How does Hurricane Harvey compare with Katrina? Here’s what we know
Although it is still unfolding, Harvey, now a tropical storm, evokes comparisons to Hurricane Katrina in
2005. Here’s a quick rundown of what we know about similarities and differences between the two.
• The Cities
Katrina: Before the storm, New Orleans was a small city of about 455,000 people that lay in large part
below sea level, ostensibly protected by a system of levee walls. Its population never fully recovered from
the evacuation and destruction and remains below 400,000.
Harvey: Houston is a sprawling, car-dependent, low-lying but not below sea level city. It has a population
of more than two million people, with a system of bayous and waterways to manage flooding.
• The Storms
Katrina: It made landfall near the Louisiana/Mississippi border on Aug. 29, 2005, as a Category 3 storm
and measured 350 miles across. However, the relatively low classification, was deceptive because Katrina
produced the highest storm surge ever recorded in the U.S.
Harvey: It made landfall in Rockport, Tex., on Friday as a Category 4 storm, measuring 200 miles across,
but was quickly downgraded. As of Monday, it was expected to linger for days, causing the National Weather
Service to warn, “This event is unprecedented and all impacts are unknown.”
• Deaths and Damage
Katrina: One of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S., Katrina was responsible for 1,833 deaths,
and some bodies were untouched for days. The storm inflicted more than $100 billion in damage, with most
of it caused by wind, storm surge and the failure of the levees.
Harvey: Local officials have reported at least 10 deaths in Texas since the storm began, but heavy rains and
flooding are expected to continue at least through Friday. Most of the damage could be caused by flooding.
As for the economy, the Gulf region’s capacity as an oil and gas does not appear to have been seriously
compromised.
• Assistance
Katrina: The storm displaced over a million people and damaged or destroyed 275,000 homes. Almost a
million households received individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Harvey: We don’t know yet how many people will be forced out of their homes. But the vast majority of
homes in Harvey’s path are not insured against flooding, according to figures from the National Flood
Insurance Program. It is estimated that 450,000 people were likely to seek federal aid.
Fonte: adaptado de < https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/us/hurricane-katrina-harvey.html>