Comparing World War Z And Hurricane Katrina

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World War Z and Hurricane Katrina were both massive disasters that affected millions of people. Even though World War Z is a science fiction novel and Hurricane Katrina was a real storm, similarities can be drawn between the two. These two events are similar in their effect on society, response from authority, and short/long term consequences. It is important to compare these two disasters because it lets us analyze the impacts of a real-life disaster vs. a fictional one. This allows us to better understand our response to unprecedented disasters. Through examining warnings, blame, and panic, we will be able to connect these two disasters.

World War Z’s warnings section covers the early days of the zombie virus and how it came to be. At this time there were cases popping up throughout the world, originating in China. China became aware of the potential threat and tried to keep it under wraps. The effort to contain the virus failed, in part due to illegal immigration and human smuggling. The world was starting to learn of this gruesome disease, and paranoia and fear ran rampant. Jurgen Warmbrun and Paul Knight
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The devastating flooding trapped many people in their own homes. Electricity was down and access to clean water was cut off. New Orleansians who stayed to weather the storm weren’t prepared for the massive flood that came after the hurricane. Panic started to hit when people realized that help wasn’t coming anytime soon. At that time, people would have to fend for themselves. This caused people to start looting, and the police weren’t prepared to take action. It is similar to WWZ when money became worthless after the plague got out of hand. Following the law is no longer as important when a person’s survival depends on gathering resources. Outside help wasn’t brought in for another 5 days. People were panicking because they didn’t know when they would receive help, or if they ever