From a TX newspaper:  Rebuilding commission calls Hurricane Harvey a “wakeup call” for Texas. A report by the Commission to Rebuild Texas says there is an urgent need to “future-proof” the Gulf Coast.

Direct link to report:  Commission To Rebuild Texas Offers Post-Harvey Recommendations To Legislature. Be sure to read at least the 5 page executive summary.

Among the recommendations in the 178-page report, “Eye of the Storm,” based on lessons learned during the response to Hurricane Harvey, the State of Texas should:

• Form an ongoing recovery task force made up of county extension agents as well as staff from appropriate state agencies and nonprofit organizations;

• Predesignate a group of experts ready to assemble immediately for large-scale disasters to help response and early recovery efforts function more efficiently;

• Maintain a single, well-publicized State website for post-disaster information as well as investigate better use of 911, social media and mobile apps to communicate with the public and local officials;

• Develop catastrophic debris management procedures, encouraging local jurisdictions to adopt debris management plans as well as establishing a contracting template to protect against unscrupulous contractors;

• Expand the role of the Texas Department of Transportation in debris removal, a first during Harvey recovery, after future catastrophic storms; and

• Create a case management program at the state level to replace the federal version to speed up the response to individual needs.