To think that Houston will be sorted alot quicker than New Orleans was(nt)?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Because Houston is full of rich high tax paying people and New Orleans was full of poor people who can safely be ignored?

Agree with PP that the relief and recovery effort damn well should be better after the experience of Katrina.

This is such a huge and prolonged storm, though, that even if the response is exemplary the devastation is going to be horrific.

Thinking of all of you caught in this, or who have family and friends affected. expat, fingers-crossed for you getting good news of your sister soon.

Phil it's equivalent to the entire annual rainfall of the UK falling in one city in 5 days.

Or 9 trillion gallons.

Or enough to fill the Great Lake in Salt Lake City twice.

I know- that's why I cannot get my head round it!
It's completely unreal.
Just horrific.

Learning from Katrina - one small thing but I imagine there are many.

"After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it took weeks to restore bus service in New Orleans — partly because of the condition of flooded roadways, but also because hundreds of buses were underwater after the storm. With the city’s bus fleet unusable, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had to scramble to bring in more than a thousand private coaches to help with evacuation efforts.

"The Houston Metro tried to prevent a similar outcome for this storm, parking more than 100 buses in the HOV lane on an elevated section of Interstate 59."
Nation’s fourth-largest city struggles to get moving again after Harvey

Have heard my parent's home has not flooded as of yet, but that could change (they're in Maplewood, Bradley) but they are still on the cruise ship. Last I heard, they were headed back to Port of New Orleans for today and possibly attempt to dock in Galveston on Wednesday if the port opens to cruise traffic because it's condition zulu right now. My sister finally went to bed at 2am their time - it had started raining hard again. The water is still sitting in her driveway. They really cannot get out, everything around them is flooded. She just couldn't stay awake anymore. She must be exhausted she has lupus. But hey, school's cancelled again so she can't go to work. Her daughter works in the Heights - again, work's cancelled. Her husband works at MD Anderson Center and has been unable to go to work.

My aunt whose home is flooded in the Heights is still with a friend. She would like to try to get to my folk's house, but no telling when. She'll have to go there anyway until she gets things sorted with insurance and such, that will take months. Her son lives in Dallas and her job is in the Heights so she needs to stay in Houston.

White Oak Bayou is close to overflowing.

It's all pretty scary. A family of 6 in a van that washed away and they have drowned.

Glad you've had positive news from your family, expat.

It's no fun for your parents, but now the ship has taken on supplies at least they are fed, dry and safe, although frustrated and anxious about everyone else.

Keeping fingers crossed the water in your sister's area doesn't rise.

It looks awful- we thought we had bad flooding here a few years ago, but the scale is incomparable. My best wishes to you all.

What the fuck is Trump on about, saying 'we have never seen this before' in reference to the flooding? Has he forgotten about Katrina?

The damage wrought by water is mindboggling to infrastructure, utilities, residential and commercial property etc etc and it is unbelievably expensive and time-consuming to put it right.

Obama (god love him, I voted for him) was not able to sort NJ after Sandy (2012), nor was the Republican governor, who just pretended it was all fixed when it got too complicated and went on too long. There are thousands of families there still out of their homes in largely white, largely affluent areas. I'm not saying it was better for poorer or more racially diverse populations (it never is) but it was not handled well for any of those residents. Those I know who were able to rebuild drained their savings to do so and the insurance companies had to be dragged through the courts to make payments.

Again, I'm not saying all Americans are equal or that there is no serious issue with racism, just that this will take time and a collossal amount of money to fix whether those affected are black/white/other.

Don't forget that all those 'lessons learned' from past disasters may come with zero funding. As the climate changes, these events are happening with increasing regularity and the piggy bank is virtually empty.

It's interesting to me that the last big, destructive US storm that people remember is Katrina, I assume because the ugly racial angle confirmed everything people want to believe about American culture.

I posted before about my cousin whose apartment off N Braeswood Blvd was flooded and who was rescued and at the convention center. She and her partner and cats are now at her parent's house in Sugar Land. BUT looters have been active in her area and Meyerland. Really hope they put a stop to this.

Because looting - and then the spiral as people defend property - is all you need now.

In other bad news, one dam is now being overtopped, a levee has gone, and a second dam is in danger of being overtopped. So water levels will go up.

Still happy about making a political dig OP?

15 trillion gallons of water have fallen in 4 days. Nearly 50 inches of rain already and 15 more expected in the next 2 days. It is now affecting more areas including Eastern Louisiana. It may well cause serious flooding there, too, because it is moving so slowly and hanging out over the Gulf picking up more moisture.

I think trying to create an 'a vs b' discussion is pretty shit OP. I have family in Houston and thank fuck have heard from my cousin who while alive has no home as his complex has been destroyed. How DARE you start such a goady thread while this is still going on. To all of you out there, stay safe and thinking of you all. And no I couldn't care less who anyone voted for because at this point I just care about people surviving and restoration in the aftermath. Although expatinscotland now wondering if we are related!

Apologies if harsh there but its scary time for everyone. My family are in Port Aransas and from what have seen online it looks bad there. Obvs updating extended family isn't a priority to them so trying not to get too caught up by just seeing stuff online till my dad can speak to my aunt first hand

I don't think it's harsh at all shake it was a shitty thread to post while people are dying, losing their homes and terrified.

Maybe Pyong forgot that this is an international site and just thought she was talking about a country far, far away.

I'd still be more forgiving if she came back to the thread and apologised, but she doesn't seem to be prepared to do that, which is disappointing.

Cavender I just feel so fucking powerless and people are treating it like a disaster movie or a crappy school level debate like OP. People like you and PP are there now and going through this, your post above mine is much more measured and understanding than I could be. Thinking of you and yours.

Thank you shake I think most people are like you and the other supportive people in this thread.

Our family have lots and lots of messages and emails pouring in from our friends in the UK and round the world checking on us and expressing horror and concern regarding the heartbreaking situation here.

And it's not over, there's more rain due.

We are incredibly fortunate but there are people round the corner from here who have lost everything.

to all the Houston MNetters on here.

I still haven't heard from my sister since this morning. That is terrifying. Still haven't heard if my folks landed in NO safely or what they will do (or if they have a home to go to), don't know what the plan is for the passengers of that ship. Many, many friends there. I graduated from Bellaire High School and went to UT at Austin, some have lost their homes, haven't heard from some. Port Aransas is all but destroyed.

shake, was it the Nob Hill apartments? Those are gone :(

Stay safe guys, awful to read some of you are in the middle of it. I currently had a leak from the upstairs flat for a week pouring down the wall, but feeling more sense of perspective now!

No matter how much you dislike Trump, the OP was ignorant and offensive. Also cowardly in not coming back to apologise. It's not a time for point scoring.

We don't get extreme weather where I am from. I hope you are safe tonight and in the coming days.

Thinking of you all in Houston, we get flooding here due to being next to the river Thames and it is nothing like the scale you are experiencing, but I get the whole being surrounded by floods and not being able to leave and just praying for the rain to stop, hoping you keep electricity supply because you can't get anywhere to shoo!