Uttarakhand disaster relief operations and Hurricane Katrina: A comparison

A comparison between Uttrakhand catastrophic flooding and landslides in India and hurricane Katrina in the US is discussed. While there are many similarities between the American rescue operation and the one in Uttrakhand, many striking differences also exist. The great majority of responders in both the areas came from the military forces of each respective country and was augmented by civilian helicopters and crews in both locations. From across the country of India, civilian helicopter operators converged on the area, aiding military pilots and crews who had already commenced rescue operations as part of Operation Surya Hope and Operation Rahat. Similarly, helicopters from the Louisiana National Guard, the US Coast Guard, and all branches of the military, joined together to take part in rescue operations in hurricane Katrina. A great difference between these two disasters was the actual areas of operations. While Uttarakhand was a high altitude, mountainous environment, Katrina was a low altitude coastal environment. In Uttarakhand, the helicopters carried out their mission in hazardous, mountain conditions, often in rain or fog. The majority of the search and rescue operations in Katrina were conducted in an urban environment.