Category Archives: Hurricane Katrina

You may recall the task force that Governor Perry appointed to study the lessons learned from the Hurricane Rita evacuations, which issued its report exactly one month ago. Today, Governor Perry is expected to sign an executive order to make … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There are a lot of important headlines in today’s H-Chron, including the story about the Pat Tillman investigation and the story which sort of suggests Tom DeLay might lose. But here’s one story that you probably won’t see blogged anywhere … Continue reading → Continue reading →

In response to the release of the report by the Governor’s task force on hurricane evacuations, TxDOT says it’s already doing a lot of the things it’s been called upon to do. Janelle Gbur, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Governor Perry’s task force on What We Learned From Those Nasty Hurricanes Last Year has presented its recommendations. Texas can best manage future disasters by vesting the governor with the power to order mandatory evacuations, a task force recommended Monday. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Another casualty of Hurricane Katrina – Atlanta police say “No bead tossing!” during the pre-Sugar Bowl parade. The ban was widely interpreted as an effort to head off the practice of women baring their breasts in exchange for Mardi Gras … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The hurricane prognosticators are predicting a lot of stormy weather next year. The predictions, made annually by a research team at Colorado State University, call for 17 named storms and nine hurricanes next season. Five of those hurricanes, the forecasters … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Earlier this week, FEMA announced it would stop paying hotel bills for evacuees who still have not been placed in apartments. FEMA had planned to place families in longer-term housing before Dec. 1, but more than 53,000 hotel rooms remain … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This was homecoming weekend at Rice, but this time the Owls were joined by another school bringing together its alumni to celebrate and reminisce. While Rice University celebrated homecoming Saturday, about 400 people with ties to hurricane-damaged Tulane University reunited … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the email correspondence of Mike “You’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie!” Brown. Even as subordinates warned him that the flooding of New Orleans was a matter of life or death, Michael Brown, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I guess that sharply worded letter that Governor Perry sent to Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff got lost in the mail. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff came to town to talk about immigration policy, and had no public response Wednesday … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s the same familiar story, but with two new voices in the chorus. Gov. Rick Perry and Houston Mayor Bill White on Tuesday separately criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s continued hurricane recovery efforts in Texas and Houston. In a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The reconstruction of New Orleans has hit another snag: There’s not enough housing, temporary or otherwise, for all the workers that are needed for the rebuilding as well as for the firms that are trying to get started again. And … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Aurora Picture Show, located here in the Heights, has an event next week for Katrina and Rita relief that sounds interesting: October 26: The Pink Satin Suit, A KAT Fund Benefit Wednesday, October 26, 7pm The Pink Satin Suit … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I for one am getting tired of reading words like “most intense Atlantic storm ever recorded”. Wilma’s confirmed pressure readings this morning dropped to 882 millibars — the lowest minimum pressure ever measured in a hurricane in the Atlantic basin, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The people of East Texas are not happy with the assistance they have gotten from FEMA since Hurricane Rita devastated their cities. Widespread confusion and inconsistency over who is entitled to grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is inspiring … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Here’s another look at the massive traffic jam that took place during the Rita evacuation, focusing on households that left with more than one car. Although no statistical data is available yet on the massive evacuation, “there were certainly more … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chronicle does a poll about the Rita evacuation. If a Category 4 hurricane had a bead on Houston, 62 percent would leave — a slightly higher percentage than actually did flee ahead of Rita, according to the poll. […] … Continue reading → Continue reading →

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has announced that he will lay off 3000 municipal employees due to lack of any revenue stream for the city. Nagin announced with “great sadness” that he had been unable to find the money to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Folks are returning back to Port Arthur and Sabine Pass to see how bad the damage from Hurricane Rita was in their neighborhoods. Sadly, it was very bad. Teresa MacLelland expected some damage to her Sabine Pass home as she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Rita Blog has some info on how the rebuilding is going in East Texas. It also has information about Red Cross and Salvation Army relief efforts. I haven’t seen a whole lot about benefits for Rita victims; if you’re … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You know, if shamelessness were a virtue, Smokey Joe Barton would have been assumed directly into Heaven by now. First, he is one of only eleven Congressmen to vote against the emergency relief package for Katrina victims. Next, he signs … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Continuing with the theme of risk aversion and how it impacted people’s stay-or-flee decisions as Rita loomed in the Gulf, here’s another data point to consider. Water service to more than half a million Houston-area residents and several key industrial … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Previously, I asked what might happen to cars which were abandoned on evacuation routes by drivers who ran out of gas; in particular, would they be stuck for sizable towing fees, as the friend of a correspondant said he was. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So why did people run from Hurricane Rita? Having seen the handiwork of Rita’s vicious cousin, Katrina, all of Houston’s coastal suburbs and a good percentage of everybody else in the area decided that discretion was the better part of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Shorter Houston Chronicle front-page story: FEMA Screws Up Again. Frustration and anger mounted in Southeast Texas on Monday over the response to Hurricane Rita by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. With homes smashed, trees and power lines downed and a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We’re home. It was highway speed all the way, making for a much more pleasant journey. Thanks very much once again for all the kind words and good thoughts. I plan to return to more normal blogging in the morning. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The following came to me in email. I have not heard of anything similar to this, and I haven’t had a chance to do any news searching to see if there are other reports. I’m printing this to see if … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Our goal is to head back to Houston today, most likely leaving Dallas in the evening, a bit after the normal rush hour. Scanning the Road Home Blog, it seems like I-45 wasn’t too awful yesterday, but we ought to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Did you know that Dallas has a system of levees that help keep it dry, and that those levees could overflow and cause major flooding in the event of a big storm? Like, say, Hurricane Rita, had it not gone … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There will be many questions asked over the next few weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. One that’s being asked now is whether the inbound highway lanes could have been opened in a more timely manner that they were … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now that Rita has proven to be a non-menace to Houston, evacuees from the area are starting to return home despite pleas to stay put a little longer. Houston-bound traffic was at a standstill by noon on I-10 just outside … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Since we’ll be soon talking about rebuilding efforts again, I thought I’d post an update on the attempt by President Bush to allow federally-funded contractors to pay wages beneath the prevailing rate. The number of Democrats who have not signed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So far, all reports are that Houston has evaded major damage. I’ve spoken to my in-laws, my next-door neighbor, and my friend Andrea, who lives about a mile away from us. All are fine, all have power, and our neighbor … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There’s a debate going on at SciGuy over whether or not the dangers of Hurricane Rita were overhyped (by the media and/or local politicians), and if that contributed to the extreme freeway gridlock yesterday. At least one local official is … Continue reading → Continue reading →