From NPR, the former Director of FEMA talks about what the agency actually can do: FEMA’s Role in Responding to Disasters
What FEMA Actually Can Do
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Houston TX Analyzed
After Harvey, it’s clear the secret of Houston’s success has also been its downfall.
Houston feels like one of the last places where it’s still possible to attain the American Dream. But is the city’s structure is as resilient as its character?
Labor Pool for Rebuilding in TX
Latinos rebuilt New Orleans after Katrina. Who will rebuild Houston? One of the salient features of New Orleans’ revival after Hurricane Katrina was an historic influx of Latino workers. In the Trump era, things may be different.
Behind the Scene re Flood Insurance
How Washington lobbyists fought flood insurance reform. They have already maneuvered to slow lawmakers’ efforts to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program and protect their industries’ profits.
Reconsidering the Flood Rules Rollback
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
Political Winds Are Shifting
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.
Praise for FEMA – so far
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.
Crippling Rebuilding to Higher Standard
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”
How to Make 500-Year Storms Happen Every Year: Build. Pave. Repeat.
What’s Next with Harvey?
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
Recovery Diva 