleans a volunteer effort was developing in the Ninth Ward. Headwaters Relief Organization started as a group of volunteers assisting in the removal of interior debris within one of the hardest areas of New Orleans. More people joined the fray and Headwaters made connections with other relief organizations in the area. As they moved to rebuilding, Headwaters also wanted to shift to long-term support of the community, resulting in the opening of a mental health resource center.
Common Ground Relief was also forming in the West Bank of the city. They started by distributing food and water to the city while cleaning trash off the streets. A few years later, they too moved to the Ninth Ward.
The Cajun Navy was also an integral part of hurricane relief efforts. This was an ad-hoc group of boaters who responded to the call to rescue people who were stranded in their homes or on their rooftops. They rescued thousands of people. Though this was an informal group, in recent years there have been efforts to formalize.
Helene
As of November of 2024, Helene Relief is still ongoing. It took nearly 2 months for Asheville to restore potable water. Organizations like BeLoved Asheville have been distributing food and water as well as helping people find shelter as winter approaches. Groups like World Central Kitchen were able to provide food and potable water as well. The Cajun Navy mobilized once again for both Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Local businesses were also influential as they worked to distribute resources to their community. Mules were used to reach areas where cars could no longer go.
Recovery will take years. In that time more relief organizations may pop up. More stories will be told. People come together in times of hardship and this hurricane is no exception.