Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, and many commentators have argued that not enough has been done over the past decade to address infrastructure and emergency response issues that could put coastal cities nationwide, including New Orleans, at risk of a catastrophe on a similar scale. Here’s how experts recommend we prepare for the next Katrina:
Cities can adequately prepare residents for life after a natural disaster by razing low-income neighborhoods beforehand
Every household should have an emergency storm preparedness kit that includes an extra five stories of elevation
Learning from the humiliation of Katrina, FEMA has stockpiled almost 10,000 body bags to avoid any potential shortages
Every family should designate a fixed point to gather to watch disaster footage on TV
Citizens nationwide can prepare for disasters by having a stash of sympathetic Facebook posts and tweets ready to go
To avoid the most devastating effects, coastal areas must be proactive before a storm by engaging in diplomacy with it while it is still offshore
Alpha Phi must go on spring break in New Orleans now before it’s too late
The most at-risk residents along shorelines are encouraged to board up their orifices with plywood and tie themselves down at all times
Above all, federal, state, and local governments must work in partnership in order to comprehensively botch an emergency response together
