From the NY Times: After a Caribbean Hurricane, the Battle Is Where, or Even Whether, to Rebuild. When Hurricane Irma crushed Saint-Martin two years ago, the French state vowed swift assistance. Aid has flowed in, but a fight has followed about recovery plans, exposing racial and class tension. Two excerpts:
Storm Exposes Social, and Racial, Fault Lines. Hurricane Irma made clear that natural disasters not only obliterate structures and lives; they can also expose deep socioeconomic fault lines. In Saint-Martin, a long simmering discontent — loaded with racial and class tension — is on the verge of boiling over.
The Takeaway: As storms become more destructive, hurricane recovery is as much about rethinking as it is rebuilding.
Recovery Diva 