Measures to Neutralize the Consequences of the Hurricane Katrina Research Paper - 1

Measures to Neutralize the Consequences of the Hurricane Katrina - Research Paper Example Like all disasters, Katrina placed doctors, nurses and other professionals who were in a capacity to respond to the situation in a rather precarious situation where they had to choose between fleeing and saving their families as well as themselves and staying to assist with the rescue mission and caring for the victims. By staying, they risked more than injury or death.The government authorized the use of winter gasoline to cater to the shortage of fuel. It lifted restrictions on boutique fuel requirements that opened the American market to foreign refineries that did not meet EPA requirements. The response averted a much worse situation of widespread shortage of fuel which undoubtedly would have had a harder impact on the economy (Foundation for Teaching Economics.com, 2015). There was the unprofessional handling of the situation by the authorities (Moynihan, 2009), in particular, the time it took for Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up operations in New Orleans, who furth ermore did not seem to have a reliable plan of action (HISTORY.com, 2015). The problem was viewed as administrative as the head of the agency at that time had no prior experience of crisis management or disaster relief. The case study by Hori & Schafer shows how the Hurricane Katrina led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Louisiana citizens (2010). The displaced citizens lost their jobs and suffered from income declines and numerous diseases. The study by Weaver & Vozikis shows how the national and state government sought to mitigate businesses from the effects of the Hurricanes Katrina through bridge loans offered by the state  of  Louisiana Bridge Loan Program (2010). The manner in which the government responded to the disaster has been faulted by several analysts, they all agree upon the fact that the response should have been quicker and more organized.   However the International Risk Governance Council agrees that the hurricane was no routine emergency, it presented a unique problem that required unorthodox decision-making skills (Moynihan, 2009).