Secondary Trauma or Secondary Disaster? Insights From Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is destined to become one of the most studied disasters in U.S. history. This manuscript offers a sociology of disaster framework in which to situate past, on-going, and future research on this event. By examining Katrina on a continuum of natural and technological disasters, we are able to gain insights into the different paths of impact and recovery taken by New Orleans and the rest of the disaster-stricken region. Specifically, this disaster has produced a series of secondary traumas that continue to thwart recovery efforts. Understanding these secondary traumas can lead to amelioration of their effects and development of responses to diminish their occurrence in future disasters.