7. Hurricane Isaac Makes Landfall Along Gulf Coast

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/us/tropical-storm-isaac-on-verge-of-becoming-a-category-1-hurricane.html?pagewanted=1&src=recg

On August 28th, John Schwartz wrote with Campbell Robertson in “The New York Times” about the initial effects of Hurricane Isaac in New Orleans. The authors begin with a flashback of the unforgettable Hurricane Katrina which devastated the city and say how it is facing yet another deadly storm. They start out by describing Hurricane Isaac’s intensity (category), wind speeds, its path, and the destruction it had already caused in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti. The storm was a test to the new barrier system built to protect the city after a previous one failed to contain the powerful forces of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many safety procedures were done to protect the city and officials said they were well prepared for the hurricane. Schwartz and Campbell continue with many quotes of citizens who live in the area which show their calmness towards the storm since they have already experienced much worse before with Hurricane Katrina. They cite additional precautions taken by the government (evacuations, emergency plans if things got out of hand, help from National Guard and Red Cross...) and end with a comforting quote from Tim Doody, the president of the regional levee board in New Orleans: “This will be more like a quiz than a test.”

The purpose of the authors is to give their readers an update about the progression of Hurricane Isaac and the reactions of the people, both citizens of the city and government official. They do so by describing the storm and using quotes from the people who live near the area of the hurricane, allowing them to express their feeling directly to the readers.  They also describe every detail of all the precautions taken, transmitting a sense of assurance that the city is well prepared. Schwartz and Campbell refer to Hurricane Katrina many times throughout the article, comparing the category 5 storm’s effects to Hurricane Isaac’s effects. With this they try to convince the readers that even though the storm is dangerous it is much less intense than it was predicted to be.