The outcome of H. Harvery has led the Trump Administration to reconsider the flood rules it recently rolled back. From the WashPost, see: After Harvey, the Trump administration reconsiders flood rules it just rolled back
Today is quite a news day. First the articles about how well FEMA is doing and now an article that talks about the federal government being willing to spend big bucks after H. Harvey.
See: Hurricane Harvey Shifts Political Winds in Washington
In swamping large swaths of Texas and Louisiana, Hurricane Harvey also forged a new reality for President Trump and the Republicans governing Washington.
Gone are the confrontational talk of a government shutdown and the brinkmanship over the debt limit. Instead, both Mr. Trump and his putative allies in Congress — many of them professed fiscal hawks — are promising an outpouring of federal aid to begin a recovery and rebuilding effort that will last for years and require tens of billions of dollars, if not substantially more, from Washington.
See this editorial from the WashPost on Sept. 1: FEMA avoids disaster in Houston — so far.
Another article praising the progress FEMA has made in recent years, in Reuters.
Trump order cramps rebuilding stronger against floods. Trump’s roll back of an order by Predecessor on Building in Flood Plains Makes Rebuilding to Withstand Megastorms more difficult. Here are some excepts that bluntly explain:
Now, with much of the nation’s fourth-largest city underwater, Trump’s move has new resonance. Critics note the president’s order could force Houston and other cities to rebuild hospitals and highways in the same way and in the same flood-prone areas.
“Rebuilding while ignoring future flood events is like treating someone for lung cancer and then giving him a carton of cigarettes on the way out the door,” said Michael Gerrard, a professor of environmental and climate change law at Columbia University. “If you’re going to rebuild after a bad event, you don’t want to expose yourself to the same thing all over again.”
How to Make 500-Year Storms Happen Every Year: Build. Pave. Repeat.
It has been obvious to the Diva for days that the next big concern is housing — temporary and permanent. Plus the need for housing repairs will be staggering.
So far, I have not seen or heard from Sec. Ben Carson of HUD. After Superstorm Sandy, the Sec. of HUD, Shawn Donovan, was very active and he led a high level federal team called the Sandy Recovery Task Force. I wonder if that action will happen again? [Note that the Task Force was created by Pres. Obama via an executive order.]
The former FEMA Administrator offered his assessment in this article: What’s next with Harvey? “Housing” says ex-FEMA head Craig Fugate
According to this article in USAtoday, Harvey to be costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, estimated cost of $160 billion. Some excerpts:
Hurricane Harvey could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history with a potential price tag of $160 billion, according to a preliminary estimate from private weather firm AccuWeather.
This is equal to the combined cost of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and represents a 0.8% economic hit to the gross national product, AccuWeather said.
As of the 6pm news today, FEMA Administration, Brock Long, said it may be years before the full cost of the storm is known. That probably is realistic. Whether or not the event sets a record, it surely is among the biggest and costliest in history. The duration of the event probably is going to set a record.
Editorial in the WashPost on August 30: Houston is paying the price for public officials’ ignorance.
Related article from the Atlantic magazine: Why the Gulf Coast Is Uniquely Vulnerable to Disasters. It isn’t just because of the weather, a historian argues.
From the Wall St. Journal: Tropical Storm Harvey Will Cost Tens of Billions of Dollars
Extent of national economic toll depends on how much flooding ensues in the coming days.
From the Guardian, this summary of research on recovery in recent years. Not exhaustive, but reasonably well done. See: Experts say it could take Houston years to fully recover from Harvey.
While it’s too early to compare Houston’s recovery to places like New Orleans or New York, the current state of the city makes the scope of the challenge plain
Recovery Diva 