On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated communities on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Katrina hit New Orleans the hard way and left the neighborhood's streets underwater. Katrina is also one of the costliest tropical storms to hit the United States, with total punitive damages amounting to more than $125 billion due to rising floodwaters and destroyed homes. People of color have been hit hardest due to racial inequality and being forced to live in neighborhoods that are cheaper and more vulnerable to flooding. The government did not provide a safe evacuation procedure, but the affected people still asked the government for help. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Katrina had destroyed 800,000 housing units leaving thousands homeless and of the tens of thousands saved, 30,000 were forced to take refuge in the Louisiana super dome while 1836 people lost their lives. Afterward, only about 32,000 returned, according to the U.S. census, or just 56 percent of what it was before the Katrina tragedy. Failure to plan for disasters and maintain levees and dams led to flooding in New Orleans-area neighborhoods. The collapse of the embankments especially affected the African-American population. The poverty rate was high in the area, which forced them to live in areas that were unsafe and not well managed by the government. Mayor Ray Nagin had ordered the city to be evacuated, but many refused to leave or were unable to do so for various reasons, such as they believed the homes they lived in had significant protection against disaster or they were unable to due to lack of protection. finances or transportation. We saw how residents were abandoned by federal, state and local authorities and how more than 1,800 people, mostly of color, lost their lives. Katrina is just another example of how minority groups, especially those of color, are not protected when it comes to environmental sustainability. The United States must show some responsibility for improper planning and for letting minorities risk their lives in vulnerable environments. Rob Nixon, in his 2011 book “Slow Violence, Neoliberalism and the Environmental Picaresque,” ​​highlights discrimination against minority communities and the government's failure to maintain infrastructure and organize evacuation plans leads to a disadvantage for these minority communities during periods of human or natural disasters. He also highlighted the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina and how racial discrimination played “a role in the safety of affected communities.” He claims that “negligence in preventing potential harm such as the creation of neighborhoods around poorly maintained levees is due to neoliberal ideals.” It defines the wealth gap that allows upper-class white groups to have better access to safety than those of color. In my opinion, minorities or groups of color who cannot afford homes in affluent or well-maintained neighborhoods face a form of both racial and environmental injustice. If proper maintenance of levees and dams, as well as adequate evacuation procedures, protocols and policies were in place, many people would still be alive today and would not have to be displaced by the natural disaster. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay “The Road Home” was an initially spearheaded housing assistance program.