Houston Will Demand Herculean/Military Effort To Return To Normal. Worse Than Katrina?

[TheMastersNemesis]

When you add it all up a larger area will be effected by Harvey than was effected by Katrina. This storm is at least as bad and could eat up worse. The public is only seeing a small part of ALL the damage that has happened and will happen.

The only worse thing would be an A-bomb.

[defacto7]

1. But it could have been worse. A stalled cat 5.

That's still a possible future scenario that could be worse than an a-bomb.

[Not Ruth]

2. Should Houston be returned to normal or relocated inland?

[Pope George Ringo II]

3. It's the largest port on the Gulf Coast.

Geography always wins those arguments in the end.

[Not Ruth]

4. That does not mean that Houston cannot be relocated, just that the port cannot

[Pope George Ringo II]

8. Yes it does

The refineries are near the port because that's where the tankers are. The oil companies are spread out but there's a limit to how far from the port they'll go. Between the refineries, the energy sector generally, and the port you have a huge percentage of the industrial base that drives the city. The largest medical center in the world has to follow the population, as do service and support industries.
Ultimately, cities weren't built somewhere in the first place because somebody decided it was pretty. Geography always wins these arguments.

[Not Ruth]

11. Build it and they will come

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029522551#post7

[Pope George Ringo II]

16. Somebody already built it and called it Huntsville

Somebody else built it and called it Navasota. And then there's Cleveland, Columbus, and so forth ad infinitum. The important point is that whatever it was called when it was built, nobody came. Everybody went to Houston instead. The bottom line is that if there were a better place to build a city nearby, we'd already know because it would already support a bigger economy and a bigger population than Houston. There's nothing fresh or hypothetical under discussion here: Houston is the best place in the region for a city because it's already proved it by having the economy to support the population. Until something significant changes, and a tropical storm isn't on that list, it's going to remain the best place on the Gulf Coast to build a city.

[SweetieD]

5. Yeah it is not just Houston, there are a lot of communities around Houston that are being affected.

This is a really bad disaster.

[Pachamama]

6. It's bad and will get worse....

...but please don't make a comparison to it being as bad as an Atom bomb.

What is happening in Houston is terrible. It is likely to get worse and there will be loss of life, 100's maybe - 1000's worse case scenario. The damage to infrastructure and cost to rebuild will be huge. Maybe even cholera and disease if there is no assistance. And the reality is there will be economic impact and likely with global climate change, more storms in future like this.

But an Atom bomb would kill hundreds of thousands to millions. It would leave radioactivity and infrastructure decimation that couldn't be rebuilt for 1000 years or more. Unimaginable radioactive exposure causing cancers for generations. Nuclear winter would be unleashed and storms like this of greater magnitude and frequency unleashed and climate changes that would effect our crops and beyond.

This situation in Houston is horrible....but please don't compare it or minimize what an Atom bomb will do.

[roamer65]

7. This is just a taste of what the world will be like 50 years from now.

It's not mean to be mean, it's just reality...more CO2 means more moisture in storms.

[VOX]

12. Have thought the same many times.

And I understand that you're not an uncaring person, and neither am I. But yes, this scenario will be repeated in future catastrophic weather events, just as 99% of (real) scientists have warned for years now.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Everytime I hear a heart warming "Look who's helping" story, I also think

"We ain't gonna do fuck all about it, long term."

That's the sad reality. The flooding and storms are one thing. People will migrate. There will be wars, and destruction, and terror - a reversion to the most violent days of human history.

Will my children's children be able to breath the air? There's some good analyses that say probably not.

Two generations.

We ain't gonna do fuck all but make little feature stories about NYC firefighters bringing their floatie boats to Texas and look at these awesome reporters saving truck drivers! Yes, yes, all very nice.

Tick tock.

[Sancho]

9. All rebuilding should be with solar panels, replaced cars should be electric,

and gas stations replanted with large trees.

just as an example city.

[VOX]

13. The ultimate irony for a Texas oil town.

And yes, such a transition away from non-renewable energy sources would have an even greater effect for that very reason.

[pansypoo53219]

10. permeable roads.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Military effort?

Why military?

[Not Ruth]

17. Exactly