Natural Disasters and Destruction That They Brought

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The tragedy of hurricane Katrina
How the tragedy affected people psychologically
Case studies of two different people
Conclusion
References List

Introduction

Natural disasters are tragedies that occur due to natural forces. These disasters often lead to immense losses and destruction of both life and property. The level of preparedness determines the level of the disaster and how much loss will result. Many times, it is hard to predict and prevent these disasters thus leading to destruction socially and economically. Floods, tornados, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are some of examples of natural disasters. (Soul perspectives, n.d.)

The tragedy of hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina that struck the southern coast of United States on August 29, 2005 brought a lot destructive effects to the people around that region. Reports have shown that over 1,800 people lost their lives and over 100 billion of dollars in terms of property destroyed. Most parts of the city were flooded and the waters remained for several weeks. The then President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency in the areas of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

The levees that were constructed to protect New Orleans did not work and 80 percent of the city was waterlogged. The city floodgates also failed and many people died. Bridges collapsed, boats capsized, piers destroyed, houses and the waters washed cars away. Electricity failures caused further damage and many of the casualties were because of flooding and falling trees. (Lerner, n.d.)

Survivors and those who were evacuated reported that they saw many dead bodies floating in the water and others lying on the ground. Many bodies decomposed in the waters while others were lying in the streets for many days before they were collected. It was a traumatizing ordeal for many as they witnessed people died violently. Many were distressed and could not believe the extent of such a disaster. There were strong winds and heavy rains that led to the collapse of many houses with people inside. The Superdome is where many people from New Orleans had run for shelter but it was destroyed by the heavy rains though many still survived.

There was extensive beach erosion and in some areas, the coastal areas were destroyed. The storm forced the closure of many National Wildlife Refuges since many of them were destroyed by the flood while many of the animals also died in the storm. The widespread flooding stranded many people who were left behind after the Hurricane Katrina had passed. (Buchanan, n.d.)

Emily is a survivor from the Hurricane Katrina that killed so many people and left others handicapped. She stayed in her house and was not expecting that the storm would be so severe. The water started coming to the house and was rising quickly. That is when she was forced to the attic and while there she saw her neighbor hanging desperately on a tree. She thought of ways she could help but unfortunately, she did not hold for long and fell and was taken by the fast flowing waters while she watched. When the waters subsided, she used an axe to break the wall and climbed to a tree where she was rescued. (Buchanan, n.d.)

Dan was among those who were lucky to be evacuated before the Katrina hit New Orleans. It was after the rescue that he realized that he had not heard from his younger sister Marylyn since the storm. Efforts to reach her were fruitless and as days went on fear filled him. He learnt later that she and her husband did not make it and were among the casualties. Their bodies were recovered days later and he could not hold his pain. He was left with a lot of sorrow for losing his younger sister whom they had grown up together doing many things together. (Lerner, n.d.)

How the tragedy affected people psychologically

Since the tragedy, Emily constantly experiences disturbing thoughts about the Hurricane. She is always worried that such an event could happen again. She is always tense and stressed with these thoughts haunting her every day. During the night, she wakes up from nightmares of a disaster that is so intense related to the ordeal she went through. She tries to avoid anything that can remind her of the tragedy always trying to force her thoughts off the issue. She has been addicted to drugs to help her forget the tragedy in order to move on with her life. (Buchanan, n.d.)

Dan is always upset and irritated since he lost his sister in the tragedy. He has feelings of guilt on how his sister died that may be he could have helped save her. He is always nervous, mourning, stressed and he is depressed while having the thoughts of giving up in life. He has lost interest in the activities that he used to enjoy doing and does not take care of himself anymore. He mostly lacks concentration on the things he is doing while his mind just wanders around. Dan is in denial of what happened and has not gotten over the death of his younger sister whom he loved so much. (Lerner, n.d.)

Case studies of two different people

Both Emily and Dan are experiencing depression after the Katrina tragedy because they have not learnt to cope with the disaster they went through. They have not grieved for the loss of lives they saw die while they survived.

They are experiencing anxiety because memories of the tragedy are still fresh in their mind and they need to deal with them first before going on with their lives. They are also experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms that are related to mental problems since they have not been able to accept what happened to them. They both experience anxiety and nervousness with sleeplessness nights since the tragedy. They both have nightmares because the ordeal was very scaring and traumatic for them. They have to deal and learn to accept this condition by going through counseling in order to be able to lead normal lives. (Post Traumatic Stress, n.d.)

Conclusion

Mass disasters are very common in many places in the world. People should be able to learn ways to deal with them and be prepared at all times. Many of these disasters have with them severe effects on people who have lived through them. The government and other organizations should be able to give help to such people in order for them to cope with life. Natural disasters are unavoidable all that can happen is being prepared at all times.

References List

Buchanan, A. (n.d.).Coping with Tragedy: After Hurricane Karatina. Web.

Lerner, D.M. (n.d.).In the aftermath of Hurricane Karatina. Web.

Post Traumatic Stress. (n.d.). The causes of PTSD. Web.

Soul perspectives. (n.d.).The meaning of Natural Disasters. Web.

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