Friday, February 22, 2019

The Perfect Storm: How Local Papers Covered Hurricane Katrina

 “Of the 1,800-plus fatalities attributed the storm, more than 1,500 occurred in Louisiana.”


Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive natural disasters to ever make landfall in the United States. The city of New Orleans was struck especially hard when the storm surge caused its levees to burst, flooding the city. Although New Orleans is what most people associate Hurricane Katrina with, the massive category 5 hurricane actually impacted several states along the Gulf Coast “causing catastrophic flooding from Central Florida to Texas.” This front page from the Mobile Register, describes the storm’s impact on Alabama’s coastal cities. The bold, black font on the top illustrates the severity of the situation along with the simple headline: “Katrina kills 55.” This headline is supported by images of the flooding and devastation wrought by the storm. The significance of these events is also highlighted by the entire front page being devoted to storm coverage. There are three separate stories placed on the front page that discuss Hurricane Katrina.
[1 image, 1 link, 3 quotes, 167 words]

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