What a difference twelve years make when it comes to being prepared for a killer Hurricane. Harvey didn’t breach any levees in Houston like Katrina did in New Orleans, so the number of deaths were small in comparison, but property damage from flooding was astronomical.
Removing all of of the garbage and debris that Harvey left in Houston is taking a herculean effort, and yes progress is being made, but painful memories will last a lifetime.
At the height of the flooding, according to the American Red Cross more than 30,000 people were holed in Houston area shelters, as rescue volunteers assisted in humanitarian effort to avoid massive deaths. The city benefitted greatly from Mayor Sylvester Turner’s ability to get power back on and get Houston back on its feet again.
Not only will homes and other structures have to be rebuilt, but families that lost love ones will have to endure double tragedy, as they are left to mourn human loss, and start from square one, hopefully with financial help from FEMA and other government agencies and charity.
Preparations for this catastrophe was already in place when Gov Greg Abbott and Sen Ted Cruz put the word out to President Trump, that extensive flooding would wreak havoc in the lone star state, and $7 billion was needed immediately, and another $150 billion when the final curtain is drawn over property damage. The Houston area alone received more than 60 inches of rain in a few days, and more than 70 deaths were recorded in Texas, as compared to more than a 1,000 in Louisiana during Katrina.
And POTUS immediately agreed as Texas is a red state and republicans are well organized at the national, state and local levels, even though Turner is a democrat.
The Houston Mayor is well connected and his city is better organized, and financially able to handle major disasters like Harvey, than Mayor Ray Nagin during his reign in New Orleans, as he was left out on the edge without a net.
You didn’t see Trump going up to someone who slightly resembled former FEMA head Michael Brown after the fact and saying: “Heck of a job Brownie.”
That’s because Texas had all of its ducks lined up and ready for whatever.
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