How Did People Respond to Hurricane Katrina?

People around the world watched television newscasts in horror as Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast of the United States. President Bush had already declared states of emergency in the region. Local officials continued to urge residents to evacuate to higher ground. Safety and rescue workers, such as the police and firefighters, helped those in need. Crews worked day and night to try to stop the flooding in cities along the coast.

Despite everyone's efforts, Katrina proved to be too powerful. The storm tore through an area much larger than many people had expected. Emergency plans didn't work as well as predicted. People gathered lifesaving resources but had no way to deliver them. Refugees, the people who looked for shelter when their homes were destroyed, gathered in places like the New Orleans Superdome and the city's Conference Center and waited for news. Several days passed before relief efforts began to work most effectively.

Government officials soon passed bills promising money and resources to help the Gulf Coast rebuild after the storm. Agencies like the Red Cross placed volunteers throughout the region to help those in need. Many states sent as many workers as they could, from police and firefighters to plumbers and electricians. Around the country, people opened up their homes to those who had lost their own in the storm.

Natural disasters like Katrina unite us all in our desire to help those in need. Good citizens do what they can to offer assistance. Some go directly to the hardest hit areas and lend their skills and talents. Others help to gather food, clothing, and money to send to the region. Children with little money of their own organized bake sales and lemonade stands to help raise funds for relief efforts. In the worst of all circumstances, all of these people acted on their best instincts.

CITIZENSHIP ACTIVITY: It can take years for an area to fully recover from a natural disaster. Many people helped out right away after Hurricane Katrina. Many more will be needed in the months ahead. Research what kinds of supplies or resources might be needed in the Gulf Coast in the near future. You might visit some of the links listed below for ideas. Then, make a list of ways that your class or school might help to provide those resources. Discuss which way would work best, then develop a plan to accomplish that goal.

Red Cross: www.redcross.org

United Way: www.unitedway.org