Katrina: A History is a book by Andy Horowitz that dwells on the importance of the hurricane that redefined the American approach to calamity management. New Orleans became the most affected location because Katrina struck the infrastructure and flooded the city, making entire neighborhoods disappear underwater. Million-dollar damage caused uneasiness among local citizens and forced the government to design a completely different approach to how natural disasters can be approached. With a detailed account of the events that preceded and followed Katrina, Horowitz managed to describe the “century-long shadow”1 that was cast by the hurricane. From the point of historiography, Hurricane Katrina is one of the most viable examples of how the quest for profits and transformation could be ended with one calamity. Hence, Katrina: A History is a book intended to help people celebrate survival while pointing out how New Orleans is the new symbol of survival and a complete makeover.
The intended purpose behind Horowitz’s book most likely was the effort to disclose the inequalities that have been amplified by the disaster. Hurricane Katrina bared the weakest links in the American infrastructure and exposed New Orleans to one of the deadliest scenarios that had not been predicted. For example, Horowitz talks about how natural inequality caused the local government to address the mishaps of social policies and legal action.2 This is a rather broad story, and the author seemingly wanted to address why New Orleans was historically prone to floods. The second half of the book serves the purpose of outlining the destruction that ultimately reshaped New Orleans into a completely new urban environment. Horowitz pays close attention to governmental decision-making and holds respective actors responsible for the disastrous attack caused by Hurricane Katrina. The need to maintain the economy and private corporations caused the government to maintain a rather narrow focus, treating citizens as outliers instead of capitalizing on their well-being and health outcomes.
Seemingly, the importance of Katrina: A History can be perceived through the prism of the idea that the State of Louisiana systematically omits vulnerabilities in favor of business and politics. In other words, the willingness to secure profits caused history to repeat itself and cause heavy damage to the delicate landscape of local soils. New Orleans had always been sliding closer to the sea3, which made it extremely dangerous to overlook local issues. The lack of prioritization and control caused multiple erosions and paved the way for the infamous destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hence, Horowitz’s book is important because it represents a persuasive argument against the destruction of the environment. Anthropogenic outcomes of the hurricane also pertain to cultural and economic complications that stemmed from political stubbornness.4 The inherent contingency of competing visions eventually contributed to the disastrous outcomes caused by Hurricane Katrina. Without exposure to this natural disaster, local government actors would not be able to recognize the need to fortify the coast. Horowitz acknowledges this gap and dwells on it throughout the whole book to appeal to readers.
Speaking of the historiographical value of Katrina: A History, one should look at how the inequalities along social strata were entrenched even further before leading to the disaster. Hence, the Bring New Orleans Back initiative was launched in an attempt to improve city planning initiatives.5 Either way, stronger land protection was expected to function as the primary safety net, but it did not take economic and social uneasiness into account. The further metropolitan expansions surpassed the prior initiatives and helped the local government benefit from federal incentivization. The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet became the answer to never-ending threats similar to Hurricane Katrina.6 Prior willingness to compromise the well-being of local citizens was replaced by numerous safety projects that could de-escalate the city’s exposure to natural calamities in the future. Overall, the historiography of Hurricane Katrina revolves around the opportunities to enhance shoreline safety and prevent New Orleans citizens from experiencing issues from 2005 one more time.
Based on the insights provided by Horowitz in Katrina: A History, it can be concluded that various commercial activities continuously interfere with environmental well-being and human safety. Even though some of the effects are partially invisible in real-time, it can be safe to say that the Louisianian government has learned the lesson and embraced a much more detailed approach to natural calamities. From the point of historiography, Horowitz’s book is also a valuable artifact because it acknowledges the need to share responsibilities and lead by example. With all the information provided by the author of the book, it is virtually impossible to underestimate the amount of experience gained by the New Orleans government after Hurricane Katrina. The book captures the inherent significance of unexpected natural disasters and advocates for a much more nuanced mitigation strategy. Horowitz disproved the need to sacrifice the poor in favor of the rich and concluded by stating that New Orleans has to be rebuilt if the government expects to avoid the 2005 Hurricane Katrina scenario.
Bibliography
Haynes, George W., Sharon M. Danes, Holly L. Schrank, and Yoon Lee. “Survival and Success of Family-Owned Small Businesses after Hurricane Katrina: Impact of Disaster Assistance and Adaptive Capacity.” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 27, no. 2 (2018): 130–44. Web.
Horowitz, Andy. Katrina: A History, 1915-2015. Harvard University Press, 2022.
Footnotes
- Andy Horowitz, Katrina: A History, 1915-2015, Harvard University Press, 2022, p. 3.
- Horowitz, Katrina, p. 14.
- Ibid., p. 36.
- George Haynes et al. “Survival and Success of Family-Owned Small Businesses after Hurricane Katrina: Impact of Disaster Assistance and Adaptive Capacity,” Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 27, no. 2, 2018, p. 133.
- Horowitz, pp. 140-141.
- Horowitz, p. 178.