Any member of Congress who votes to give one dime to the "Wall" should lose their next election. Clearly, there are higher priorities to focus on like aging infrastructure.
2
THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH: The inconvenient question must be asked! After viewing the Devastating Destruction of Property and complete, long term disruption and ruin of American family’s lives and their financial income, GOP must be questioned about their irresponsible policy denial on Climate Change! “Climate scientists, except for the republicans and their greedy money-making contributors, agree: an overload of greenhouse gas emissions is causing global warming and climate change. The dirty fossil fuels we burn for energy — coal oil and gas — plus forest destruction, are the main culprits. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by about 36 percent in the last 200 years and is rising still. We can't wait any longer to put an end to the dirty, polluting energy systems fuelling this climate crisis.” Maybe the GOP would feel more comfortable to pass legislation Bill TO INVADE Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Virgin Islands, Haiti, and Puerto Rico to START NATION BUILDING like they voted to over-spend trillions in our tax payer’s funds in Middle-east for Iraq and Afghanistan? I do not recall the GOP’s worry or concern about off-sets or budget deficits, then? If not, this will be the continuing consequences! So Red State voters, how are their irresponsible hypocritical policies working out for you?
2
The Tampa Electric Co (TECO) has a horrible electric power restoration plan - program - execution after hurricanes and with Hurricane it will be even worse!
Why? The main answer is the Florida Public Utility Commissioners (appt by the FL Republican Governor) are not forcing them to spend more on electric grid hardening (ie self healing and small smart electric power grids, concrete utility poles, underground burial of power lines, etc.)
See: goo.gl/SkHy5w
TECO - FPL - Other FL Utilities pass on costs for restoration to customers anyway as they done for Hurricane Mathew and will now do for Hurricane Irma. I say if they don't meet certain power outage standards ... don't let them hit customers up for this ... instead: eliminate bonuses for utility executives and lessen the dividend payments to shareholders.
Electric Utilities in FL last year tried to deceive voters into not wanting more solar power ... but they lost!
Let's see if some investigative reporters can uncover the truth and SHED SOME LIGHT on Power Restoration Efforts in Florida ... I can't because I am in the DARK!
2
Until Katrina and the horrendous lack of response, the US was the god standard in emergency response.
The alerts and response to these storms are no more than we should expect and deserve. This is one of the single most important things our taxes go for -- the assurance that should a disaster befall us, no matter what sort or where, the government with the resources only a national government like that of the US can command will be immediately put to rescuing us.
Let's never fall into the trap of thinking that Katrina was any sort of measure to go go by. Let us always see us a massive catastrophic failure of a system that aways worked excellently before.
To use Katrina as a measure is setting the lowest bar possible, far below what we had come to expect previously without appreciating it.
In 9/11, the response was not inadequate. Hospitals stood ready to recieve, responders responded. What lacked there was prevention and mental readiness and a clearly understood and publicly disseminated acknowledgement that such an attack could happen and what actions in terms of law might meet it.
We need to acknowledge that climate change is going to bring incredible disaster and displacement and plan for that displacement, even for relocation from doomed areas. We need to acknowledge that terrorism has always and will always exist and to have a guiding principle to meet it that does not involve panic and hysterical ineffectual fixes, and cooperation on a global scale.
The alerts and response to these storms are no more than we should expect and deserve. This is one of the single most important things our taxes go for -- the assurance that should a disaster befall us, no matter what sort or where, the government with the resources only a national government like that of the US can command will be immediately put to rescuing us.
Let's never fall into the trap of thinking that Katrina was any sort of measure to go go by. Let us always see us a massive catastrophic failure of a system that aways worked excellently before.
To use Katrina as a measure is setting the lowest bar possible, far below what we had come to expect previously without appreciating it.
In 9/11, the response was not inadequate. Hospitals stood ready to recieve, responders responded. What lacked there was prevention and mental readiness and a clearly understood and publicly disseminated acknowledgement that such an attack could happen and what actions in terms of law might meet it.
We need to acknowledge that climate change is going to bring incredible disaster and displacement and plan for that displacement, even for relocation from doomed areas. We need to acknowledge that terrorism has always and will always exist and to have a guiding principle to meet it that does not involve panic and hysterical ineffectual fixes, and cooperation on a global scale.
1
What? "U.S. Shows It Has Improved Its Response"
Houston was a total disaster with the Governor and Mayor never even asking the people to evacuate. Perhaps some of the people who died in the storm might have lived. By the time the Florida storms appeared, I believe the state of Florida and the Federal Governments were more accommodating, since they didn't want the pressure of a second failure/catastrophe!
Houston was a total disaster with the Governor and Mayor never even asking the people to evacuate. Perhaps some of the people who died in the storm might have lived. By the time the Florida storms appeared, I believe the state of Florida and the Federal Governments were more accommodating, since they didn't want the pressure of a second failure/catastrophe!
"Mr. Serino said that Harvey had introduced another cutting-edge idea: relying on residents, not just government workers, to make significant contributions to hurricane response. “Now we’ve seen images of neighbors helping neighbors,” he said. “They’re the real emergency medical workers.”
This has been the case since the beginning of mankind.
Cutting edge. Like being able to start and maintain fire.
Like opposable thumbs.
This has been the case since the beginning of mankind.
Cutting edge. Like being able to start and maintain fire.
Like opposable thumbs.
Translated into real-speak: Trump and the Republican governors have done a great job of riding herd over the DHS bureaucracies to respond to these disasters. Credit where credit is due...
I believe it was equally due to mayors and local governments. Credit where credit is due -- those who put humanity above party and elections do better, those with experience do better than those who like George Bush junior and his chum Brownie with the horrendous mess of Katrina.
Credit where credit is due. It is not down to party, but down to people who put party in the back seat and work to do what's right.
Credit where credit is due. It is not down to party, but down to people who put party in the back seat and work to do what's right.
SO much better response than Obama.....
1
How so?
That is, how did Trump respond better than Obama, who was galaxies better than Bush of course?
I saw highly improved methods and actions that were attributable solely to the cities, states, localities, counties, but nothing Trump did that Obama did not do as well.
Perhaps you could explain what exactly Trump specifically did as president that only a president can do that Obama did not do?
That is, how did Trump respond better than Obama, who was galaxies better than Bush of course?
I saw highly improved methods and actions that were attributable solely to the cities, states, localities, counties, but nothing Trump did that Obama did not do as well.
Perhaps you could explain what exactly Trump specifically did as president that only a president can do that Obama did not do?
1
You can bet that if the disaster response to hurricanes Harvey and Irma were bad the NYT would be raving against President Trump. Instead we get this article about how well things went but not a single mention of the amazing job done by President Trump in coordination with the Republican Governors Abbot of TX and Scott of FL. That was the real difference from what we saw with Katrina.
With Katrina LA/New Orleans were stuck with a corrupt, incompetent Democrat Governor and an even more corrupt and incompetent Democrat Mayor of New Orleans who were completely unprepared and couldn't even tell the Federal Government what they needed. The leadership was so corrupt and BAD that the police ran from New Orleans, unlike what we saw in TX and FL, where not only were the police and other First Responders fully engaged but much of the populace was helping in the rescue efforts.
What we saw was about as perfect as it gets in a disaster situation. President Trump, Governor Abbot, and Governor Scott, all competent caring Republicans made the difference. So of course the lying corrupt FAKE NEWS NYT doesn't say a word. Thank you Mr President, Gov Abbot and Scott, and all those who followed your lead in the best disaster response in history. God Bless You!
With Katrina LA/New Orleans were stuck with a corrupt, incompetent Democrat Governor and an even more corrupt and incompetent Democrat Mayor of New Orleans who were completely unprepared and couldn't even tell the Federal Government what they needed. The leadership was so corrupt and BAD that the police ran from New Orleans, unlike what we saw in TX and FL, where not only were the police and other First Responders fully engaged but much of the populace was helping in the rescue efforts.
What we saw was about as perfect as it gets in a disaster situation. President Trump, Governor Abbot, and Governor Scott, all competent caring Republicans made the difference. So of course the lying corrupt FAKE NEWS NYT doesn't say a word. Thank you Mr President, Gov Abbot and Scott, and all those who followed your lead in the best disaster response in history. God Bless You!
I'd congratulate all on all sides who for once put party and elections and billion dollar donors in a closet while they acted like humans first.
Not every mayor or legislators in hard hit areas were republicans. If we want to assess success or failure, let's assess behavior, not party affiliation. That would be disastrous.
Not every mayor or legislators in hard hit areas were republicans. If we want to assess success or failure, let's assess behavior, not party affiliation. That would be disastrous.
1
The emergency managers with whom I've spoken privately would strenuously disagree with you.
Do you have to burn down the house to eat roast pig?
And 6 million residents in FL are without power. And we all just learned that 5 elderly just died in a nursing home because there was no power for the air conditioners.
Not once in this article did I read anything about updating our antiquated electrical grid. Sure we can "respond" after the fact, but what about responding before the fact.
Too many live along the coast, and much of the system that carries our electricity throughout the States and Country are likely 1950's vintage.
Fix that and then your making some prpgress.
Not once in this article did I read anything about updating our antiquated electrical grid. Sure we can "respond" after the fact, but what about responding before the fact.
Too many live along the coast, and much of the system that carries our electricity throughout the States and Country are likely 1950's vintage.
Fix that and then your making some prpgress.
1
cherrylog754--As the front page informs us, 6 elderly people died from lack of electricity/air conditioning. They would have been among the first people I would have attended to, after the storm.
Surely reversible lanes on interstates would have helped. It was striking to see photos of clogged northbound lanes and empty southbound ones. Designed and built crossovers, like those for rail tracks, would have allowed some of the empty southbound lanes to carry northbound traffic.
6
IfUAsked--Of course! We have reversible lanes on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It only make sense, in a place where there are frequent evacuations. Silly Common Sense.
Evacuation orders can be a boy crying wolf. That did happen in Fukushima. There had been quite a few earthquakes in that region and tsunami warnings were repeatedly issued by the authority. However, almost no real big ones came and people were just used to the warnings. In the 2011 disaster, a tsunami warning of the highest level was of course issued, but (unfortunately) the shaking was not too big and many people did not take it seriously.
Better to become routine at evacuating, perhaps even hold drills, than to wait until one hundred per cent sure they are needed and have mass hysteria. In fact many evacuated and I assume lives were saved by that; certainly the aftermath rescues and restoration were aided by that.
I lived in a country, prosperous and wealthy, that had never held fire-drills or other safety drills in their schools. When a disaster struck, more schoolkids were killed by the trampling and panic and lack of practice in locating escape routes than the disaster.
Panic is the worst enemy. I'd say we need more practice, not less, as these storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes and what not become stronger and more frequent and affect larger areas.
I lived in a country, prosperous and wealthy, that had never held fire-drills or other safety drills in their schools. When a disaster struck, more schoolkids were killed by the trampling and panic and lack of practice in locating escape routes than the disaster.
Panic is the worst enemy. I'd say we need more practice, not less, as these storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes and what not become stronger and more frequent and affect larger areas.
As Floridians return to their homes, they should reflect on the broad range of benefits they have received from a federal government that they seem to despise. This includes the Interstate Highway systems that allows for orderly evacuations, rural electrification that allows the most isolated parts of Florida to have air conditioning, beach regeneration, flood insurance and the annual cost of recovery from catastrophic events, covered largely by the federal government, and taxpayers from every part of the US.
4
What it really shows is the difference the Governor and local politicians make. The Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans were two of the most inept politicians in history. They refused early offers of assistance from the Federal government, made minimal preparation on their own, managed their available resources poorly, and then did nothing but whine. Katrina hit Mississippi equally as bad yet no horror stories because the Governor of Mississippi was competent.
2
What you overlook is that since then the models other states base their responses on is as a direct result of the improvements made in Louisiana.
In fact, during Harvey, the State of Texas "borrowed" several manuals and protocols from Louisiana for evacuation and logging of patients from nursing homes and hospitals as the great state of Texas had none.
Most evcuation plans using contraflow were also developed post Katrina here.
It is unwise to assume that other states would have had better, if any, plans in force at the time when Katrina hit.
However, one thing remains consistent post-Katrina as evidenced in both Harvey and Irma (and fwiw the August 2016 flood in Louisiana): the vast number of people who do not carry flood insurance in areas that will clearly be impacted is enormous. The financial drain it places on this country is a burden that cannot be carried in its current format where uninsured folks collect in some instances easier than those who purchased a limited amount of flood insurance. For places like Houston where massive floods have occurred 3 times in 18 months, to still have this issue shows there should be a total overhaul of financial aid.
In fact, during Harvey, the State of Texas "borrowed" several manuals and protocols from Louisiana for evacuation and logging of patients from nursing homes and hospitals as the great state of Texas had none.
Most evcuation plans using contraflow were also developed post Katrina here.
It is unwise to assume that other states would have had better, if any, plans in force at the time when Katrina hit.
However, one thing remains consistent post-Katrina as evidenced in both Harvey and Irma (and fwiw the August 2016 flood in Louisiana): the vast number of people who do not carry flood insurance in areas that will clearly be impacted is enormous. The financial drain it places on this country is a burden that cannot be carried in its current format where uninsured folks collect in some instances easier than those who purchased a limited amount of flood insurance. For places like Houston where massive floods have occurred 3 times in 18 months, to still have this issue shows there should be a total overhaul of financial aid.
1
Larry,
You just want to let republicans off the hook and blame democrats. The governor of Mississippi was a republican and was given access and support while the governor of Louisiana was a democrat and was not given the same. Yes, Ray Nagin was useless, but Kathleen Blanco was ignored and dismissed in the days leading up to Katrina. And we all know what a failure the Bush administrations was.
I suggest you read The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley to learn what happened behind the scenes.
You just want to let republicans off the hook and blame democrats. The governor of Mississippi was a republican and was given access and support while the governor of Louisiana was a democrat and was not given the same. Yes, Ray Nagin was useless, but Kathleen Blanco was ignored and dismissed in the days leading up to Katrina. And we all know what a failure the Bush administrations was.
I suggest you read The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley to learn what happened behind the scenes.
I always wondered why the president, Bush, did not overriide their insistence they didn't need help as I'm sure he could have scraped up a lawful excuse to do and been praised for it.
It seems executive orders are only for political agendas, not emergencies where thousands of lives are at stake.
I think Katrina also showed the dangers of "Hellava job, Brownie!" cronyism.
It's important to get people in executive offices for which they have experience and are intellectually fit, not to stack the cabinet and appointments with yes-man and yes-women and "loyal" cronies. That way lies an irreversible slide into poverty, ignorance, and no exit.
It seems executive orders are only for political agendas, not emergencies where thousands of lives are at stake.
I think Katrina also showed the dangers of "Hellava job, Brownie!" cronyism.
It's important to get people in executive offices for which they have experience and are intellectually fit, not to stack the cabinet and appointments with yes-man and yes-women and "loyal" cronies. That way lies an irreversible slide into poverty, ignorance, and no exit.
"Irma did not deliver a storm surge as devastating as some had predicted."
"Some" = National Weather Service. I'm not decrying the erroneous prediction, I'm simply pointing out who made it. Just about every weather report you see on television or the internet is either directly derived, or cribbed from the NWS, which does a very good job of predicting U.S. weather. All the hyperventilating talking heads on the Weather Channel, CNN, MSNBC and other cable news services were simply repeating what they'd been told. (You didn't think all the "meteorologists" on TWC were actually making predictions, did you?)
Those of you born in the 1940s or 50s will remember what a joke weather forecasting used to be. Not anymore!
"Some" = National Weather Service. I'm not decrying the erroneous prediction, I'm simply pointing out who made it. Just about every weather report you see on television or the internet is either directly derived, or cribbed from the NWS, which does a very good job of predicting U.S. weather. All the hyperventilating talking heads on the Weather Channel, CNN, MSNBC and other cable news services were simply repeating what they'd been told. (You didn't think all the "meteorologists" on TWC were actually making predictions, did you?)
Those of you born in the 1940s or 50s will remember what a joke weather forecasting used to be. Not anymore!
1
Barbyr--Yes, but they are still not really accountable for their mistakes. Good deal for them.
What is going on at the NY Times? They trumped up the invasion of Iraq for Bush. Now they are trumping up Trump's response to the hurricanes. We are NOT out of the woods yet......people are dying and starving and homeless in Florida and Houston as the rescue efforts are over whelmed by demand. Who wrote this article? Jared Kushner or Putin!
4
citizenUS--No kidding. Hear, hear!
2
You write: "The terrorist attacks in New York and Pennsylvania revolutionized the way American government coordinated disaster response..." If you mean the 9/11 attacks, those attacks occurred in New York City and Washington, DC, with one of the intended hijacked planes brought down in a field in Pennsylvania. Anyone with a memory of more than 24 hours, and with a modest amount of intellectual curiosity, and with a basic commitment to responsible citizenship would know this. Can you and your editors really be this ignorant about such a cataclysmic event in our nation's history? And, if so, why should anyone trust anything you say or report about anything?
3
OMG! The "attack" was on New York and D.C., but there was a DISASTER in Pennsylvania and it was responded to as well. What is so hard for anyone "with a memory of more than 24 hours, a modest amount of intellectual curiosity, and a basic commitment to responsible citizenship" to understand? Your concluding sentences sow distrust, with no support from the facts at hand.
2
It's telling that this so called president had ripped out the new standards for building in areas exposed to sea-level rise in a knee-jerk way (emphasis on "jerk") and then immediately ...and quietly... reinstated them once Harvey hit. Having had the benefit of a real president in President Obama, the country is much better prepared because he and others in his administration - from the EPA to the State Department to the Defense Department and on - recognize the value of science and what it can do to help us survive this changing world.
7
I find it need to read some of these responses. People are praising this administration for their response to the disaster. The reality is, if the hurricaine had been later, they would not have received the kind of help they are praising. this administration wants to gut programs like FEMA. The must be so angry they need to put it off now. It's disheartening.
5
The problem is that, thanks to climate change, these events are likely to become more frequent and destructive. It doesn't help matters if GOP governors, such as both the current governors of Texas and Florida, and their GOP legislatures continue to deny the fact of man-made climate change and refuse to adopt more sensible building and development zoning. Are the rest of America's tax payers going to continue to pay for rebuilding in flood prone areas in states such as as Florida and Texas every time one of these things occurs?
6
Government and its regulations have helped minimize loss of life and limb and property in disasters such as these. Just letting the profit motive rule would have left many more homes in low lying, storm vulnerable areas. In a large society we obviously need some government regulation. We can't rely on developers to factor safety into their plans when there is more immediate profit in building wherever they can as cheaply as they can. That's capitalism.
That said, I'm sure many damaged homes were built on the quick, without adequate safety precautions. This is not the time to relax government building regs but to strengthen them.
15
The US got lucky when the hurricane followed the originally predicted track up the west coast of Florida. Had it gone up the east coast the destruction by the weakened storm would have been many times greater. Many Floridians would not count themselves as lucky.
Even so we are still saddled with a govt that won't rebuild quickly nor will it rebuild with the next set of hurricanes in mind. I haven't paid much attention to the storms in the Pacific until the other day when the map showed three storms developing and one has just been upgraded with an advisory. That's fifteen-E.
Hurricane Jose has been spinning almost in place off the east coast for a long time now. It probably cools the upper surface of the Atlantic but the hurricane season isn't over.
There may be another period where warming seems to have slowed again, like the one where republicans claimed that warming stopped, but projects like Argos showed that the heat went into the deep oceans and melting ice instead.
Our current govt wants to cut funding research on research into climate change and if they accomplish this, then anything rebuilt on the southern coasts and up through to New York on low lying surfaces is likely to have a life of twenty five years, not the 80 to one hundred years that people normally expect. Even with increased funding the risks are great.
Maybe Donald will order the seas to stop rising, but I'm sure he'll get out of the way long before the tide actually comes in.
2
Cuba also deserve some praise. Much of its coast It took a direct hit from a category 5. It had 10 deaths, which is tragic, but remarkable. Organization seems to be most important.
2
Why is it that you all harped on the foolishness and irresponsibility of folks in Texas who built in vulnerable areas - but now, more circumspectly, the tragedy of those who did the same in Florida...
The keys were as vulnerable as about anyplace anywhere...
Suppose Texas had built a string of low-lying islands off of Corpus Christi or Galveston...
One of the cruelest ironies...Someone from the Lower Keys, lecturing Texans back in the time of Harvey - on the virtues of renewable energy, via a highly-recommended comment...
PS - the Keys are largely-powered by Turkey Point...A nuclear plant with oil and gas backup generators...
2
"These events, and other disasters before and after, have fed into the collective knowledge of how a modern nation should respond to hurricanes, serving as catalysts for improvements in weather forecasting, evacuation policies and hurricane-resistant building practices."
Let's see - people observed events that occurred and their outcomes, then used that information to make general rules about what works and what doesn't, then honed those rules as more observations were made.
There's a special word for that process - it's called "science." If it's good enough for predicting solar eclipses and what happens during hurricanes, then Why On Earth Isn't It Good Enough For Global Warming?????
6
The government is not the problem. How can that be?
1
President Obama and his team deserve the credit for having the systems in place to respond effectively to threats and following these devastating events. Why are the news media not giving credit where credit is due? I have yet to see a news story about this although I have seen many former Obama officials interviewed. Noticed that Trump has recently filled some spokesperson vacancies. Hmmm.
3
They want to rebuild the homes because its good for politics, not because it makes any sense. It makes more sense for the government to offer financial assistance to families anc companies in affected areas but not toward rebuilding structures in areas prone to hurricanes. That would have made sense in the past, not today.
"Mr. Serino said that Harvey had introduced another cutting-edge idea: relying on residents, not just government workers, to make significant contributions to hurricane response."
I was thinking about the Civil Defense we used to have. About 10 million volunteers across the United States were trained in first aid, fighting fires, etc. during WWII. We could have at least a list of civilians who could communicate by texting in the event of natural disasters, to provide boat rescues, set up shelters (forget the Red Cross who didn't show up in Miami), help with evacuations ahead of time, and probably many other responsibilities.
1
Pardon the statement of the obvious. There are lots of Americans who express a hatred of both Government and Regulations but it is clear that the regulations helped many buildings survive and that in the long run, the much hated government is going to do a lot to make sure that the cleanup, repair and rebuild process going. Frankly the same people will probably complain that the government did not do enough to prepare them or help during the post disaster process.
The reality is that our government, with all of its flaws and problems, still works for the benefit of We-the-People who are the sovereign power of this nation.
14
A lot of this we learned from the excellent Cuban hurricane preparations. Several US scientists and government representatives have been studying the Cuban effort over the years and putting them into place in the US. This should be acknowledged
1
"the new codes have forced developers to build structures that could better withstand hurricane-force winds...." Better, but not good enough. Newer, better codes are needed immediately, before rebuilding begins. In the areas most prone to flooding, either forbid rebuilding or tell people sorry, no government subsidized flood insurance you will be on your own if you persist in foolish behavior.
1
Do the geniuses still want to cut NOAA and FEMA budgets?
3
Oh my gosh. An article about government action and intervention in which there are no conservatives telling us that regulations are job-killing, economy-crushing violations of the freedoms our Founding Fathers fought and died for. What do ya think about that, Rush Limbaugh?
4
Improvement which came about under President Obama. No thanks to Trump and his small government Republican ignoramuses. They are against the Feds until there's a massive event which requires the kind of response only the United States as a whole can tackle. Bring in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. Forget states who talk of States Rights. Since the Civil War, when we went front the United States "are" to the United States "is" we need to act like the most powerful nation on earth not only internationally but domestically. Are we all not Americans? Wake up Republicans. We're not living in 1817, it's 2017. Start acting like it.
DD
Manhattan
4
How about an "ounce" - or better yet, an "abundance" - of proactive prevention: restore and increase the pollution restrictions Mr. Trump so enthusiastically demonizes?
2
Trump, no doubt, will attempt to take credit for the relatively low number of deaths and destruction that occurred, even though they're devastating but could have been much greater if not for emergency responders and better distribution of public information. Of course it could have been much worse had FEMA and other emergency responders not examined procedures and improved them since 9/11.
Instead of actually facilitating rebuilding and being a catalyst for medical help, Trump will boast. While simultaneously dismantling federal agencies such as FEMA and the EPA, he will claim heroism for himself.
2
Response and coordination were good, but more needs to be said about the science and scientists studying hurricane phenomena and coastal responses, monitoring warming temperatures, sea level rise, and sea change in which to allow these responses to be carried out and coordinated. With budget cutbacks by this administration to ocean and coastal science, FEMA's response will be difficult. Cutting NOAA's budget and coastal planning will only make uncertainty more uncertain and more costly.
3
5 dead seniors and counting in a nursing home in Hollywood, FL for elders on Medicaid due to lack of power since Sunday morning.
There is no requirement in Florida, the state with the highest proportion of elderly folks in the nation, and the state most likely to be hit by hurricanes, for nursing homes or assisted living facilities to have permanent or mobile generators.
This is what lack of consumer protection regulations of the nursing home industry and the "free market" looks like.
Congrats to the Tea Party controlled Fla legislature and governor Rick "I'm not a scientist" Scott and all the nursing home industry lobbyists in Tallahassee.
5
It is not just about loss of life. It is about how well the elderly, disabled, the poor, and the young restore their lives and their housing.
U.S. did this BT aka Before Trump. It remains to be seen what happens to the U.S. AT aka After Trump. The consequences of the stormy chaos of the Trump occupation of the White House is unknown. Hurricane Donald is the definition of climate change epoch.
1
I am amazed and disheartened by the "Trump deserves credit" vs. the "No, Obama really deserves credit." divisiveness. Can we all just say it appears that we (America) are doing a better job of hurricane and disaster response and set aside the dispersions and claims of glory from all sides.
1
There have been four confirmed deaths from Hurricane Irma in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The "U.S." in U.S. Virgin Islands represents the fact that these islands are a part of the United States. Please update this article to reflect the death toll in the U.S.V.I. as we speak about deaths in the United States from this storm. I also agree with other posters that its is premature to write this article. Recovery efforts are ongoing in areas that have been devastated by the storms and there will likely be more dead found.
More broadly, I and many other loyal readers have continued to ask the Times to be more comprehensive in reporting about the storm and specifically to acknowledge and recognize that the effects of Irma were felt in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If our liberal highly intellectual publication can't get this right, who will?
1
What was there EVER to learn about water being the strongest element on earth? Did we need to tempt fate? Our parents all knew that living too near the shores meant having to take precautions and not throw caution to the winds.
All of the visions of grandeur of seaside homes went totally awry after the Metro area of NY/NJ endured SuperStorm Sandy.
The sight of homes floating out in the Atlantic Ocean brought home the foolhardiness of life at the shorelines.
We should have learned much from Japan where earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed without mercy. We should have listened when our friends in the North Atlantic reported that Greenland had grown "greener" in just the last 2 decades and icebergs the size of Texas were floating in the North Atlantic.
So what do we do? We tempt fate. We dare Mother Nature to disobey our whims. When Mother Nature rebels against massive air pollution and retaliates, we ignore the warning signs...until it's too late.
No one ever expected Manhattan to be under water. Such is the foolishness of men trying to control nature.
All along the Jersey shore, homes have been rebuilt to allow for water to pass under them with less damage.
Perhaps, Pete Seeger's song, "Where have all the flower gone?" should be a reminder of human foolishness.
Okay, good. NOW, let's see how the survivors survive, with assistance from our government. It's not enough just to make sure they don't die DURING the storm.
1
"At least 13 people were reported dead in Irma’s wake"
This may sound cruel, but no matter how you look at it, a death toll of 13 is a statistically trivial number. Statistically there are about eight traffic deaths per day in Florid, and about 360 deaths per day from all causes. 13 is about equivalent to the total murders in Florida over a four day period. I bring this up because I think the media tends to present the hurricanes as killing machines by giving the death toll so much headline visibility.
On the other hand I see very little coverage on the plight of the households with incomes in the bottom 20%, less than $20,000 per year and negative net worth (owing more than the value of their total accumulated assets). When Irma destroys their belongings, how do they "rebuild"? Might be a good subject for the Times to cover.
I was thinking last night how lucky it is that these storms have hit at the beginning of the t rump administration, before they would have had time to dismantle the entire government, especially the EPA and FEMA.
I guess all those job killing, economy hampering regulations do serve a purpose, after all.
With the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our National Security experts all putting global warming as a priority concern for our national security, from handling of the natural disasters to the human disasters, why is the republican party so determined to weaken our defenses. I thought they were the experts at spending lots of money on whatever the military wanted.
Instead they are dismantling the EPA and our other science institutes.
Isn't it treason to put the Nation at such risk?
1
I think that the loss of a great number of cars could have been avoided. You can't move a house from a flood prone area, but with several days advance notice you can move a car to higher ground. Why can't cities like Houston have plans in place to have people move their cars to designated high ground places where they won't be lost?
2
I, as an independent, self-deployed rescuer, have spent every day since the beginning of Harvey, assisting in the humanitarian aid in that region. I combed through streets, waded through contaminated water, hitched a ride on boats. Yet not one word in this article about the gargantuan assistance of an army of other individuals, like me, who served in similar capacities. Everyday citizens scattered throughout the 50 states became dispatchers at night, returning to their real jobs in the day. Without them, the animal, and human toll would have been much greater.
Their story needs to be told one day.
16
Bravo!
Your point is Not lost on all of us readers==I have often in my early morning quiet moments looking at the pictures of fine men like you and countless others in the news have marveled at the compassion and kindness of all that sacrificed all sleep to help others===only to get to work early hours of each morning==
My sincere thanks to you as well all others like you ==
My sincere thanks to you as well all others like you ==
I'm not impressed with this journalism. It seems to consist mainly of experts and consultants saying we're doing better, with little in the way of supporting evidence and study, which may or may not exist. The most tangible piece of evidence was the improvement in the Texas Medical Center. The rest seems to be random notes in search of a theme.
2
First, kudos to the people responding to the recent storms. The situation would have been much, much worse if they hadn't been on the job. Much thanks to the people who have worked for the last few years to develop the improved plans. If we would have faced this with the team in place at the time of Katrina, it would have been much worse.
Second, it seems we should spend a lot more time and effort to figure out how to lessen the damage from these storms. Why do people keep building in areas that have been repeatedly savaged by the winds and flooding. Zoning and building codes need to be reviewed and revised. Also, diversion of storm surges away from populated areas would keep damage to a minimum. The Netherlands, among others, might have something to teach us here.
And, yes, global warming needs to be addressed for all sorts of reasons; increased storm intensity is only one of them. But any effects of any actions on the problem will take a long time to materialize, and that only means we'd better get going on it ASAP.
1
I think the benefits of better weather forecasting - enabled by investments in NOAA computers and satellites is understated here. Before satellites, we were truly clueless and often suffered from surprise storms killing thousands. All of these improvements - and indeed, FEMA itself - are examples of proactive Federal government action - something the tri corner hatted Tea Partiers disdain in their quest to return to the halcyon days of the 18th Century.
4
Overlooked by this article: Standards-setting organizations. Experts from industry and government regularly meet to create and update standards for everything from windows that can withstand debris to drones that can help with search-and-rescue. These standards are silent heroes. The people who updated standards in the wake of lessons learned from Katrina - and who will do so again in the wake of Harvey and Irma - should be recognized more broadly.
3
Please stop this ludicrous narrative about the amount of C02 in the atmosphere, in the past essentially zero, and now still essentially zero, as a reason to be concerned about hurricane safety and response to disasters. The frequency and severity of hurricanes HAS NOT changed over the last century. The number of people in harms way HAS changed GREATLY and is the reason why we need to be concerned about hurricanes and there potential impact. Some agency, authority, somewhere, also needs to point out the 12 inch sea level rise that occurred over the last century that cannot be attributed to a 1 or 2 degree Fahrenheit increase in global average temperature. Blaming CO2 for the loses and suffering only serves to distract us from the real problem, unchecked residential development putting people unable to cope with extreme weather in the wrong places. It's certainly "good for business," isn't it? Follow the money?
Hindsight analysis will always yield some discord. Anyone who's house survived will likely complain about being evacuated; with the reverse being the case for someone that lost everything seeing a big tree cutting through the middle of their home. Storms are capricious with some being worse than expected while others being much tamer--something impossible to fully determine ahead of time. Diverse opinions on what to do will never be satisfied.
It will always be a double edged sword with the evacuation causing and helping. But we can't try both and see which works best. Evacuation was likely the better course as it removes people from isolated and dangerous areas. Each storm is unique and never listens to what people have to say--so get out of the way if you can.
1
As did Cuba.
More than one million people, out of 11 million, were evacuated before the passage of Irma that passed directly over the island. Total casualties 10, the majority had to refused to evacuate.
A dirt poor country compared to the US.
http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2017/09/13/comment-cuba-parvient-a...
Obama deserves the credit for response improvements and the necessary funding to organize and staff these changes. What greater motivation does our pseudo President need to eliminate these improvements once the spotlight dims.
40
Of course, this so-called president will take full credit for the title of this article...just like he takes full credit for great job reports, growing economy and everything else he inherited from Obama. He will probably take credit for the improved 2016 incomes reported elsewhere today!
Too funny. As Harvey approached Texas, the NYT trumpeted the federal government response as a test of President Trump's administration - all too ready to give him any blame. Now that it seems that the response went better than in the past, you want to give credit to Obama. Too funny. {oh wait, the word is "hypocritical."}
Seems premature to be giving a death toll number. There are many structures in the Keys that are destroyed and have not been checked.
11
Plus the deaths from illnesses that will continue to increase in toll, due to industrial pollutants released by Harvey in Texas.
An interesting article. Clearly we have, slowly, learned some painful lessons and hopefully will continue to improve, though one may argue that an over reliance on "new technologies" could obscure some more basic improvements such as organization and fluidity in regulation.
It's a bit sad that this idea is viewed as "cutting-edge": "Mr. Serino said that Harvey had introduced another cutting-edge idea: relying on residents, not just government workers, to make significant contributions to hurricane response." Really? Shouldn't we all, as Americans, want to help each other out, not just sit back and say, "well, that's the government's problem, not mine"? Yes, only large scale, trained efforts can accomplish the bigger picture, perhaps, but individuals (something some seem to scoff at as a threat to a Borg-like collective) can play a vital part in such situations,
This article also touches on a related part that many seem to miss. FEMA is a great help and has trained and coordinated with state and local agencies for years, all getting better at it over time. That training (which I have had at all levels) stresses that local entities must be prepared to deal with the initial aftermath, generally for up to 48-hours, before expecting FEMA help. You can't sit back and ask "where's DC?" (or more laughably, the president) - local areas have to take steps, including planning, first, as part of a joint effort. It's designed to be complimentary operation.
21
Maybe neighborhoods should have annual disaster planning sessions where residents can get useful information, in advance.
Having lived in earthquake country, where disaster is not an "if" but a "when", some neighborhoods do have such sessions.
1
With hurricane Sandy neighbors pitched in when they could. First Responders means exactly that. Those on the ground locally who are able to pitch in without being told. Remember how local boat owners in New York and Jersey rescued people trapped in lower Manhattan after the 9/11 tragedy?
If Irma had hit Florida with the same force that it struck the Caribbean only a few days earlier, this would be an entirely different story. Response may have improved, and that is good, but nature is clearly more than a match for what has been done. A storm from which southern and coastal Florida will not recover is certainly within the realm of possibility.
14
There is another great danger that emerges from these storms -- aside from the toxic water in Houston there is also the standing water throughout FL which is a breeding ground for mosquitos which raises the spectre of the Zika virus decimating parts of the population exposed to it.
13
So basically once again we see that science, technology, engineering and math are so important for organizing and saving lives. They are the answer to our prayers. After Rush bloviated about their conspiratorial influence in monitoring hurricanes, after telling his listeners not to heed their warnings, he finally succumbed to their import and evacuated his sorry self.
15
Certain areas, particularly those that will continue to be vulnerable to hurricanes and rising sea levels that experienced significant damage and destruction, should not be rebuilt. Why should the Federal Government, through the flood insurance program, continue to support such high risk rebuilding?
45
And now, if they can just stop developers from building homes on flood plains...
17
Thank you big government, building codes, FEMA, NOAA, National Guard, clean up crews and federal disaster relief! And we shouldn't forget the Federal coastal flood insurance program since most private insurers have already pulled out of these regions. That program includes Maralargo and all the multi million dollar beach front conds owned by people who don't want to pay taxes. As a former Florida resident who went through Andrew, I seem to recall that FEMA also pays to rebuild the power grid and if so, will again because FPL refuses to bury the power lines. The problem with all of this is it's not sustainable because of Climate Change.
11
It's also - at least for federal or state funded flood insurance - also no sustainable, at least from a financial aspect. Why should we keep spending money in the same spot year after year?
1
I believe in the mission of "big government", but the Federal flood insurance program to rebuild damaged private homes should be carried by private insurance. The impetus to build in flood prone areas is very unwise . Federal $$$ is best used to alter landscape features which make it unwise to build, such as drainage and grading projects only.
1
Many thanks to the competence of the Trump administration and Governors Abbott and Scott.
8
But people in Florida won't go next time, they can't get back fast enough. I watched people on the news very upset at being stopped returning, when they see video of looting they will not go again.
Expect to see a booming business in survival rooms- concrete bunkers, solar array shutters and food storage.
Rick Scott kept saying it was the end of the world. He should have said it may be the end of the world. Big mistake. Anyone who returns to an intact house may not go next time. Especially Republicans, who beat the "don't trust government drum" as loud as they can, and do it for a living.
Thank the Lord climate change isn't real.
3
Government comes in while the free market is an utter failure.
11
Actually many corporations are lending a good amount of their money for relief and rehab work. So please don't discredit them that way.
11
Why can't Congress be this effective in getting things done?
5
Congress is never held accountable. Watch them all get reelected in 2018.
"'They left millions of residents cowering in their homes." Cowering, really. Is that what you thought we were doing. We were taking shelter from the storm. Be it at home, or in a shelter. We are used to Hurricanes here buddy, we don't cower, period!!
6
@Author, might want to include Pentagon attack in this sentence: "The terrorist attacks in New York and Pennsylvania revolutionized the way American government coordinated disaster response."
3
The NYT devotes quite a few column inches every day to disparaging President Trump. Why not a few well-deserved words of praise for how Trump and his administration have handled Hurricanes Harvey and Irma?
As the mouthpiece of the Democratic Party the NYT goes to extreme lengths to cast President Trump, his family, his friends and his associates in a negative light. However, the NYT displays great arrogance (and ignorance) in assuming that its readers cannot discern such blatantly biased coverage.
Whatever happened to "fair and balanced" reporting?
6
Trump hasn't done anything except appoint a competent FEMA director instead of a former horse trainer.
And he wants to slash the budgets of FEMA and the Coast Guard. So the next disaster will be a...disaster.
I'm a West Coast Florida resident who was ordered to evacuate. I'm sure there's a lot I don't see behind the scenes, but I don't really see FEMA in anything that happened. Our local and state government officials, as well as our weathermen took this one seriously. We were predicted to get a Cat 3 or 4 hurricane by the time it was to reach us, and it was a massive sized storm.
The reason so many evacuated was that Floridians took this one very seriously. No one wanted to live through a Cat 5 or 4 storm, and there were few places that would be left unscathed in the State. Those that chose to stay mostly weren't in evacuation zones, boarded up their homes, got supplies, and stayed put. Our infrastructure is also a lot stronger than the islands.
The key moving forward is the help that the state needs. Many are without power, and we are in the hottest months of the year here. Hotel rooms are impossible to find, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the death toll rise if the elderly aren't assisted quickly.
6
Well it appears that enacting sound building regulations and coordinated Federal, State and Local response/spending benefits all.
Then, it may be possible to impact climate change if we recognize the benefits for society. Who would be the first Republican, to remove their heads from the sand, to begin this long overdue process?
8
"Amid Chaos of Storms, U.S. Shows It Has Improved Its Response"
Indeed. Can't wait for my next vacation at St. John.
1
Great that after the fact response has improved and no doubt will continue to do so. However, with all the talk from politicians as to how we will rebuild and be stronger than before there is little if any talk of solving the real problem of why disasters are so devastating. We continue to allow flood plain and coastal developments to continue without thought to consequences. As a taxpayer I seriously object to paying multiple times to subsidize repair or replacement of property that should be removed and relocated from barrier islands or flood plains. Those homeowners should get one or perhaps two bites at the apple and then be offered assistance to relocate and return there property to nature. The continued subsidies are a losing proposition.
3
You missed the main point...have leadership at the top wanting to do the right thing and not look good for the cameras was the single key element that made t all work this time...with two storms.
Hopefully others will follow this new example of leadership.
3
Well, Trump never misses a photo op, I'll give you that. It's pretty easy to do the obvious when the mechanism is already in place. I'm glad a great response team was left by the Obama administration so they were equipped to handle this better, however since Trump and the GOP had scheduled cuts to programs like FEMA, then I guess the rest of us can hope for help in the future, during disasters such as this, but at what level? Your comment is disingenuous when you look at actual facts.
Some suggestions:
Design interstate highways in evacuation prone areas to be omni-directional.
Immediately impose gasoline rationing whenever a state of emergency is declared.
Immediately impose critical food rationing whenever a state of emergency is declared.
Use the emergency broadcast system to try to convince people to evacuate but don't waste time trying to convince people who will not move no matter what.
3
Evacuation of millions of people asking everyone to drive while gas stations are running dry, is never a good idea. In our previous experiences, there had been more fatalities during evacuation than the disaster itself.
We are not equipped with mass transit system where hundreds or thousands of people can be evacuated quickly.
Reinforcing and funding our Disaster Response Team, Funding NOAA and improving our Building Code also not allowing any building in the flood prone areas are the rational actions.
And also believing in the science of climate change and learning to live in harmony with nature is imperative for our survival.
9
Some improvements in dealing with large scale natural disasters, sure. But a lot of what did not become greater catastrophe in Texas and Florida was a matter of pure luck.
A full up strike on Miami at Cat-5 would have been an altogether different beast. Same for Tampa and St Pete.
As for better building codes, bravo, but not for the many hundreds of mobile home parks that are more prolific in Florida than any other state in the union and are magnets for utter destruction even in lesser hurricanes.
Both Florida and South Texas also had and have a slew of significant vulnerabilities that are entirely a matter of rampant and poorly managed population and industrial expansion in areas that are prone to mega-storm events and massive flooding.
Underlying all of this is the largely hodgepodge system for financing the inevitable recovery requirements for high vulnerability areas of the nation to the great expense of those in far less disaster prone areas. Florida has created a nearly 20 billion dollar fund for such occasions, not much heard about how Texas has prepared. At the Federal level the solution is almost entirely a matter of emergency funding on a disaster by disaster basis resulting in a huge dents in the federal budget absent credible dedicated funds.
Extreme weather events are apparently burgeoning in the face of advancing climate change. Certainly much needs to be done to better structure how America handles this huge challenge.
10
So true.
When hurricanes (or cyclones) hit low lying poor countries like Bangladesh the death toll is in the hundreds of thousands.
4
Glad to hear we're getting better at running away. Everyone says its cheaper to live in the south. This cheapness comes at a cost. Investment in underground power in dense urban areas would be a good start in improving storm recovery. That investment should be a cost for people that live in these regions.
5
I lived in the south, and loved it, but you are correct...while it is cheaper...ultimately there is a price to be paid. I'm not sure with the shallow water tables how effective underground electric would be, but things definitely need to be done to strengthen the public and utility infrastructure.
2
Plan for hurricanes all you want, but until we start to address climate change, I fear we will find every ten years or so that the hurricane plans in place weren't quite enough. Sure, Florida and Texas got lucky, but we're only saying that now because what happened to the islands in the Caribbean. This is a global issue and we need to expand our impact calculus to beyond the US.
11
Like so many others, you are confusing climate change with weather. Two massive storms, back to back, is not new, and not the result of climate change. In 1963 a storm was stalled by two competing high pressure systems. The result was just over 100 inches of rain in Cuba. So Harvey, while rare, was not new either.
We rejected the Kyoto Protocol, and our carbon emissions are dramatically lower than what Kyoto was asking...and the same will happen with the Paris debacle.
Climate Change is NOT weather. It is real, but it is not a singular weather event.
4
People cite climate change not pointing to just 2 hurricanes, but their increasing intensity over last few years. So it is not a singular event, but an observed phenomena over many years at various locations on earth. For example, melting Antarctica and Arctic ice, receding glaciers in Himalayas, frequent floods and droughts (greater intensity), warmer winters over years at various places and many other things. I have seen quite a few of such phenomena in Asia and America myself.
But...isn't government bad? I guess many Republicans will reject help because their success is only because they do it themselves?
I would assume any first responders who are Republican really think the military should handle everything? Shouldn't the Republican governors over these states refuse all monies from the federal government unless it's to militarize the police or support the military? After all, the main role of government is the military, right? I'm really, really confused. Republicans, can you help me out?
18
The government isn't bad, just GROSSLY inefficient...and with these storms that is only magnified.
Support the locals, don't grandstand, and use federal assistance where it is specifically requested. I hate to say it, but like Trump is doing. The mayor of Houston, a democrat, has now said many times, whenever he has asked for something it is delivered...immediately. That's the way it needs to work.
What is not needed is a bunch of Washington bureaucrats traveling to a disaster zone and telling people what to do. We have countless examples of that style of management...all failures of time and treasure.
4
Again with the tiresome "government is bad" nonsense. Aside from a few far right wackos. I think the objection of most reasonable people, Republican or otherwise, is to bad, bloated or incompetent government or too much government that crosses the lines of liberty and the constitution into dictating to us. I don't see why that is so very hard to understand unless one wishes to deliberately view the world through eternal political biases.
Government can and does do many necessary things and often does them quite well. Conversely, if I may, there are some, perhaps Democrats or others, who, one could argue, take the opposite extreme, that government is the central focus of every single thing in life and must tell you what to do and how to live your life. Those people seem perpetually unwilling to ever even acknowledge failings of government, where no tax is too much, no bureaucrat or regulation should ever be questioned and where no program should ever do anything but increase and continue into perpetuity.
4
Hurricane reporting is sensationalistic. We get the story as long as it is dramatic. But important details just fall out of the news when someone decides the story is not worth telling. Did you forget about Jose? Well, it has changed course and will miss the U.S. I had to go looking for that. I didn't find it in any prominent newspaper.
4
You suffer from an inability to find information. Obviously you have a computer and all you needed to do was either Google "hurricane Jose" or watch the weather channel which was running a sidebar showing what was happening with Jose.
Seriously -- you are afflicted with "whiner syndrome."
1
While I am glad that the number of fatalities was limited, this entire article misses the point by focusing on the time, money, and effort expended after the event. We do not have the political will to accept and address climate change as a fact, notwithstanding the thousands of scientists who say that it is REAL. There is no plan to move our country towards renewable sources of energy even as the price of wind and solar sources are dropping.
So, let us not get carried away by Rick Scott yelling into a bullhorn. I'll wait to see if and when he accepts climate change and introduces legislation to move Florida away from fossil fuels. After all it is his state that will drown. And I doubt he can evacuate all Floridians up north.
8
It may be Scott's state that will flood, but every US taxpayer will foot the bill to bail it out.
2
Galveston in 1900 had a death toll of 10,000 to 12,000. They also had no warning, no building codes, and no emergency response. Florida and Texas have a death toll currently at 85. They had warning, building codes, and emergency respondents. If there is ever an example of why government is need and what purpose it serves, just compare the effects of a hurricane in 1900 and 2017.
19
Besides the improvement in technology, dissemination of information etc. Not sure what played a big role of those three.
Also when you think that at least 3 times more people live in these areas now as compared to 1900, it clear that the assistance given by emergency responders and the government agencies is important.
1
Sri, what you say is true, but don't forget the government's role in the improvement in technology and the dissemination of information. The whole World Wide Web/Internet grew out of the government's ARPANET.
1
Now if Fla and Texas (and other states) can do the same thing for gun violence.
Fla. and Texas annually are at/near the top of the list for gun deaths/injuries, especially among children on both number and rate.
Both Fla. and Texas exceed their hurricane death totals ever few days with gun deaths.
7
2nd Try
Have we improved the response ?? Or are we just improving some after the dismal response to Katrina under Bush. A big part of that was because all the National Guard and their equipment were in Iraq. Pres Obama definitely improved from that. And it looks like he left Trump a functioning FEMA ready to go. The Federal response to Sandy and Irene were very good, the state level ( NJ ) questionable in some areas. I think the Trump admin. so far has been good. with Harvey & Irene. But it just started. I am looking at all this devastation in the Keys and the Caribbean, and it looks like we need more fast. There's some military presence down there but not enough. So we'll see.
It really astounds me that looking at the damage done from these storms that we ( Pres Trump ) can't give the whole N Korea rhetoric a break. Today saying sanctions are nothing compared to what will happen. We have the whole Southern Hemisphere laid waste and huge swaths of the Middle East have been bombed to rubble. Now I guess it's ok to add the Korean Peninsula, Japan and parts of China to the mix. Still more military exercises & " Assassination Drills " going on today. I wonder how expensive they are. I think they could use that money in Florida, Virgin Islands, Texas. By the way we also have giant fires burning up the West..... It is going to cost a fortune to rebuild; probably trillions & years before it's done. And what if another unexpected disaster comes ???
7
The Katrina strategy was sit and wait...don't help yourself...just wait for the government to come and take care of me.
In Florida and Texas we are seeing a different strategy. Yes, we need help, but we are also helping ourselves.
And for those that say this is racist...look again...plenty of minorities in Texas and Florida...Spanish in many places is the prominent language. Two strategies...one worked...one failed miserably.
3
Before we pat ourselves on the back about how much better we now respond to disasters, I think we should take a closer look at St. John and St. Thomas. These US territories with US citizens were absolutely destroyed by the category 5 hurricane. Attention needs to be paid to their plight and help provided.
8
There were 38 fatalities in the Caribbean.
Our real test is now--what we do to help those homeless, especially efficient handling of claims by FEMA and insurers that was disastrous after Sandy; help with improving and restoring our fragile power grid, and improving our infrastructure that eliminates rampant, uncontrolled urban sprawl into flood zone and creates green space to absorb rain and minimize flooding. We may be doing well on pre-storm preparedness, but, as we saw with Sandy, we still have a ways to go on post-storm response. That is now the major test of our federal and state political establishment.
4
Kudos to the National Weather Service for tracking this storm and getting the news out to everyone of what was coming. Being alerted many days in advance is huge in saving lives. Now we need to get better at not building in vulnerable areas and we need to not allow people to live in trailers and modular homes in places like Florida or in the "tornado alleys" of the US as those building literally explode during intense wind storms. I remember the mountains of metal in FL after the hurricanes in 2004 -- the remnants of trailers and modular homes.
4
Thanks Obama! Thank you state and local regulations!
8
But isn't this the American way---instead of dealing with the causes of our yearly duel with storms of the century, we deal with the effects of the storms.
7
Mr Fausset the Progressives of this world salute you.
You managed a major story about how much better the response was to the two hurricanes without once mentioning President Trump.
Why is it it so hard for the NYT to give him credit, even after he does a good job?
6
Maybe it's because all the work done to improve response capabilities and techniques was done long before Trump even thought about being President. He had nothing to do with it. The work was done during the Obama administration to correct the failures during the response to Katrina and Sandy. This was accomplished over the loud objections of the Republican members of Congress.
4
Trump didn't do anything. FEMA did the work and the agency is the legacy of the Obama administration which rebuilt it after the Bush debacle. Meanwhile Trump wants to defund FEMA and NOAA and his head of the EPA feels it's "insensitive" to speak about climate change as the reason that these past two storms were so intense.
5
Marty, I take it that you do not give any credit to the people put in place by President Trump to handle these disasters.
Fair and balanced reporting?
1
We have learned much from Katrina. But we have more to do.
Obviously, in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, reliance on neighbors and local communities is a necessity.
But well-intentioned but untrained neighbors are no substitute for coordinated disaster relief.
The sight of a flotilla of kayaks, paddle boards, and speed boats in Houston is both heartwarming and a little frightening. Surely we can and should do better.
And the spectacle of cruise ships dumping passengers in Miami, in harm's way should cause legislators to think about laws preventing this kind of disregard.
How we do in the long term remains to be seen. Already the news media seems to have forgotten about the devestation of Hurricane Harvey.
One thing is for certain, politicians have learned how to make political hay out of disasters. Photo ops congratulating each other for having not failed their citizens are just a tad unseemly when the displaced are struggling with their shattered world.
9
Actually, storms aren't getting more powerful. Of the 25 most powerful storms to hit the USA, only 3 have occurred in the past 15 years. About a third of the storms in this list occurred in the pre-industrial era. Irma was tied for the #7 on the list. Harvey was an anomaly, since it was held in place over Houston by 2 high pressure zones to the north. Climate change is occurring, but let's quit trying to tie it to episodes like this - those links will only be established by scientific analysis of the data in the future. As of now, any conclusions of linkage are purely skeptical.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/09/10/hurricane-expert-klotzbach-irma-a...
6
Ray- Hurricanes are most definitely affected by warm waters. Our ocean is most definitely warmer.
Here in New England, every climate change naysayer will stick his head out the door during a cold blizzard and chuckle about global warming. Trends evolve over long periods of time. and the longer the time period, the more confidence we can have with the models. You are doing the same thing.
If the body of scientists who have studied climate change point out with alarm, we don't have time to satisfy ourselves with centuries of data. Given what we do know, it is insane to keep producing energy with fossil fuels. We are overstaying ourselves at the roulette table, and have already spent our children's futures, in our insistent, stubborn determination to beat the increasingly gloomy odds.
Our society is addicted to oil. We have alternatives, and we have the smarts and ability to create new industries and new enterprises, as we always have done when technology becomes outmoded in the marketplace. When did America become this fusty old man, who shuffles along, complaining about his aches and pains, instead of a capable and eager entrepreneur who creates products that meet the demands of modern living and solve societal problems?
3
Not a lot of facts in your comment Ray. You should check some other sources. Regardless, nobody is saying that powerful hurricanes are new. The point is that warmer seas are making them more destructive.
3
"Climate change is occurring, but let's quit trying to tie it to episodes like this - those links will only be established by scientific analysis of the data in the future. "
Be careful - rational statements like that will make you an unpopular poster.
3
America, it is time to stop talking and get to work - we here in Florida need leadership and action NOW. Open the southbound roads, start sending the trucks, trains and planes and ships. Florida needs food and emergency supplies of everything. NOW! Please help.......most of our food stores are empty.........I am sure our military has hundreds of helicopters and cargo carriers. Load 'em up! They are needed. ASAP......
11
After the federal government responds, Florida should consider raising its taxes to help pay for the rebuilding. An increase in the gasoline tax or the sales tax would be good.
8
My home was right in Irma's eye. The damage is enormous. But you're right; the response from those who must do the rebuilding has been wonderful. Those who are re-building our electricity and our water supply are already hard at work.The traffic lights at our major intersections are already working again. Our podable water is already flowing. Our local streets are already cleared enough of the fallen trees that one lane of cars can make their way through; it will take a while longer to get the enormous fallen tree off my home, but that's understandable.
And the rule is that a success like this is always credited, in part, to the current president. A disaster is blamed the same way. George Bush got the blame for Katrina's disaster. Well, although you have gracefully avoided doing it, our current president gets some of the credit for the successes in dealing with the terrible twosome, Harvey and Irma.
And his name starts with a "T". Not with an "O".
Oh.
5
Sorry but Trump is benefitting from rescue and recovery infrastructure put in place as a result of the Katrina disaster.
He hasn't had enough time to screw it up. But give him a chance. He wants to slash the Coast Guard budget and FEMA's as well.
48
Trump has not done anything that deserves credit to him or his administration in response to Harvey & Irma and in fact, he is trying to undermine the advances made that have helped by slashing budgets for the agencies that do deserve credit. That's T, not O.
13
Right. He'll be a criminal, bye and bye.
But not now.
No crime.
No crime, no prosecution.
And no prosecution, no ability to block prosecution.
But we'll give him a chance.
We'll get him, bye and bye.
Won't we?
3
Much of Florida will be without power for weeks. After living through several days-long power outages over the past few years, one of which in mid-summer, life without power is very, very difficult.
Hopefully those who decided not to leave Florida will be able to cope and have sufficient drinking water and food to make it through OK until power is restored. But many residents without power who decided not to evacuate are probably now regretting their decision, since it is unclear whether they can now get out of town since they may be under water, their cars may be destroyed, and the roads may be unusable.
4
"Harvey had introduced another cutting-edge idea: relying on residents, not just government workers, to make significant contributions to hurricane response...'They’re the real emergency medical workers.'"
And volunteers will predictably be a part of future relief efforts too. FEMA can and should plan for this by using existing smartphone technology. This can have several positive effects: making the most of donated time, money, and effort; coordinating efforts and eliminating redundancy; and keeping volunteers safe.
3
Considering how ferocious Irma was, the damage in terms of human lives was minor. U.S, certainly has over the years improved in terms of precision of forecasting/predicting stormy weather. All levels of government from federal to local have done their best to save lives and hopefully to assist in rebuilding the property damage. Almost everyone I know living in Florida is safe and minimally inconvenienced with power outages. Well done Florida you have truly braved the worst storm in recent years.
3
It's interesting that much of the progress in disaster response was done under the Obama Administration, something that I'm sure will stick in Trump's throat. Given the likelihood of even stronger storms in the future, we'll see how four years of Donald Trump will "improve" our hurricane response, especially after he cuts FEMA's budget in half.
29
Have we improved the response ?? Or are we just improving some after the dismal response to Katrina under Bush. A big part of that was because all the National Guard and their equipment were in Iraq. Pres Obama definitely improved from that. And it looks like he left Trump a functioning FEMA ready to go. The Federal response to Sandy and Irene were very good, the state level ( NJ ) questionable in some areas. I think the Trump admin. so far has been good. with Harvey & Irene. But it just started. I am looking at all this devastation in the Keys and the Caribbean, and it looks like we need more fast. There's some military presence down there but not enough. So we'll see.
It really astounds me that looking at the damage done from these storms that we ( Pres Trump ) can't give the whole N Korea rhetoric a break. Today saying sanctions are nothing compared to what will happen. We have the whole Southern Hemisphere laid waste and huge swaths of the Middle East have been bombed to rubble. Now I guess it's ok to add the Korean Peninsula, Japan and parts of China to the mix. Still more military exercises & " Assassination Drills " going on today. I wonder how expensive they are. I think they could use that money in Florida, Virgin Islands, Texas. By the way we also have giant fires burning up the West..... It is going to cost a fortune to rebuild; probably trillions & years before it's done. And what if another unexpected disaster comes ???
Orange, NJ
9
Being anti-climate change is a hammer to be used on Democrats, just like cutting taxes will grow the economy hammer, another tool to bash Democrats, or the healthcare folly hammer, used to bash Democrats.
Climate change is ongoing, Trump is using his ignorance for advantage, (which he may not even realize)......
Republicans are all for staying in office, governing is not why they run for office
If you want governing, a better system to stay safe during storms like this, elect a Democrat
4
What a silly article that demonstrates a total lack of understanding of citizens and government. We in Texas do not need the federal government during disasters at all as we are self reliant and capable of caring for our own. Texas is not New Orleans , which relied on government to provide everything and of course it cannot. The entire episode proves again that the federal government should be limited to very few areas of constitutional activities and out of the rest of our lives.
4
So give the federal gov't back its disaster insurance money and billions in infrastructure rebuild money. Close those military bases and Coast guard. Send away the border patrol. Close the airports. Take away grants to universities and students. those oil subsidies aren't needed either. Leave the lower middle classes without any assistance so the streets can become even more crowded with the homeless and sick. Leave all the grandparents without benefits of Medicare and SS.
The rest of the country would be happy to give back Ted Cruz and the idiot Perry.
Go it alone Texas back to the wild west.
8
So you would have sent the cajun navy home then?
Looking at it from a farther perspective, I believe you have just a tad of hubris to believe that your state is so self sufficient. The view from Maine shows many "outsiders" coming to your aid, and the great thankfulness of Texans for it. What a great state! But not a country.
1
So, y'all gonna just rip up that multi-BILLION dollar check comin' from the Feds?
6
I'm in Tampa. Just got my power back this morning (Wednesday) and almost half the city is still without electricity. In the heat and humidity, it really wears on you, having to try to sleep through long, dark, hot nights. But my house, a 90-year-old bungalow, stood up just fine with the aid of some boarding up of windows, despite not being built to current codes. Sunday night into Monday morning was noisy but I spent half the time sitting on my large screened front porch watching the storm up close.
I had a "go-bag" with important papers and the backup drive from my computer and some other things — and the very annoyed cat in a hard fiberglass cat carrier and, at a moment's notice, could put both of those and myself into my car in the porte cochere next to the house. Never needed to.
Except for fallen tree trunks too large for residents to deal with, we had the streets cleaned up in by late Monday, all neighbors turning out to work together. Tuesday we tackled the piles of small branches, reducing those to bundles and trash cans and bags. Later today, Wednesday, I'm due to help an elderly woman in the next block, cutting up a tree on her property and reducing that to something the yard-waste trucks can carry away.
We got by. I re-read some good books. We all know that we can count upon one another when the going gets tough. Life resumes. This is not all bad news.
7
It also shows the importance of strong leadership at the state level. Gov. Abbott (Texas) and Gov. Scott (Florida) were both effective before and during the storm. Louisiana was hurt badly by the incompetence of then Gov. Blanco during Katrina. Funny how the NYTimes refuses to mention that Abbott and Scott are Republicans and Blanco a Democrat.
1
Both Governors have their hand out (they need to) after years of saying the federal government should stay away.
2
It doesn't mention political parties, period which is a nice change at the moment. Political parties will be mentioned plenty in the comments. There are effective and non-effective Republicans and Democrats, mayors, governors, presidents, and neighbors. The highly politicized atmosphere of every single thing is a drag and divisive, especially during emergencies that require people to come together. I'm not Republican, but I was happy to have Giuliani on September 11.
1
Among the many thoughtful comments, I see the inevitable ode to all things Olive.
When will the populace, both Red and Blue, but also to a lesser extent the I, as in Independent and/or Indifferent will moderate their veneration of all things military? Always reliable, Semper Fidelis, right? Gen Kelly? The best thing since the invention of the white bread
The Imperial, at best, third-worldish, at worst idolization of each and every top or not that top brass. Particularly now that the seemingly heroic color has willfully merged into the Orange. A sort of Psychedelic match from the Hippies era -if you add the other, less heroic green of the green buck, top green buck, only- Billionaires- need to apply that complete what passes not just as the Trump Administration but other critical levers of government -I am thinking of people like the billionaire or nearly billionaires governors of Florida and Michigan, two guys involved in sheer malfeasance as a businessman and public servant, respectively.
And I have not even mentioned the likes of Gen. Flynn -the General moniker has been largely omitted by the Big Media now that he is the eye of the Muller hurricane forming along the Washington-New York-Moscow trajectory. Or have thrown myself back 30 years, the times of the Hurricane Ronnie. Colonel, later failed senate-bidder, Oliver North, then, and Fox News', of course pundit. "An American hero" to Reagan; a Narco if you follow the money. Looking forward for Tom Cruise film..
2
Technology, building codes, better weather forecasting and knowledge of evacuation patterns helped save lives?
GOP votes no and hopes yes. The lawmakers are (mostly) educated, and know we need federal oversite, planning and funding at times like these. But they tell their constuents they don't have to pay for it.
My husband is an "elite." He is one of the scientists who help create models of hurricaine path, strength, and flooding dynamics. And you know what? Many good Texans used his information: they were warned of the storms approach, days in advance, they were told what could happen with wind and water. They were even told about how long the storm would stick around and the frightening amount of water coming.
But you know what? In the 2018 elections they will turn around and elect people who will try to squeeze my husband and his colleagues out of job. It's so disheartening.
13
The death toll is mercifully low, and I am thankful for that, however the damage to personal property and infrastructure is becoming more and more pronounced. ( especially as said infrastructure is neglected as is climate change itself )
Many people are still in shelters ad will be for quite some time as they have nothing to go back to. The clean up and the costs are massive, and many people are not going to get anywhere near whole, even with funds pouring in. ( if the political games in Washington cease )
I am not sure we can measure any type of success as 100, 500, or unprecedented year storms one after the other bombard the mainland.
Of course, the Caribbean islands ( some completely wiped out ) are being neglected as usual, so their suffering is only beginning and will last a very, very long time.
3
It is great that their was little loss of life and that planning paid off. I do not think this is true in the USVI, these people are citizens of the US and deserve the same as people in FL and TX. As a taxpayer who will pay for the recovery I believe Federal money should be tied to sound building and zoning codes. Some places just should not have houses and should not be rebuilt at all. I believe people should not be allowed to live in the FL Keys at all and the use of mobile homes as a permeant residence should not be allowed. On the live coverage during the storm I heard one person say " this is America, I should be allowed to live where I wand in what I want". That might be true however please do not compel this American to pay for it.
4
I live in Ft. Lauderdale and evacuated to Orlando, it took longer to get there (7 hours instead of 3 1/2) but all went smoothly. When we returned home the power was out but only for 1 1/2 days from when Irma hit. No homes in our neighborhood were damaged or destroyed, lots of tree branches down, that's it. Kudos to Florida Power and Light for working round the clock to get power back to many so quickly and everyone's efforts in helping us all be safe.
2
With the exception of the Keys, Florida dodged a bullet. I only worry that the people that did evacuate and return to find minimal damage will not respond to the hurricane as they won't see it as dangerous. It costs time and money for people to leave and for some the cost/benefit analysis will tell them to stay put next time. That not only endangers them but the first responders but makes the post disaster cleanup by FEMA even more difficult.
1
The better planning and execution of evacuation by the government did not prevent the continuing overbuilding and commercial development of the coastal region and earth quick prone California. In that, we have not learned much the risk associated with over development of commercial real estates in environmental fragile area and history is going to repeat after current chaos are forgotten.
3
So the United States is better at treating the a problem once it occurs. That's nice. But what about prevention? Building codes are still too lax. Critical infrastructure (electric grid, water, sanitation) is still prone to serious weather, and not really modern enough. Climate change is the disease, and improved treatment, while all well and good, will never replace prevention. Some will die, and many will loose. Tell the suffering in Texas, Florida, the US Virgin Islands and the Caribbean how prepared we are, as they sit in amidst the rubble, with ruined lives.
1
There's that pesky government intervention again, putting up barricades to business. Trump needs to put Scott Pruitt on FEMA so he can dismantle it piece by piece and free up business to do its thing without regulatory interference. While he is at it, he can be sure to transfer all FEMA programs to the State or municipal levels because they know best what their people need. Then transfer the program to block grants and cut cut it by 50% because local governments will know how to best allocate the remaining crumbs.
2
If FEMA has been training for this for sixteen years, shouldn't the takeaway be that no matter which party is in office, we count on our government, the unthanked much maligned government employees, to do their jobs, ignoring the politics as best they can. They - the government - are us.
13
Before politicians take their bow, they need to address the real problems - our outdated infrastructure, securing our power grids and local planning rules /greed.
Hoping for a quick recovery for those affected by these hurricanes.
3
Ironic that the same people who deny climate change rely so heavily on the forecasts of scientists about the directions and strength of oncoming storms.
6
Yes, the response is demonstrably better. Thanks, FEMA and Obama.
BUT, what are we doing about future events? Climate Change doesn't CARE if you "believe ", or not. There is NO dialogue to be had with the climate. Get out of your FOX or AM radio bubble. Read, real news and research, NOT alternative facts. As for me, we will definitely NOT be retiring to Florida. Just saying.
7
Of course the Times cannot give an ounce of credit to a swift-acting Administration - something we have been lacking for years.
2
Give the credit where it's due, NYT - to the President Trump and his administration, not to the "former FEMA employees" who, despite claiming the know-how, could not assist and manage similar disasters, simply because they did not care. Stop covering up the truth, it did not work in 2016 and it wouldn't work in 2020!
1
"The terrorist attacks in New York and Pennsylvania revolutionized the way American government coordinated disaster response." And the attack on the Pentagon the same day is not worth mentioning? What, too small a detail?
1
So now the ignoramuses in the White house and the Republican Congress want to massively cut funding for NASA's earth-facing satelites, which as the article states have been improving hurricane forecasts since the 1960s.
7
Reality check:
The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in California, which had a magnitude of 6.9, or, per the Richter scale, released over 40 times LESS energy than the Mexico earthquake, caused MORE fatalities than the Mexico quake.
When it cones to earthquakes, the Mexicans are doing something right: They have an early warning system. In California we still don`t.
3
Why is "relying on residents, not just government workers, to make significant contributions" news? My friends in Texas who were part of the "cajun navy" were all hunters and fisherman, liberals and conservatives, who self organized to meet a need but who never once stopped to ask their fellow rescuers or the rescued their political affiliation. Just like our rural midwest, when things need to get done, you check your politics at the door.
39
You mean the Trump worshipers suspended their belief that Global Warming is a liberal conspiracy, so the problem could be addressed? You must be kidding, right?
1
I'm a Trump voter, hunter, and fisherman that worked on a rescue boat. Never once did we ask for political affiliation, before taking people to safety. When my boat broke, I jumped on another, with some guys I met at a checkpoint. I couldn't tell you who the other guys working on the boat voted for, but they were African American. Ironically, it never came up. But, this is Texas and we all work together in a crunch, no matter policial views
3
The contrast of how the public responded in Texas compared to how it responded to Katrina is as evident as how much better the response from FEMA and the local governments were It was the most heartwarming thing I've seen in years. My thanks to you and your friends who helped so many.
Hopefully Texans will be open to receiving help to re-build, apparently one commenter here doesn't want that. I also hope that some better building restrictions can be put in place. I understand that it's impractical and probably impossible to build to withstand something like Harvey, but a bit more attention to where housing is sounds like a good plan to me...
At any rate, a hearty thanks to you and other volunteers who really made a difference in responding to those in need.
1
And Trump, Mulvaney and the Republicans dominated Congress want to cu FEMA budget to the bone while giving lip service to other first responders!
Even if they did not try to end FEMA, it is an intervention agency. It is so much better to act with foresight. Prevention is so much cheaper than intervention. By neglecting the marshes around New Orlean, Katrina became inevitable. By building Houston haphazardly, now it is becoming a huge ecological problem, even in the rich neighborhoods. Like Duke Energy storing coal slug along the river, just to save a few pennies, people downstream suffer
50
Good job FEMA!
Big improvements since 1979 when I went through a tornado that made 20k homeless, 1/3 of the town. Felt like a suspect trying to volunteer. Since then five hurricanes. Good planning with local governments makes a big difference.
7
I'll bet you were in Wichita Falls. So was I. I volunteered through the Red Cross during Katrina in Mississippi in 2005. I can see a lot of positive changes, too.
Kudos to FEMA for largely successful efforts after these hurricanes.
But one thing missing from this discussion is zoning laws and building approval processes in these hurricane prone areas.
After many years of scams of federally funded flood insurances near rivers and the deltas - originally meant for homesteading - the Congress finally woke up - and severely restricted the program.
Something similar should be done in these coastal areas where folks build expensive second or even third vacation homes. And then expect others to pick up the tab.
To fund future evacuations etc, the Congress should create a tax like we have with airplane tickets to maintain and build airport infrastructure. This tax can be spread nationally with higher taxes closer you are to the water and higher still if it is not your primary home.
It should be a stand alone - ring fenced program - to ensure only disaster related expenditures.
I am living in London.
Local newspapers reported that Mr Richard Branson lost his ultra luxurious vacation home on his privately owned island in the Caribbean to Irma.
He is asking the British government to create a Marshall Plan to rebuild these islands - all paid by British tax payers.
Mr. Branson is known for his brashness - but this takes it to another level.
28
Mr Branson is like Trump, only marginally more literate and significantly less immoral.
Great idea, if he exempts himself
It's good to see that we avoided mass casualties, but the veneer of civilization is thin. When a Cat 5 hits a metro area, it will be Mad Max time.
We spread like a cancer over the land, building on the coasts wildly so we can have a precious glimpse of the water. We'll do it all again until insurance companies go broke.
That water is rising. The storms will keep coming. The economy, and maybe civilization itself, is going to collapse unless we move back, reduce Carbon-Dioxide levels in our atmosphere, rebuild dune-lines and restore wetlands where they were lost.
You want to hear a definition of sprawl-addicted mind? As Einstein put it, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
26
This is a vicious comment. Humanity is not a "cancer." Cancer is a disease that attacks the life of an organism. A healthy living being, including a healthy human being, is not any form of disease. Moreover, "reducing carbon dioxide levels" would be to undermine the technology that is the basis of civilization and protection against severe storms. It is true that persons who do not want to be exposed to the risk of living in coastal areas should indeed live elsewhere. Moving away from coastal areas, and not attempting to achieve the fantasy and unknown atmospheric consequences of "reducing carbon levels," is a certain means of reducing risks related to living on the coast. Nor does advising coastal residents to do so require declaring them to be forms of cancer.
I'm glad that we're getting better at this. Seeing people helping each other and stepping up when FEMA and the Red Cross were inundated by hurricane Harvey and then having to deal with hurricane Irma and the fires out west at the same time was the type of unity our country needs right now. The response wasn't perfect but we're learning how to be better every time which is important because this will happen again.
As we rebuild can we take a moment for the Virgin islands. Another commenter indicated that they weren't that important because there's only 100,000 citizens. Please keep in mind that the American Virgin islands have been a US territory for a century. That means that they are fellow Americans who just lost 90% of what they call home. No hospital, no grocery store, no post office and most of the homes are unlivable. They need our help now just as much as those on the mainland do.
29
I have not seen the media speculate as to what General Kelly's impact has been on these two almost simultaneous storms. He ran Southern Command before becoming head of Homeland Security a post he just vacated months before these storms. Controlling the "orange bag of wind" is Kelly's present focus. Trump's infantile ego may not give credit where credit is due. Kelly's unique background should be considered in the calculus of how we plan for future storms on our southern border.
7
As the economy keeps growing the world will be better prepared, right? And as humans will keep procreating, there will be more folks crowding the planet. They will consume, and the global economy will keep growing and so will the profits, bigly. Weather won't like it and will send ever bigger hurricanes and typhoons. Humans will have to be even better 'prepared'. Until something's got to give, the tipping point... when we won't be prepared no more. So why not A call to action?; Procreate less, consume less, don't mess with nature, if we care about the future generations; for the nature does not!
10
"Weather won't like it"? Weather is not a conscious being. Weather will do what it's going to do automatically, and whether we build shelters against the storm or not. But if we are sheltered when the storm hits, we're better off than if we are unsheltered when the storm hits. So, yes, despite this poster's animus for humanity, we're better off preparing for storms than not being prepared for storms.
Many people may not be aware, Countries still follow ancient procedures, Homing Pigeons, Russia has gone back to Manual Typewriter, and paper letters after Snowden revelations. Any Natural disaster that affects electricity. Ancient Native American procedures like Smoke Signals and Drums would be useful.
6
True, experience from previous natural and human-caused disasters taught us caution and a more coordinated response, saving lives for sure; but aside from better housing construction, ought we not return to Nature the most conflicted areas, allow marshes be the sponges to absorb the destructive impact of hurricanes and floods, and stay away from coastal outposts known to suffer with each thrust?
9
The New York Tines sent an army of reporters to cover the two hurricanes. Not only were these hurricanes big, but they were climate change enhanced. We got lots of stories about two overrated disasters. There are more deaths from the heat in Phoenix each year than from Irma and Harvey. As natural disasters, they were something of a bust. Now we are told it's because of precautions. But just maybe fears were exaggerated by all the hype.
2
I can see you've never experienced breakfast in the eye of a hurricane.
Just what was climate change enhanced about Harvey or Irma as the data clearly shows that Harvey was a rain event caused by a storm caught between 2 high pressure areas and Irma ended up to be a non event for most. If you want to look at monstrous CAT 5 storms, look at the data from the 1800s. Galveston was hit with a storm in 1900 that killed 8,000 people. There is ZERo data showing any relationship between climate change and hurricanes...ZERO!!!
@Michjas: I do not believe one can look at the devastation in the Caribbean Islands, including our own US Virgin Islands, and think this storm was overhyped. I believe people in the Keys did not think this storm was overhyped. I doubt if people in Jacksonville are thinking it was overhyped. But, you, sitting in Phoenix think it was overhyped.
4
Yeah right! Pure luck for most part!
1
There was a lot of lcuk - no doubt. But here in Fl., I can attest that this was a ferocious storm and that preparedness and response saved a lot of lives - despite Republican governance.
2
Florida was lucky and FEMA has done a good job thus far, but the future of protection from natural disasters is anything but certain because climate change remains mostly a political issue. The governors of Texas and Florida and the president of the United States say climate science is a hoax. I think it's time for the red states from Texas to North Carolina to hedge their bets and proclaim -- even if they don't believe it --there is a possibility science has it right. If not, the blue states might have to wholeheartedly support this administration's proposed FEMA budget cuts shifting more costs to the states.
7
In the near future, you don't need to worry about power outage:
If we can charge iPhones remotely, one can see that in the near future we don't need power distribution poles, wires and equipment to supply our home's electricity. Each home and buildings can have an exterior receiving device or battery pack as we called it now. A supply truck will just drive by and, voila, you are fully charged for the month.
7
Edfrom Lafayette: " ... in the near future we don't need power distribution poles, wires and equipment to supply our home's electricity. ... "
One discussion I'd like to see here in Florida is about finally burying our electric grid. It's not an easy task; our water table in these storms is about one inch beow grass. But it's just stupid to keep on stringing up wires and then having trees fall across them.
Well, America, we have not yet "weathered the storm"......we are running out of food. The store shelves are empty. Do you suppose the Commander-in-Chief has a solution, and can keep us from starving in a land of plenty? And quickly........
10
Not only is food now a problem, and electricity, of course, but illnesses will bloom in poisoned water as is now happening in Texas. Getting through the storm is one thing. Surviving the aftermath is a different part of the story and I am glad you reminded us. Good luck to you all down there.
6
Publix stores in Florida seem to be returning to normal hours. If people didn't buy enough food before the storm to last several days, that's on them. I mean, come on, I could live on Little Debby snacks for a few days if I had to.
1
Now, what is needed is for all the governments in the world, including the US, to get together and work to fight climate change.
Unfortunately, we are so late in the game that even with great changes now, there is no way to avoid more and much worse disasters in the next 20-30 years. But there is still hope for our grandchildren...
2
Heartening to read about what's going right, what government has done right, and progress made. Thanks for this article.
It's certain that this year's events will promote more progress, notably in building. Relatively minor, and low-tech, building solutions which make sure roofs are tight and well anchored, as well as the walls of a house, can do miracles in case of high winds. Allowing for flooding, as the hospitals described do, is also a good solution. Either stilts or a ground floor that is designed to withstand a flood, needing only cosmetic cleaning and rebuilding afterwards, are also solutions. And of course zoning to avoid building in the most dangerous areas.
5
Though it's difficult to measure the true proportions of the tragedy caused by the Harvey and Irma storms, yet compared to the similar cases in other parts of the world the US, with past experience and proper use of technology, seems to have done a better job by way of containing the damage and destruction caused by the recent hurricane storms.
4
Craig Fugate, President Obama's head of FEMA, deserves so much credit for rebuilding a demoralized department after Katrina. Once again, thank you President Obama.
211
FEMA is a warehouse for supplies. The responders are always the local authorities who you should be thanking. Did you ever see a FEMA employee driving a boat or flying a rescue helicopter?
2
Trump has hired people who want to destroy their departments - Pruitt at EPA, DeVos at Education, on down the line. But even Trump knew he better have somebody in charge of FEMA who is not about destruction but serving during a storm and helping those in dire need. Craig Fugate is the one exception to a terrible cabinet.
2
Your delirium over Obama is stronger than Irma. Trump obviously deserves the credit.
I am guessing Adam of Tallahassee was never a big supporter of Scott.
That aside. Rebuild? Absolutely but where?
The next time geology engineers suggest not building a suburb in a flood or low lying plains section.
Insurance adjusters will open their ears.
11
A reverse if you will?
Children looking in the eyes of the parents.
What were you doing putting us in that situation in the first place?
8
"Mr. Canidate, 53, said the biggest lesson from the storm was how dependent Floridians are on a vulnerable power system. 'Everyone should invest in generators,' he said, wagging a finger. “Don’t take it for granted.”" from a another NYT story on Irma.
This is the time for Florida to invest in renewable energy, including rooftop solar, which the utility companies in Florida have been actively fighting. Note that the wind turbines in Houston survived Harvey just fine without having to be shut down as the oil refineries were, releasing heavy pollution.
76
There are no wind turbines in Houston!!!! The oil refineries did not release "heavy pollution" . Who is fabricating these stories?
1
Yes. The irony - the GOP colluding with lobbyists to actively discourage solar power in the Sunshine State.
3
Good point, I'd invest in solar, at least as a backup system. FPL's fight against solar after this disaster will be indefensible.
1
The many people who die in earthquakes worldwide would have been thrilled for a week's notice.
17
You know what saved Floridians from total catastrophe ? CUBA ! The north coast of Cuba. After that monster Irma whacked that coast she was reduced by 50%. Her eye was half gone and she went from a full circle to a half circle with tails as long as the state. Is anyone acknowledging this ? Surely I'm not the only one who noticed.
Still exhausted and home saved by an awesomely brave neighbor.
81
Please tell us how your home was saved!
1
Well Florida did better because the weather patterns brushed it up against Cuba, which was always one of the storm tracks, and that did weaken the storm, but its hard to see how you thank Cuba for that because it was there? If you going to play nonsense like than than why not blame Cuba for not moving over a little more and weakening the hurricane even more.
Does northern Florida owe Marco Island and Naples a thank you because they happened to be there and that weakened the storm as it moved north? Come on?
Does northern Florida owe Marco Island and Naples a thank you because they happened to be there and that weakened the storm as it moved north? Come on?
There is another potential reason that most of Florida did not take a really heavy beating. It is my view that when the careful analysis of wind speeds is done, it will be revealed that most of the state did not get sustained hurricane force winds or, if it did, they will likely be reported as category 1. The NHC was still reporting Irma at cat. 2 status well passed Tampa as it moved to the north. I think it is likely this was incorrect.
Between 10 and 11 pm as Irma moved up the state, I checked wind gages around the state and only one, Orlando, was reporting sustained winds above 70 MPH. Hurricanes are rated based on sustained winds, not gusts. The rating is somewhat tricky, however, because the sustained winds only have to be measured in any one section of the storm and only for 60 seconds. It appeared to me the storm faded down more quickly than reported. I watched the storm closely to post updates at http://irmanews1.com
As for improvement overall, we should be careful not to congratulate ourselves. St. Thomas in the USVI is devastated and St. John, just across the water, is reported to be in worse shape, yet it has taken days for information to come out. Likewise, the Florida Keys. We still need faster ways to learn the impact of storms to respond quickly and completely. Small satellite dishes that can access the internet at high speeds are available at relatively low cost so information can get out. The same with satellite phones as back-ups to cell and landlines
12
Glad to see a mention of the hit taken by the Virgin Islands. It took far too long to hear of their needs. In-depth info here was very helpful; the wind sounded unlike anything I have heard during my three decades in Florida. Whatever category, Irma was fierce.
1
Both Texans and Floridian pay zero federal income tax and want the government out of their lives.
Now they expect the coastal states of NY, CA and others, where we have been paying high income tax to help out for their problems and neglect. These GOP governors, Senators and Congressmen better reconsider their tax plans!
To the premature congratulations by the NYT: we have no idea of the short and long term health damage of the cancer-causing sludge, fecal material and sewage in the water in Texas, after the Beaumont explosions.
Good job, by the Governors of Texas and Florida?
13
That is not an accurate statement regarding income tax. Texas and Florida have NO STATE income tax. Residents of Texas and Florida DO pay federal income tax, along with everybody else. Nobody gets out of paying federal income tax. We all pay for FEMA. We all help fund disaster recovery, whether it's for hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides or terrorists destroying World Trade Centers. We are supposed to be the UNITED States, and we take care of each other. Hopefully without all the constant griping, jealousy and resentment that have been so depressingly on display in the NYT comments generated by this summers events.
We spent last week in Oregon and Idaho traveling for business. We had ashes from fires literally raining on us in Portland. We got diverted to the Lewis and Clark Trail in Washington state for our drive to Boise because I-84 was closed due to the fires in Oregon. The smoke from Oregon was so bad we couldn't see the other side of the Columbia River Gorge. Sometimes we couldn't see the river even though we were driving right next to it. There was so much smoke in the air in Boise, blowing in from Oregon, that we couldn't see the foothills the city backs up on.
All the while we were dodging fire, smoke and ash in the Pacific Northwest we were worrying about relatives living in Naples and Miami potentially drowning and/or losing everything in a hurricane. There is no place in the US safe from some sort of disaster. That's why we help each other.
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I submit a federal return each year and pay what I'm supposed to. There is no state income tax here, but there are property, sales and tourist tax as well as things like tolls to help semi take care of local things. I say "semi" because public education here is underfunded and I wish they would raise my property tax 20 bucks a year so I don't have to keep buying frozen cookie dough from my coworkers to raise money for their kids schools. I'm not opposed to the federal, state or local government and I believe in the the ideal is that all these structures should represent the people. Your picture of of Floridians is based on stereotypes, not actuality.
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Florida has no STATE income tax. We pay FEDERAL income taxes, and plenty taxes in state.
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I was surprised that the major highways in Florida--The Overseas Highway and Interstate 95--were not converted to have northbound traffic in all lanes for the evacuation. That would have gotten more people out of the mandatory evacuation areas much more quickly and saved a lot of gasoline. I know it can be done because that is just what was done--in the opposite direction--during the Cuban Missile Crisis. With all the planning that went on, this seems to have been an option which was not explored.
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How about converting them to One Way South so that we here can receive food and all the other necessities of life which are so abundant elsewhere in the U.S.? The store shelves are empty! We need help, America.........
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My understanding is that the southbound lanes were kept open as long as possible for fuel delivery and staging for recovery after the hurricane.
Governor Scott specifically said he couldn't do that because he needed the southbound lanes for all the fuel trucks delivering gas so more people could get out. Logistically I'm not sure they could have kept the gas stations open for as long as they did if the southbound lanes were closed. By the way I'm not a Governor Scott fan but his frequent imploring of residents to evacuate was certainly a factor in how many did.
Republicans need to acknowledge that Climate Change is real instead of denial. Swift responses to disasters is great, but what is really needed is to address the causes There needs to be a massive New Deal type focused on drastically reducing our contribution to Climate Change.
Sunny Florida and Texas, should have all sunny rooftops blanketed with solar panels, at the very least. There are numerous other ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This would also help in creating jobs in installation, research etc., This would also reduce having our military protect foreign oil sources, saving expenses and lives.
Also States have to stop encouraging fast growth that paves over natural barriers to rising waters such as swamps. Also in many areas infrastructure has been ignored so as to give tax breaks to the rich. Before these hurricanes Trump proposed cutting FEMA.
Unfortunately Republicans and to be fair pro-fracking Democrats are in denial of the urgency required to face Climate Change head on.
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I read an article about flooding in Houston at least two years ago. The upshot was that too much land had been paved for water esp. torrential water to have any place to go. we will create jobs and charge taxpayers.. federal not state because well it's Texas and special - like the teenager independent until something happens and then cries to the rest of Congress. But so lo
ng as new housing starts which are often on virgin land are part of what is considered leading economic indicators is there a way out of paving - destroying habitats for non human creatures and creating places that flood well and readily? That said we build incorrectly -- e.g. the Hemingway place on Key West stood well; I suspect the trailer park homes not so well. I am not an architect "flood area - family room) one could if not stilt-- make a two story dwelling with garage and basement on the first level thus elevating living quarters up at least 8 feet. One cannot use plastermboard until one I about 10 feet above lot level? Thinking is so impt... an I am not sure it can be taught. OH WELL. Live and learn would be nice.. but somehow not learning seems to be more our style.
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Should read "as long s new housing starts are used /cited as an impt. indicator of a strong economy..."
OTOH huge hurricanes are rare events -- thank heavens. NYC is still repairing damage from Sandy, BTW.
I am looking forward to seeing how NOLA has changed as a result of Katrina.
There are scientists and engineers around the country developing out-of-the-box ideas for how to respond to climate change as we go forward.
Please, NYTimes reporters, seek out these innovative thinkers in their universities, start-ups, and fledgling businesses.
These are the stories for the future.
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The emergency response may have been improved. The recovery response has not.
After all the disasters we have all experienced, we have learned nothing about how to make recovery as smooth and pain free and economically easy as possible.
All the months and reams of paperwork and insistence on the details of every piece of furniture and receipts for things owned for years that no one keeps receipts for and adjusters that take months to get to the house or place of business and then vary so widely in their experience and accuracy and who are paid by how many they adjust in a day - the average of small businesses who stay in business after a disaster is 40% - who knows how many people stay in their homes - or remain as homeowners.
And all that is done upfront, before any business can open or contractor start to build - a--backwards.
Small business can't wait for adjusters and FEMA and red tape. They are under capitalized and need to get back running, and hire back employees ASAP.
Recovery is best that is fast and streamlined, with the goal to get businesses up and running, employees back to work, and property tax payers back in their homes.
Get the property owners and knowledgeable person together, figure out a rough cost to get the place back on its feet, cut a check, get people to work rebuilding, and in the end, there's time to find out - with checks and receipts, if there was fraud - it's not like there isn't any now .
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The last paragraph of this article is key and it is my great hope that federal and local officials will take heed: LET'S TRAIN PEOPLE TO HELP THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. Instead of the common practice of trying to over professionalize everything and pretend that only the highly trained can do any good, lets learn to rely more on people on the scene to respond.
I was in Houston and Beaumont, Texas, after Harvey. Because Houston was not evacuated, there were thousands of people there to help their neighbors. Had the city been partially vacant, they would not be available.
When I went out with a rescue crew to one of the many flooded neighborhoods, a woman who lived nearby came up to one of the rescue boats and told them she had gotten a message on her Facebook feed that someone down the flooded street was still trapped. This was direct, personal communication where it counted most, right at the scene.
In contrast to Houston, New Orleans forcefully stopped volunteers from taking their boats in. They kept telling the hundreds who gathered along the roadways, "We're not quite ready for that yet," while people died. I was there as a reporter and I was unable to get into the city. Yet, CNN and other news organizations were cruising the flooded streets and they DID NOT offer assistance to the stranded, an act that borders on the criminal.
We need a trained civilian response effort. These storms are too big for any government, any agency. The quickest response can be the best
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When we get sick, we get a fever and this stimulates our immune system to fight the infection. However, if the fever gets too high it can kill us and all that lives within us. Consider that the planet is alive. It is infected by a rapidly growing population of humans and is reacting. Burning thousands of years of fossil fuel is causing the planet to warm, which in turn results in climate change, habitat disruption and intense storm activity. If we do not act to bring down that fever, we will face a genocide that is not man-made. Climate change will eventually disrupt our food and water supply. As populations expand, we are contaminating where we live, what we eat and what we drink. Soon human habitats will no longer be livable; and, as funding for disaster relief dries up, we will no longer be able to assist the victims of extreme weather events or environmental disruptions - then what? What is needed is an all out effort to mitigate impacts. Most of all we need to seriously look at agricultural practices, availability and protection of potable water, and strict environmental control measures. One thing for sure, we can expect environmental refugees, people from places that are no longer habitable. We must be ready to help these people as it could be us next. Most of the world understands what we face, but it will take leadership and sacrifice to meet the challenge. The question is, will we continue to call this fake news or a hoax, or will we act?
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half the world's fossil fuels are burned by China & the US.
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And yet NO DISCUSSION OF BIRTH CONTROL. Personally, I don't think war is a great way to control population. In the end highly ineffective!!! OTOH I would like to see something in the air or water supplies that would simply prevent conception or make it difficult.
In the 60s when the population of the world was at least half of what it is now we discussed this issue. NOW rarely--I did ask Stiglitz why... and in Islamic countries and Africa there seems to be no discussion of the problem (Instead people (males) seem to prefer to kill each others! and subjugate women... and many women for numerous reasons willingly submit and go along with the agenda... (Mother nature can be very cruel to all concerned.)
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Climate Change is not weather. So, if you are saying it is, then yes, this is fake news.
Before the victory party goes full swing, can someone at the New York Times please emphasize that hundreds of thousands of US citizens in the United States Virgin Islands are living in a nightmare right now? It is patently absurd to talk about how the hurricane didn't really hit that hard, was so well-anticipated, etc. Have a gander at St. John and St. Thomas, people. Those are United States' territories. The coverage of the disasters there is abysmal!
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The total population of the U.S. Virgin Islands is just barely over 100,000.
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Steve B ****** what does that mean? They are destroyed. The residents have to be taken off the Islands and all the debris cleared. And there's no where to put it. They have to make decisions on whether to even rebuild. That's not counting the Keys that have major destruction. There's other islands that aren't our territories ( St Martin ) that are basically gone. They are all surrounded by water which makes the job much much harder. I think we need more military presence and help.
Orange, NJ
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I know one person who "lives" there, he got lucky and made an obscene amount of money in a start up. I remember hearing the front door to his house, made of mahogany, cost $20,000. I don't want my tax money used to rebuild his palace, or even his front door.
I'm okay helping the poor there but not the rich.
Yes, there has been an improvement in our skill set for dealing with disasters - but only after the fact. We are still totally stupid about issues of land use, and poor land use policies invite disaster.
Unless you are a lighthouse keeper or a fisherman, you should not be a permanent resident of a sand spit sticking out into the ocean. These beautiful areas should be preserved as State or Federal recreational zones with minimal development. They need to be made available to "organic residents", campers, and nothing else.
I can see plenty of McMansions where I live, i don't need to visit a "McMansions by the Sea" neighborhood, none of which show an iota of local character. Nor, do I need to see the trailer parks, that the people who serve the wealthy get packed into - they are ubiquitous, without variation, and particularly unsafe.
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Does not the Obama administration deserve some credit for ameliorating FEMA from the "Way to go, Brownie" days?
It seems to me that the response to the hurricanes was more a function of the Obama administration than Trump.
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Why does everything need to reduced to politics. It seems to me the response to Irma in Florida is more a function of the path it took. A direct hit on Miami or Tampa would have produced much different results.
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Well, was the FEMA response good after Sandy?
Great,
Now what makes obvious sense is to combine what we've learned about planning and response with a truly serious approach to climate change.
To do the first without the second will put countless more people in harms way, scrambling to save them from storms made more powerful by our own inaction.
Don't let politics keep you from being a first responder in every sense of the word.
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I agree completely. It is far more productive to be pro-active and work to limit the impact of future storms by combating the effects of global warming. I suspect this approach would not only be effective, but it would save more money in the long term. Too bad the current power in Washington refuse to believe the truth.
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We will have made real progress when we start using our vast technology to figure out where we should not build, and then figure out how, through regulations and financial disincentives, to prevent building in those areas that are especially prone to flooding, fires, landslides, earthquakes, etc. Or, if building is allowed, it should be done in such a way that the building is protected from the above calamities, if that is possible.
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Houston knew... and did not implement zoning...
GREED...
You will not live forever no matter how much $$ you have. DUH. and happiness does require some $$ but quite possibly far less than one might supposed.
Issues such as POPULATION CONTROL (via birth control, not war please) and distribution of wealth and work (in a wold where much can be automated) all need to be addressed.
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No one has yet mentioned that Trump quietly reversed building code regulations that Obama put in place. It happened this summer and nobody reported on it. So now recovery money is not tied to needing to rebuild to that stricter code.
Why has no one in the press covered this little wonderful tidbit? Trump World reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld's Bizarro World where everything is the opposite. Trump is the opposite of good. Everything he does is about destruction and going backwards. I've never seen anything like it. Oh, well. I'm sure the realtors will be happy as they can do it all again, the same thing, instead of doing what we all now is now required. Our country will go bankrupt from these storms as they become 'the new normal'. Thanks, Trump!
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Glad to hear there was better leadership during these two storms than we had during Sandy. After Sandy, I was an ardent believer in shutting down FEMA.
From top to bottom we on Long Island had no support from any government. No fuel, no power, no emergency response nothing. Tried calling FEMA when an elderly person's house was cut in half... they never answered the phone. Or returned any phone calls.
Let's hope that this is a harbinger of things to come. Regardless of who is in office.
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Oh please, just because Rick Scott donned a Navy cap and yelled "if you're told to leave, go now" hardly characterizes his evacuation plan for Floridians as "made with an evolving and increasingly sophisticated understanding of the challenges." He only took advantage of an all-too-willing media to advance himself as a candidate for Senate.
The more important question to ask is what did he provide us with prior to Irmageddon? He is adamantly anti-science, so he supported no local or regional defense against the hurricane. He notoriously rejected President Obama's offer of high-speed rail in 2011, a decision that has made life miserable for commuters between Tampa and Orlando and one that might very well have cost lives in the past week as people fled the coastline. He has done nothing to support infrastructure development, which explains why highways across the southern and central part of the state remain unfinished (a great help for all those evacuating in advance of the hurricane). He maintains a workforce in state government that is smaller per capita than any other state in the nation (despite our comparative wealth), meaning nobody is getting help now. In short, Scott has done absolutely nothing to make Florida safer, and he has made numerous ill-conceived policy decisions that have made life more precarious, more dangerous, and generally more miserable for us in the face of Irma.
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To my fellow citizens in Florida,please vote. Thank you.
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You re totally correct about the miserable system of highways in Florida.. and to expect trailer parks to do well with hurricane force winds....
And it's a no income tax state...
GREED
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@L'historian: My daughter registered to vote in Florida in Palm Beach County last November as did several of her friends. On voting day they were all told they were not on the registration rolls. I wonder how many times that happened in Florida in November 2016? I bet the Russians know.
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The photograph shows telephone poles and wires still stretched tight. Tell us please, reporters, is this the standard FloridIan utility infrastructure that explains the millions without electricity?
And will that be the form that post-Irma infrastructure takes?
I have been noting that people who have lived in countries where all wires are invisible underground have been asking that as yet unanswered question.
A reader in such a country.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US and SE
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The water, sewer, power, and phone trunk lines all run underground under route 1 to the Keys - and were severed when the road and ground were carved by the hurricane around Marathon Key. In addition, burial in the ground where the water table may be a only few inches down requires special techniques to avoid it all floating up.
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Larry,
The water table in Florida is just under the surface. While other utilities are buried, it's much cheaper and easier to install and repair power lines on poles
In Houston where lines are buried, they will have a much more difficult time
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Larry,
Those electrical wires in the photo seem alright to me. They seem to have withstood the storm. In all metropolitan areas in the U.S. the electrical cables are buried underground, and I note overhead wires on countryside. I do not know the cost effectiveness of burying electrical cables in the entire country underground, and the enormity of such an undertaking must be big. I just looked up. The continental U.S. (3119884 sq.miles) is 17.9 times the size of Sweden ( 173860 sq.miles). So it will be that hard to keep up with Sweden.
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I have to say, I was taken aback by aerial images of the keys. It seemed virtually every island had been seemingly clawed by some giant paw to create canals and thus building sites with water frontage. This would seem to bring elevated sea levels within feet of far more homesteads. Doesn't seem wise given the storm exposure of the keys.
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