While everybody has seen news reports about the damage Hurricane Katrina inflicted on the Gulf Coast, it’s hard to get a real feel for the problem by seeing only blurry news photos and brief press conferences.
That’s why I’m glad Katrina Corps team-member Keith Frohreich sent me these facts about the damage he picked up when he was in New Orleans last November. 800,000 people forced to leav their homes–staggering.
Personal Impact
- 80% of New Orleans flooded, an area equal to the size of several Manhattan Islands.
- 1,464 people died; 500 remain missing (though this is probably less by now)
- 204,000-plus homes severely damaged
- 800,000 forced to live outside their homes
- 81,688 FEMA trailors occupied
- 1.2 million families received Red Cross assistance
- 33,544 persons rescued by Coast Guard
- 34 years worth of trash and debris in New Orleans alone
- 900,000 insurance claims at a cost of $22.6 billion
Fiscal Impact
- $1.2 billion initial impact on state revenue
- 220,000 jobs lost initially
- 100 square miles of marshland destroyed
- 260 non-profit cultural institutions, art centers, performance halls and other non-profit cultural venues damaged
- 81,000 businesses (41% of Louisiana’s total) severely affected
- 310,938 unemployment claims filed
- $1.6 billion impact on Louisiana agriculture