Evaluate and analyze Hurricane Katrina

Response to Hurricane Katrina

The response to Hurricane Katrina, by all standards, was a major failure of the federal, state, and local government’s emergency management systems. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proved ineffective. Why do you believe that DHS and FEMA proved to be so ineffective in this disaster? Discuss the changes that have occurred since then to improve the emergency response to such disasters, and state whether or not you believe these changes will be effective in similar disasters.
A key piece of legislation was passed following the events to Hurricane Katrina, the Post Katrina Emergency Relief Act (PKEMRA). When responding to this question, you may wish to refer to this literature to help you.

Assessing Risks

You are the director of emergency services for your community and you are responsible for developing an emergency response plan. First, you must identify areas of risk by identifying those natural and technological hazards within your community. Describe how you would go about identifying these natural and technological hazards. How would you assess the potential risk to the community that these hazards present? Discuss ways that you would use to ensure these hazards are updated regularly or whenever they change.
When responding to this question, you may also want to think about the resources that would be available to help you with conducting your research.