e impacts of Hurricane Andrew were:
. More than 250,000 people left homeless
. 82,000 businesses destroyed or damaged
. 100,000 residents of South Dade County permanently relocated
. 33% of Biscayne National Park's coral reefs damaged
. 90% of South Dade's native pinelands, mangroves, and tropical hardwood hammocks damaged
. 30 years worth of debris created ("After the Storm," 2006).
Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful hurricane to hit the Hawaiian Islands in the 20th century, and Mayor JoAnn Yukimura stated, "I saw total devastation. It broke my heart...It was islandwide. There is incredible human suffering in terms of loss of homes and dislocation of their lives" (Kamen, 1992, p. A01).
In the 21st century, Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 has so far been the most devastating hurricane to hit our nation, killing 1,800 people and causing more than $81 billion in damage ("Hurricane Katrina," n.d.). New Orleans has long depended on an extensive levee system built by the Army Corps of Engineers, because the city rests approximately six feet below sea level and has a bowl-like shape that prevents water from draining out (Handwerk, 2005, p. 1). Despite awareness of the risks, New Orleans officials recognized that the city was only protected to the level of a Category Three hurricane. Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, chief of engineers for the Corps, reports, "As projections of Category Four and Five were made, [officials] began plans to evacuate the city" (Handwerk, 2005, p. 1). However, evacuation plans were inadequate and many people refused to leave because they were ordered to leave behind their pets and chose to stay with them instead. Relief efforts were far too long in coming, and people were stranded, in many cases surrounded by toxic floodwaters. The devastation was enormous, and the preparation for it was woefully inadequate. Strock acknowledges, "...