Louisiana Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina was responsible for between 7 and 8 million gallons of oil spilled throughout the impacted region —the country’s worst oil spill since 1989. Additionally, up to 46 oil platforms were destroyed during the storm. Many of these were reported as having either sunk or run adrift. Another major concern following the 2005 hurricane season was the condition of the Gulf Coast and the destruction of ecological habitats. The damage wrought upon Louisiana’s vulnerable wetlands by Katrina was exacerbated by subsequent storms throughout the following months. Katrina’s intense winds, duration, and storm surge caused significant erosion along the coastline, and experts have speculated that similar hurricanes could have disastrous environmental impacts in the future.

Inland waterbodies and public health were also put at risk during Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans, millions of gallons of contaminated flood water submerged 80% of the city. This water contained high amounts of sewage, heavy metals, and harmful pathogens --all of which were later pumped into Lake Pontchartrain. Luckily, the lake’s water column concentrations managed to return to normal despite the incursion of pollutants. However, residents who remained in New Orleans immediately following the storm were threatened by toxic drinking water, mold, and mosquitos. 

Listed below are some recommended subject headings for searching for Hurricane Katrina's impact on the envionment. Full steps on how to use these subject terms can be found on this LibGuide's homepage.

Disaster victims -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Disasters -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Emergency management -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Floods -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 -- History.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 -- Periodicals.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 -- Political aspects.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 -- Press coverage.
Urban renewal -- Louisiana -- New Orleans

Most specific:
Coastal engineering -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Coastal zone management -- Louisiana -- New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 -- Environmental aspects.
Hurricane protection -- Louisiana -- New Orleans

A few of the collections held by LSU Libraries Special Collections are listed below. Additional collections may be found utilizing the subject headings listed in the sections above. 

Books and other published materials

Additional resources on Hurricane Katrina may be located at the following links.

Images in the banner from left to right are numbered below 1 to 8.

1. Hurricane Audrey  2. Hurricane Betsy  3. Hurricane Camille  4. Hurricane Andrew  
5. Hurricane Katrina  6. Hurricane Rita  7. Hurricane Gustav  8. Hurricane Ike

Images 1-4 are in the public domain because they contain materials that originally came from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taken or made as part of an employee's official duties. 
Images 5-8 are in the public domain in the United States because they were solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See NASA copyright policy page.)