Rituals and Stereotypes of Hurricane Katrina

When you think about Hurricane Katrina, many automatically think of thousands of people standing outside the Superdome.  You also think of people looting, shooting and raping each other and think of elderly people dying in their beds.  While these things did happen, and no one denies they did, they did not occur to the degree that has been reported.  Katrina was one of the most documented events in modern history.  Because of the massive media coverage, the aforementioned events have since led to stereotypes being placed on Hurricane Katrina.  In essence, Hurricane Katrina has become the “stock character” of hurricanes. 

            Hurricanes have been stereotyped because of Katrina and its aftermath.  People now are led to believe that every hurricane heading for the United States will cause death and destruction on a grand scale.  Anarchy will reign.  In reality, while no one will discredit that Hurricane Katrina was a terrible storm, there were other storms that were much worse and caused more damage than Katrina.  However, because of this stereotype, every time a hurricane comes close to landfall, media begins to report on the coming apocalypse; sending reporters all over the area projected to be hit.  Shows are interrupted or cancelled.  Everyone and their brother are interviewed.

            A lack of Government response is another stereotype that has come from Katrina.  This stereotype is partly true; it does take some time for the government to respond.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) admits this, and has developed a website called www.ready.gov, where it shows people how they can become self-sufficient in any type of natural disaster.  However, the government does responded en force after any natural disaster.  Even while Katrina was still moving through New Orleans “dozens of National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters flew rescue operations” (The Editors, 2006). 

            In applying these theories to describe Hurricane Katrina, what has made Katrina such a popular stereotype has been the wide-spread media coverage.  The fact is that Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall (The Editors, 2006); it was a Category 1 storm when it crossed over Meridian, Mississippi where I rode the storm out.  It was not the all-powerful storm that it has been stereotyped as.  As mentioned before, Katrina has become the “stock character” of hurricanes.  When people consider a storm coming ashore, they think of Katrina, much the same way a movie actor playing a gangster will study Al Capone.

            I have gained some insights in applying these theories.  Stereotypes have a way of making people think differently about something.  In some ways Katrina’s stereotypes can help; without the stereotype that the government won’t help after a disaster has spurred the creation of websites like www.ready.gov, or other sites that help people become self-sufficient.  In some ways Katrina’s stereotypes hurt, we now consider every hurricane or other natural disaster to be the next world-ending crisis.  This leads to panic and mass confusion. 

            Katrina was a bad storm, and many people’s lives were disrupted because of it.  Unfortunately, many people also were injured and killed during the storm.  However, put in perspective, Katrina doesn’t deserve the stereotype that it received.