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Hurricane Katrina

The product of a wild and record-breaking hurricane season, Hurricane Katrina formed in the Bahamas and traversed southern Florida on August 25, 2005 as a Category 1 hurricane. While in Florida, Katrina caused between one and two billion dollars in damage and claimed 14 lives. Upon entering the warm Gulf of Mexico, the storm gathered power and became one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. The hurricane nearly doubled in size before intensifying to a Category 5 hurricane on August 28.

Affording barely a day to escape, government officials finally issued voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders that encompassed 1.2 million Gulf Coast residents. Many people fled the area, but thousands chose to stay home. Thousands who remained realized staying in their homes came with incredible risk, and approximately 26,000 people made refuge in the Louisiana Superdome.

While approaching the Gulf Coast, the tempest weakened and the first bands struck land with the force of a Category 4 storm. Initially bearing 140 mph wind gusts, the hurricane produced a 20-foot storm surge that ravaged the Gulf Coast, which now bears little resemblance to its former shape. When the eye of the storm finally hit Louisiana soil, Katrina was a strong Category 3 hurricane.

Located on low ground along the Mississippi River, the city of New Orleans was built on land that lies below sea level, making it naturally prone to flooding. Katrina's massive storm surge inundated the federal flood protection infrastructure and led to the breach of 53 different levees, proving human engineering is no match for the forces of nature. As the levees gave way, the cataclysm moved in and flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, leaving the remarkably historic city immersed in water. Naturally, the storm caused toxic materials, chemicals, sewage and other garbage to contaminate the flood waters, which remained stagnant for weeks. Many became immediately concerned with the potential danger wading in the water, and with much attention being placed on water contamination, concerns of toxins in the air fell to the wayside. As a result, countless residents, volunteers, and workers assisting with cleanup efforts operated (and still operate) under a serious risk of inhaling various toxins, such as lead, arsenic, and asbestos.

Due to its widespread application in construction before the mid-1970s, all structures in New Orleans built before 1975 most likely contain considerable amounts of asbestos. It is also important to note that structures built after 1975 may potentially contain asbestos, as the Environmental Protection Agency's fruitless attempt to ban asbestos in 1989 was overturned by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991. Thus, the eminent threat of asbestos exposure was practically everywhere.

Shocking as it may be, that threat remains today, as some areas utterly destroyed by the storm have yet to be cleaned up. This fact is a true testament to the severity of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath that grudgingly lingers on. Even after two years of cleanup and a nation-wide effort to rebuild New Orleans, some devastated areas lie untouched and risk to human health remains.

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