TIES2
Sep 1st, 2005, 09:58 PM
I've been alot about this other thread and it got me thinking...what if Katrina had slammed into Florida at the same size it was when it slammed into the Gulf States?
Given Katrina's berth, it would have taken out all of Miami-Dade country, all of Broward County, all of Palm Beach County straight across to the west coast (Naples, Fort Meyers, Sanibel, etc.). Rather than a million without power it would have been 3-5 million or more (South Florida is much more densely populated). Rather than looting and rioting in one city you'd have looting and rioting in many, many areas....
And not everyone would have heeded the evacuation order, no one ever does. You'd proably have three to five times as many refugees, as many dead...you'd have really big problems!
You would not have the same flood issues to deal with but you would have no electricity, no phone service, no water, no food, no ice (imagine, they'd be able to make it as far as the Palm Bch County Line)
No, I don't agree that it would have been beter. It would not be the same, but it would be no better. The size and scope of this storm is what makes it so incredible...
Think for a moment if the levy's had held...they'd be back partying in N'Orleans and the focus would be on Biloxi and Gulf Port. The fact that this storm touched three states is mind boggling...most hurricanes don't have that wide a swath and the ones that do typically are not that strong (Hurricane Jeanne comes to mind). The more powerful storms (Andrew, Camille, Hugo) tend to be very compact....Katrina broke a lot of "rules"
No, had a storm of this size and intensity struck Florida it would have been just as bad...if not worse
Given Katrina's berth, it would have taken out all of Miami-Dade country, all of Broward County, all of Palm Beach County straight across to the west coast (Naples, Fort Meyers, Sanibel, etc.). Rather than a million without power it would have been 3-5 million or more (South Florida is much more densely populated). Rather than looting and rioting in one city you'd have looting and rioting in many, many areas....
And not everyone would have heeded the evacuation order, no one ever does. You'd proably have three to five times as many refugees, as many dead...you'd have really big problems!
You would not have the same flood issues to deal with but you would have no electricity, no phone service, no water, no food, no ice (imagine, they'd be able to make it as far as the Palm Bch County Line)
No, I don't agree that it would have been beter. It would not be the same, but it would be no better. The size and scope of this storm is what makes it so incredible...
Think for a moment if the levy's had held...they'd be back partying in N'Orleans and the focus would be on Biloxi and Gulf Port. The fact that this storm touched three states is mind boggling...most hurricanes don't have that wide a swath and the ones that do typically are not that strong (Hurricane Jeanne comes to mind). The more powerful storms (Andrew, Camille, Hugo) tend to be very compact....Katrina broke a lot of "rules"
No, had a storm of this size and intensity struck Florida it would have been just as bad...if not worse