disasters

This is going to be a little more "off the cuff" than my usual writings.

I am going to stick to
discussion of the Gulf coast
because I don't live too far
from Houston.

In the foreseeable future (and yes, those of you who know me know that I have said similar things before) disasters will become the norm. If you are not currently recovering from a disaster, then you should be thinking about (and preparing for) the next one. This may sound a little calloused, but most of the people in New Orleans in 2005 and those in Houston and Galveston this month were deluded into thinking it never could happen to them.

I have asked many Texans why anyone would live in the Houston or Galveston area, and have always been told "money. That is where the highest paying jobs are. " Well show me the money now. These same people are now asking for handouts from us people living in the poor upstate regions. They have also been asking for donations of clothing. At first, they said they would only take new, or new looking clothing. As they got a little desperate (a little desperation is good for the soul), they got a little less picky.

Lessons:
First, if you have a good high paying
job, you need to be putting aside
some money in a savings account.
Second, if you have to bug out for
a completely predictable disaster,
like a hurricane, you should take
at least 3 sets of clothes
and an ATM card.

Next is on a government level.
How much should it bother us that thousands of FEMA trailers were built, but never used after Katrina? How much should it bother us that many of them sit neglected in places like Arkansas?
These things were in the papers on a regular basis before IKE came ashore on the 12th. How much more should it bother us that there is no discussion of using them for long term (one to six weeks) housing of IKE evacuees?

In numbers of fatalities, we got off easy on this disaster. In dollar damages, it is pretty steep. It will take a few months before things are back up and running again in Houston and Galveston. In the mean time, the poor upland people will take care of the comparably wealthy Houstonites until they get back home to their high paying jobs.
(I told you it would sound a little calloused.)