Final answer:
The New Orleans HPS failed during Hurricane Katrina due to the overwhelmed power grid and pump design being inadequate for a tropical cyclone, amidst broader issues of inequalities exacerbated by insufficient emergency response. The correct option is d.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pumping systems of the New Orleans High-Pressure Sewage (HPS) system failed during Hurricane Katrina for multiple reasons, with both the power grid failure and the design of the pumps for routine rainstorms, not tropical cyclones, contributing to their inadequacy.
The HPS was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina. This, combined with a levee system that failed to meet safety specifications and was unable to contain the flood waters, resulted in massive flooding that predominately affected African American neighborhoods, revealing systemic issues of economic inequality and racial divisions.
Emergency services were delayed or disorganized, hindering assistance and evacuation efforts. This was further exacerbated by the lack of preparedness and an inadequate response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and governmental authorities, as highlighted by widespread criticism of the Bush administration's handling of the situation.
The disaster underscored the vulnerability of the city's poorest residents who were unable to evacuate and faced the full brunt of the hurricane's aftermath, also spotlighting the nation's persistent inequalities.
Hence, Option d is correct.