In Hurricane Katrina, the storm came ashore heading almost due north and the eye passed between the towns of Slidell, Louisiana and Waveland, Mississippi. Slidell, LA suffered heavy flooding and moderate wind damage while Waveland, MS was totally destroyed without a single building standing within 200m of the coastline. Both cities experienced the eyewall of the storm where the winds are strongest, so why was the destruction so different?
A) Slidell must be a sheltered coastline, or protected behind a levee system.
B) Slidell was just lucky and experienced a temporary lull in the storm.
C) Waveland caught the right front quadrant of the storm, with maximum storm surge and wind.
D) Waveland must have been at a lower elevation than Slidell.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Waveland caught the right front quadrant of the storm, which is known to be the most dangerous part of the storm with the maximum storm surge and wind. Slidell may have also experienced strong winds, but the storm surge in Waveland was much greater, leading to the complete destruction of buildings along the coastline. The other options do not fully explain the difference in destruction between the two cities.

In Hurricane Katrina, the Storm Came Ashore Heading Almost Due