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 was just lucky and experienced a temporary lull in the storm.
B)Waveland caught the right front quadrant of the storm,with maximum storm surge and wind.
C)Slidell must be a sheltered coastline,or protected behind a levee system.
D)Waveland must have been at a lower elevation than Slidell.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Waveland caught the right front quadrant of the storm, the most dangerous part that carries the largest storm surge and strongest winds, while Slidell may have been in a less severe part of the eyewall. This resulted in total destruction in Waveland and heavy flooding with moderate wind damage in Slidell. The other options (A, C, and D) do not explain the differences in destruction between the two towns.

In Hurricane Katrina,the Storm Came Ashore Heading Almost Due North