Posted on 03/11/2006 7:37:03 AM PST by Luis Gonzalez
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED. Not the federal agencies tasked with preparing for catastrophes. Not the local officials responsible for aging levees and vulnerable populations. Least of all the residents themselves, who had been warned for decades that they lived on vulnerable terrain. But when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, it seemed as though the whole country was caught unawares. Accusations began to fly even before floodwaters receded. But facts take longer to surface. In the months since the storm, many of the first impressions conveyed by the media have turned out to be mistaken. And many of the most important lessons of Katrina have yet to be absorbed. But one thing is certain: More hurricanes will come. To cope with them we need to understand what really happened during modern America's worst natural disaster. POPULAR MECHANICS editors and reporters spent more than four months interviewing officials, scientists, first responders and victims. Here is our report.--THE EDITORS
Two of them (mine included) got the title wrong, which is wehy I didn't find it when I looked before posting.
First time:
Now What? The Lessons of Katrina .
Second time:
Pop. Mechanics: Now What? The Lessons of Katrina ("largest, fastest rescue effort in US history")
I got the title wrong, and posted this a third time when my search did not turn up an article titles "What Now?" that related to Katrina.
Dozens of National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters flew rescue operations that first day--some just 2 hours after Katrina hit the coast. Hoistless Army helicopters improvised rescues, carefully hovering on rooftops to pick up survivors. On the ground, "guardsmen had to chop their way through, moving trees and recreating roadways," says Jack Harrison of the National Guard. By the end of the week, 50,000 National Guard troops in the Gulf Coast region had saved 17,000 people; 4000 Coast Guard personnel saved more than 33,000....
Coast Guard ping, Mr. Tonkin!
Well, it's a great article. I enjoyed it. :-)
I don't know what percentage it is in Texas but I'm going to go out on a limb here and state I don't believe the majority of the rebuilding which gets done there is due to hurricane activity. From my experience in living in Houston, it's heavy rains which cause flooding in the same areas' time after time. I'm not even talking about catastrophic flooding either, I'm addressing heavy thunderstorms which in the past might have caused minor street flooding but now floods entire neighbourhoods. I don't have any statistics or facts to back up my observation so take it what it may be worth.
In '91 I moved back to Houston after being away for 10+ years. I went to work for a company on the NW side of Houston. During the 3 years I was there one of my co-workers had her home flood twice. The 2nd time she'd had new living room furniture for a week.
Some of the problem with flooding in Houston is the newer subdivisions creating flood area's out of locations which weren't initially in a flood zone.
I'm trying to remember which storm it was in Houston that flooded the Medical Center. I think it may have been Alicia (am guessing though since I didn't live there when the storm hit). I do know that after that particular storm hit and flooded so much of the area, steps were taken to make sure it didn't happen again.
Yep! I knew I had read it somewhere! :-)
Ping
Guess it's time to subscribe to Popular Mechanics.
Facts are an amazing thing....
Thanks for the post. I missed the earlier ones. Looks like a good enough article that we can afford to have it around for a few days.
It was TS Allison that caused the massive flooding around the Medical Ctr. You would be astounded at how much flood prevention has occurred since that time. Just about every new subdivsion now has lakes surrounding it. They are really just nice-looking flood control measures, but it was a really creative way to deal with flooding issues.
There are bayous and drainage areas all over town now.
Oh well...at least they both started with an 'a'. ;^)
I knew measures had been taken to prevent that type of flooding. I think it was in the last 18 months or so that the flood maps for Houston were updated because of all of the work which had been done.
My sister told me about all of the commercials encouraging people to purchase flood insurance before the new maps were published since flood insurance would be much more expensive if their property had been reassigned into a flood zone. She went ahead and purchased flood insurance beforehand even though her house has never flooded. Even after the new maps were published, her home wasn't located in a flood zone.
The neighbourhood I grew up in rarely had street flooding but the streets did flood when Carla came through.
Dozens of National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters flew rescue operations that first day--
some just 2 hours after Katrina hit the coast.
Hoistless Army helicopters improvised rescues, carefully hovering on rooftops to pick up survivors. On the ground, "guardsmen had to chop their way through, moving trees and recreating roadways," says Jack Harrison of the National Guard.
By the end of the week, 50,000 National Guard troops in the Gulf Coast region had saved 17,000 people;
4000 Coast Guard personnel saved more than 33,000....
Thanks for the ping, hero!
BTTT
Amazing work. SALUTE to them all.
And where, pray tell, is the MSM's much-vaunted "fact-checking" and "verification" ????
I see only "rush-to-print and "first-to-publish" and a race to be "first to get my name and network on TV" ........
Combined with a "they said it first so I'll repeat it on my TV appearance."
Mr. Cook...nice to see you.
Were you a part of that?
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