http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a55434/hurricane-season-no-fema-director-noaa/
Just in time for Harvey... ???
Warriorwitch, even though there is no NOAA or FEMA director in charge, I feel if they follow the procedures, it will still work. My concern is down the road should both fall apart due to cuts and demantling of parts of the government. Also I think other countries will take over should this fail.
If no one's in charge, who's going to stay on top of disaster recovery? This administration is like watching a monkey try to hump a football for the last 8 months or so. All you have to do is look at how Katrina was handled in 2005 to know if someone's not on top of it, serious disasters could result.
Actually the Senate voted on the FEMA nominee since that article was written in June. So FEMA does have someone in charge for the recovery effort that will be needed after Harvey makes landfall in TX this evening.
I am astounded at how little people (even local people) understand about how impossible it will be to "recover" from Harvey.
I was born in Houston. I have lived 48 of my 50 years in various corners of Texas. It is a big state, and I feel uniquely qualified to comment on the character and makeup of most of it.
I'm telling you... when the U.S. economy finally collapses (and it will collapse) Harvey will be seen as the first domino.
It's not just that the oil and gas refining capacities have been cut (as they have been), or that the restart effort for those plants that have been shut down will take longer than estimated (it will), it is that so many resources will be poured into the "rebuild" effort before really calculating what it is possible to rebuild and what it is not possible to rebuild that, frankly, most of the effort will simply evaporate in smoke.
It's an illusion.
Hardly ANY of it can be rebuilt. I'm not sure how long it will take people to realize that, but I'm guessing at least a couple of years. But it's true. Houston should probably never have been built in the first place, of course, but the kinds of irresponsible development that have gone on over the last 50 years...? Even without global warming, it was not sustainable. Add in global warming and, well... this was just a warm-up act.
Walden, thank you for this powerful and informed post. I got chills reading it. In 2016 when meditating on the U.S. I'd gotten a sense that in the spring of 2017 something shocking would happen -- a new reality would hit us. I asked for clarification and heard the words, "Texas, Texas, Texas."
I've wondered and written about what it meant, and had some ideas. What you have written here about the overwhelming devastation of Houston, about Texas being the first domino, makes sense, in a sad and tragic way. Years ago when sensing that a climate and economic disintegration of our country was coming, I used to look at maps of the U.S. and felt Texas would suffer first, from some kind of climate-related disasters. I now wonder if Harvey is the beginning of this downfall. I'm truly sorry for how you must be feeling about your homeland state. We send our prayers and feel this terrible pain go through us. We can grieve with you because you are part of us, Texas is part of our home. And we can send healing and hope for recovery.
I agree Walden and Jeanne. After talking to family in Texas, the thing I notice is "will it is the five hundred old flood". It does not it matters it is called the ten year old flood either. Being call that, gives the misconception/perception it will not happen again in long time. Unfortunately climate change will prove that wrong. People hold on to their belief about climate change until they are flooded and flooded over again till it becomes a regular occurrence, stronger and closer together.
The best thing that has come out of this, people helping one another on so many levels, that people will not forget.
Yes
Walden, I'm so sorry to hear that. I suspected as much, given how terrible this storm has been, but I couldn't say definitively because I'm nowhere near there.
Unfortunately, these chemical plant exploding and flooding the air with poison won't help at all. And two water reservoirs pumps have stopped working, and floods have become a problem in areas that weren't told to evacuate. I'm already seeing where recovery is going to be difficult, even without an administration at the helm with a contradictory agenda.
I am astounded at how little people (even local people) understand about how impossible it will be to "recover" from Harvey.
I was born in Houston. I have lived 48 of my 50 years in various corners of Texas. It is a big state, and I feel uniquely qualified to comment on the character and makeup of most of it.
I'm telling you... when the U.S. economy finally collapses (and it will collapse) Harvey will be seen as the first domino.
It's not just that the oil and gas refining capacities have been cut (as they have been), or that the restart effort for those plants that have been shut down will take longer than estimated (it will), it is that so many resources will be poured into the "rebuild" effort before really calculating what it is possible to rebuild and what it is not possible to rebuild that, frankly, most of the effort will simply evaporate in smoke.
It's an illusion.
Hardly ANY of it can be rebuilt. I'm not sure how long it will take people to realize that, but I'm guessing at least a couple of years. But it's true. Houston should probably never have been built in the first place, of course, but the kinds of irresponsible development that have gone on over the last 50 years...? Even without global warming, it was not sustainable. Add in global warming and, well... this was just a warm-up act.
Hi @walden-ponderer, I went back to read your first post here in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. I noticed that a few months ago, there were many articles about how many Houston people are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt. And one story about someone whose rebuilt Houston home was destroyed again this fall in the hurricane.