Hurricane Ida’s Destructive Path and the Role of FEMA

In all, Ida impacted a total of 22 states and travelled 1,500 miles, with a damage tally of $95 billion, making it the 7th costliest hurricane since 2000. Source: Getty Images

Hurricane Ida originated as merely a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea on August 23rd. However, with favorable conditions near Grand Cayman Island, the tropical storm intensified into a hurricane. On Sunday, August 29 — the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Two hours later, it dropped to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Louisiana suffered the bulk of Ida’s damage as the winds hit its coast at a peak speed of 172 mph. Because of these high statistics, the U.S. Hurricane Center identified Ida the fifth-strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland. Ida eventually dissipated on September 4th, though there are present recovery efforts underway.

In the U.S., Ida was a definitive moment since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Ida’s impacts are harrowing. On August 30th in Louisiana, 560,000 people did not have power (soon increased to 1 million), 250,000 students were unable to return to their classrooms for 10 days, 3,200 people are in mass shelters, and 25,000 people without houses are staying in hotel rooms. In Louisiana, the death toll from Ida is currently 26. Infrastructure is also curtailed, with 48% of gas stations in Baton Rouge and 56% in New Orleans being empty, and Louisiana’s power grid is acutely damaged by the 24,000 utility poles damaged and awaiting replacement. In all, Ida impacted a total of 22 states and travelled 1,500 miles, with a damage tally of $95 billion, making it the 7th costliest hurricane since 2000. 

The ongoing recovery process has been led by the cooperative efforts of various local, state, and federal agencies. Support of particular importance is that of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a federal government agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Overall, as of September 11th, the federal government has approved $305,847,035.55 individual and households program dollars and 272,735 individual assistance applications. Financially, FEMA has given a range of assistance options for both small businesses and individuals in affected areas, including Louisiana. On August 31st, the agency released a statement that the Small Business Administration will provide low-interest disaster loans of up to $200,000 for homeowners and renters and up to $2 million for businesses of any size and most nonprofits. On an individual level, FEMA announced early September its Critical Needs Assistance program, which provides a one-time $500 award to eligible survivors while also providing housing assistance. Thus far, more than 131,000 Louisianans have received the $500. Moreover, FEMA has given reimbursements of up to $800 for purchased generators and $250 for chainsaws to the affected who are currently rebuilding and recovering their homes.

Arguably, most important is the role that climate change has played into hurricanes. To put it simply, climate change helped Ida rapidly gain strength before landfall in the U.S. mainland, where in about 24 hours, Ida jumped from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm over the abnormally hot Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, the water was 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a couple degrees higher than average. More broadly, as the earth heats up, the overall hotter temperatures in the water allows hurricanes to develop higher wind speeds and larger storm surges. Furthermore, a phenomenon known as subsidence has made parts of the Gulf Coast to sink, thereby hindering the effectiveness of a well-developed coastline as a barrier against storms. This is connected with waterways like the Mississippi River, which has diminished vital sources of sediments that are necessary for coast buildup.

The ongoing government response is very similar, and is quite “usual” for any major hurricane and other natural disaster relief. In most cases, the government disburses cash and reimburses consumer purchases to mitigate the citizen’s financial tolls. Yet, the country’s levels of governments can focus and improve on certain areas. For instance, given our system of federalism, there can be improvements in the coordination between the governors, the national guard, state/local responders, and FEMA. Thus, natural disaster response involves the key combination between actors and institutions. Most importantly, we should all adopt a forward-thinking mindset of addressing climate change, a force that influences any natural disaster, including hurricanes, and thus, the livelihoods and wellbeing of citizens.