When it comes to planning, learning from the past can be key in adapting, changing and improving for the future. This study aims to help make cities more resilient by accounting for racial disparities in natural disaster response and recovery planning. Creating cities that are more environmentally just will in turn make them more resilient in the face of disaster. The longstanding history of racial disparities in New Orleans were brought to light and more evident than ever when Hurricane Katrina hit landfall. African Americans were left without automobiles to flee, and when they came back they found their predominantly African American neighborhood had seen more destruction than their white counterparts. What happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina is notable for demonstrating an unequal opportunity storm by causing more physical damage and in turn uneven rebuilding to the African American population, specifically in the neighborhood of the Lower Ninth Ward. Other issues African American populations faced included susceptibility to flooding, lower rates of returners after the storm, and less overall rebuilding able to be done. This study will show how preexisting environmental injustices set up predominantly African American and minority communities to be struck harder and suffer greater loss from the Hurricane. When looking at the lessons we can learn from Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and other high risk communities can become resilient in the face of disaster, learning to plan better from past experiences.
Author: Kate Scrimizzi
Faculty Advisor: Professor Damon Scott, Geography Department
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