Katrina Vulnerable Population Essay

Words: 1693
Pages: 7

Treatment of Vulnerable Population
Before Hurricane Katrina
As pre-mentioned, before Hurricane Katrina landfall approximately half of the local population was living in poverty, allowing little to be done in preparation for the landfall. It’s generally accepted knowledge that the wealthier a person or family is, both monetarily and resource based, the more thoroughly they are able to prepare for such hazards; ultimately minimizing their risk. In general, when concerning these lower income families and populations living in poverty, there are multiple aspects to consider. According to An examination of class differences in network capital, social support and psychological distress in Orleans Parish prior to Hurricane Katrina, “They were embedded in smaller networks, were less spatially mobile, had lower perceptions of social support adequacy, and experienced higher levels of daily exposure to stressors and psychological distress” (p. 186). Basically, due to their economic placement and status, they are not as
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Some people might not consider this as a factor, but for those residents who do not own property do not have the ability to properly fortify the residence. Fortifying and mitigation possible damage from hazards can range widely from such things as storm shutters, to high impact windows, or like many residences in this region raising the building off of the ground with the use of pillars and columns. Due to these facts, the blow felt by this vulnerable population was increased dramatically, and gives more reasoning of why this selection of the population felt the effects the most. pre-Katrina housing tenure as living in a home that is owner-occupied (10 percent), rented (59 percent), a public housing or Section 8 rental unit (17 percent), or shared with family or friends (14 percent).
During Hurricane