Human Toll of Harvey Comes Into View as Waters Recede

[mfcorey1]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/human-toll-of-harvey-comes-into-view-as-waters-recede/ar-AAr7wqq?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

One couple had just another stop or two in their pickup truck, a check on an elderly uncle. A 60-year-old woman had just lain down for a much-needed nap. An 8-year-old boy was riding in a van with his extended family in search of higher ground.

All were claimed by Hurricane Harvey, which brought torrential rains and catastrophic flooding as it churned through southeast Texas for days. Beyond the billions in damage to homes, businesses and roads, the storm has taken a human toll, so far claiming the lives of at least 47 people across eight counties, officials said, a number that is expected to grow as rescue efforts shift to recovery.

As the floodwaters recede, the picture of Harvey’s devastation is becoming clearer. But the range of victims and their circumstances, with some found alone in their homes and others lost while undertaking rescue operations, reflect the wide reach of a storm that battered young and old alike.

The search for the dead is far from complete, as volunteers and relief workers move door to door and sift through the wreckage.

Nearly all of those killed in the storm drowned. Many have not yet been identified, including a 65-year-old man who was seen collapsing in floodwaters and a 32-year-old woman found lying across a fence.

[question everything]

1. Was wondering about it when I've heard, yesterday, that many were leaving the shelters

Where were they going, I wondered? Besides tearing the walls and floors of their homes, and dump everything outside, where are they going to sleep? Eat? Live?

And, where will all the debris be dumped? Yes, I know, this is Texas. Still..

[Igel]

2. Lots of places.

I went through a shelter at a local school. One of the families was being bundled into an SUV. Relatives were taking in the family. Some colleagues are in that particular category. It's a benefit of staying local, but not staying in the same neighborhood. It's one reason the number of evacuees stayed relatively low--you get rescued and often go straight to friends and family. Or it may take a night or two to work things out--why move in with Uncle Jim if he still might flood?

The family I whose house I helped "clean up" on Wednesday is getting new appliances. Their place will be livable at that point, but AC would be nice. Most of the solid-wood furniture came through just fine, just soaked for a day or two. Dry wall is mostly decorative and their first floor is missing the bottom 4 feet of it all the way around plus carpeting. Downstairs bathroom's gutted, but the upstairs bathroom works just fine. It'll be inconvenient not having 2 1/2 baths for the four of them (That's a bit sarcastic, but it will be inconvenient when they're all getting ready for work/school at the same time). They're going to pool insurance/FEMA money with their own to redo some stuff they were planning on doing--new flooring in some rooms, for instance. Otherwise a lot of two story houses are like that--give them a fridge, a stove, and they're inhabitable. Just not energy efficient.

Others are finding apartments. Its occupancy rate for apartments was under 93% a few weeks ago, although there's no guarantee that the geography and pricing of those units available will match the "neighbors" (as the county and city decided to call the evacuees). Still, even with some units flooded that's going to soak up a lot of the "neighbors". It pays to remember that a lot of the evacuees were living in apartments, and not on the ground flood. But if you're on the second floor and there's 4 feet of water all around for 3 days, you're going to want to be in a shelter. Water drains, the building's safe, you can go home if it's not too smelly.

There'll be some long-term shelterees, among the most vulnerable. Resources should be preserved primarily for them.

[question everything]

3. Thank you. I admit, I don't know what I would do, my impression was that all of Houston

was flooded and gutted. But I admire the resilience of all of you.

Good to know that even if the first floor is unlivable, that the second one is, that the foundations are still solid.

And, it is good to know that many have friends and family that can be relied upon.

The other day the news mentioned that some were moving to Galvaston and I was thinking that in previous storms, Galvaston was the first to be hit.

Take care, you and family and friends.