The Rabbi hurricane thread.

[PNWguy]

Our offices are unaffected.  But, you can't get to them so no work for employees this week; many of whom are evacuated.  Most of them in the Katy area.  Company announced they are paying all evacuation costs for the 52 or so employees affected.

[Gun Shark]

12 hours ago, PNWguy said:

Our offices are unaffected.  But, you can't get to them so no work for employees this week; many of whom are evacuated.  Most of them in the Katy area.  Company announced they are paying all evacuation costs for the 52 or so employees affected.

That's very nice of them.

[Bruce]

It appears that first responders and volunteers are still performing water rescues and assisting people to flee from flooded areas and residences.    At least right now the rain in the Houston area seems to be subsiding but there are areas at where the water is still rising.    There is also discussion of some levees failing.

[RonS]

I just saw on Fox that a Houston officer has lost his life in the flooding.  God rest his soul.

[Rabbi]

The rains are coming to an end in the Houston area.  There will still be flooding as many Rivers have not crested yet.  

It will be a little different than the aftermath of Katrina.  In New Orleans, the water had no where to go. Every last drop had to be pumped out or evaporate.  While it will drain slowly, the water in Houston will drain. In many places, the water is already going down.   The drainage system in Houston works very well, even if it could not handle the absolute record for a tropical system. 

 

While I have no idea what the numbers are, I would like to point out that Houston did not flood, specific areas did.  I am sure it will be an utterly shocking number of people who functionally lost their homes, but it will be some number well under 10% of the metro.  (which is utterly shocking)    That is a lot of people who are now homeless. 

The demographics are also going to be different than the New Orleans flooding of Katrina, which was mostly the poorer black areas.   Harvey got a lot of middle class, upper middle class urban and suburban areas. 

[Bruce]

Harvey is still dropping rain and they are doing rescues in Beaumont according to the weather people.  They also said that Harvey at 52" of rain has broken a record.

[Bruce]

What do you do when the shelter you have evacuated to floods?

 

[RonS]

I think that if there was any chance of being caught in something like that I would have several air mattresses or air beds and a couple of foot pumps.  If not a cheap skiff type boat.

[Bruce]

 

[Bruce]

Sadly a report of 44 dead.   70% of Harris County was flooded with 18" or more of water

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/01/texas-city-loses-water-44-dead-but-thousands-of-harvey-survivors-rescued.html

[Rabbi]

3 hours ago, Bruce said:

Sadly a report of 44 dead.   70% of Harris County was flooded with 18" or more of water

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/01/texas-city-loses-water-44-dead-but-thousands-of-harvey-survivors-rescued.html

 

 

They are saying (across the entire region) it is 93,000 homes that actually suffered damage in some way.   That is a shocking number but there is a math perspective. 

 

There are about 2.5 million homes in the region.   So we are talking under 3%.  (The % specifically in the Houston core area, inside beltway 8, is probably on the order of 15%)   This includes multifamily homes. Also, among this number, you will have various levels of damage.  from needs a little floor work to complete loss.   There is also the reality of commercial buildings not included in this figure. 

 

The point of the math is it illustrates that this can be fixed.  Not easily, but it can be fixed. 

[JJHNSN]

Good to keep it in perspective...but on the other hand, look what "only 3%" of homes ruined does to an area.

God bless!

[Bruce]

1 hour ago, Rabbi said:

 

 

They are saying (across the entire region) it is 93,000 homes that actually suffered damage in some way.   That is a shocking number but there is a math perspective. 

 

There are about 2.5 million homes in the region.   So we are talking under 3%.  (The % specifically in the Houston core area, inside beltway 8, is probably on the order of 15%)   This includes multifamily homes. Also, among this number, you will have various levels of damage.  from needs a little floor work to complete loss.   There is also the reality of commercial buildings not included in this figure. 

 

The point of the math is it illustrates that this can be fixed.  Not easily, but it can be fixed. 

Having lived through Andrew with 25000 homes destroyed and more damaged I agree the damage to buildings from Harvey can be fixed.  But as you said it will not be easy.  And there may be shifts in the population, with, especially moderately comfortable to affluent people choosing to relocate to different neighborhoods and counties.