After Further Review...

After a game, our sportscasters recap the action often changing their opinions AFTER FURTHER REVIEW.  I dare say anyone who went through the horrors of the Katrina flooding feels great compassion for those folks to our north and west.  Seeing water to rooftops was reliving the hell of 2005 once again.   Many of you have reached out to help and it will take many weeks & months before folks flooded out return to “normal”.   So where do we go from here?  Do we rebuild our homes?  Absolutely!    But here’s where AFTER FURTHER REVIEW comes in.  Obviously, those who received 4-8 feet of water into their homes need to think very hard about rebuilding.  However, most others who had only some water in their homes have an opportunity to rebuild & ELEVATE their structures by 3- 4 feet.  If your house had just that extra couple of feet, you most likely would be dry with no damage.   Elevating is not cheap, but FEMA has a Flood Mitigation Grant program that could help with some of the cost.  Here’s the kicker.  You need to be covered under the National Flood insurance program because the Government doesn’t like to keep paying repeat flood claims by the same home owners.  So what should we learn by this record flood?  1)  If you live in south Louisiana, you MUST have flood insurance.  It’s cheap and coverage is terrific.  I rebuilt the lower floor of my townhome after Katrina for ZERO out of pocket coast.  Flood coverage costs roughly $1.25/day.   It’s a no brainer.    2)  Don’t rebuild expecting there won’t be another flood.   Seeing the fella crying after his home flooded again after the March 2016 flood broke my heart.   If he has it in him to rebuild again, he HAS to rebuild higher.   There are many quality (bonded & insured) elevation companies that can make homes safer.   History has a record of repeating itself. 

 

So who do we blame?   Possibly local Governments who allowed builders to construct slab homes without elevation.    Perhaps bankers who did not require homeowners to have flood insurance.  Why Not?    Perhaps homeowners who thought they were safe even though they lived near a river.  Whatever, we need to learn by this tragedy so we don’t repeat it.    Can’t afford to elevate?  Then at least buy flood insurance.  Can’t afford it?  Then you need to be a RENTER and not a homeowner.  Someone has to have personal responsibility or the blame game will go on forever.

 

Tropical Storm Fiona has formed way out in the Atlantic .   I’m still seeing a well-defined TUTT ( tropical upper tropospheric trough) stretching from East of Bermuda westward across Florida down into the SW Gulf.   This is a hostile environment for any tropical systems.  Unless models are clueless, we should get through August without a tropical threat in the Gulf.  Still plenty of time before those Fall fronts start coming.  We need to keep paying attention.  Stay tuned!