Climate Change Erases Gulf Coast

Seriously, why should taxpayers cover the costs of hurricane damage on the Gulf Coast year after year? It would be cheaper to pay landowners to relocate to safe ground.

90% of hurricanes now strike the Gulf Coast and cost us trillions. Its obviously uninhabitable. Every year we rebuild homes and businesses, and then do it all over again the next year. Eminent Domain at a fair price would save us a fortune.

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Author: craigcrawford

Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.

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patd
3 years ago

craig, it might be even cheaper in the long run to restore the deltas and other areas that were dredged over the years.  they were (are of what’s left) barriers to surges as well as providing wildlife habitats and buffeting storms.

patd
3 years ago

Restore the Mississippi River Delta:

In the decades between the beginning of massive river levee projects in coastal Louisiana and the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, nearly 2,000 square miles of deltaic wetlands disappeared

Moreover, the remaining marshes and swamps are not as robust as they once were. Many areas are threaded with oil pipeline ditches and navigation canals, which bring salt water deep into the brackish and freshwater wetlands of southern Louisiana, disrupting the salinity balance required by the plants that hold wetland soils together. This intrusion of ocean water results in areas that appear healthy on the surface but are too weak to withstand storms like Katrina or Rita. Additionally, navigation channels have the potential to funnel storm surge inland, such as the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) did during Katrina, which contributed to catastrophic levee breaks. Although MRGO was finally closed in 2009, restoration of the areas affected by it remains to be fully executed.

The disappearance and destruction of millions of acres of wetlands have left Louisiana with fewer natural defenses to protect it against future hurricanes. Without urgent action to rebuild the region’s wetlands and reverse the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina and other storms, major sections of the Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana could vanish the next time a major storm strikes the coast.

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making way for those massive cruise ships haven’t helped either.

patd
3 years ago

Barrier Islands – Gulf Islands National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Gulf Islands National Seashore protects seven barrier islands. These dynamic bars of sand parallel to the mainland are treasures at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. The name “barrier” describes how these islands protect natural and human communities against ocean storms. Waves expend their energy as they break on the islands’ beaches. Because they buffer the Gulf’s wave action, barrier islands also protect salt marshes and seagrass beds, which are nurseries for valuable marine species.

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patd
3 years ago

See the source image

patd
3 years ago

the guardian:

Several rockets were fired at Kabul airport on Monday, less than 48 hours before the United States is due to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Eyewitnesses said the rockets were launched from a car and were aimed towards the airport on Monday morning. It appears Salim Karwan, a neighbourhood adjacent to the airport, was hit in one of the blasts. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Smoke could be seen rising above buildings in the north of the city, where the Hamid Karzai international airport is located, and gunfire could be heard after the explosions.

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blueINdallas
3 years ago

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/louisiana-sea-level-rise-coastal-communities/ “Louisiana’s steady erosion threatens the existence of many towns. Already, the populations of some parishes (roughly equivalent to counties) are declining. “Folks who reside in those coastal communities are losing their cultural identity and social norms,” says Angela Chalk, a New Orleans resident and founder of the nonprofit Healthy Community Services. “Younger families are moving away.” The decision of whether to stay or leave — assuming they have the resources for that to be a choice — is high on many people’s minds.” Being displaced because of the financial cost to others seems harsh. Folks there know what they need. “…Lafourche Parish is building affordable housing designed to endure severe storms and frequent flooding. Jefferson Parish opted for a wetlands education center to expand community knowledge of the environmental changes facing the region and engage people in planning for them. Residents of Plaquemines Parish made it clear that they need more substance abuse and mental health services to help residents already dealing with the worst effects of climate change. “ 1) It’s home, not just physically but emotionally, as well. 2) Most would need financial assistance and a social support system to move somewhere else. 3) Where do they go and what do they do, especially if they were shrimpers, for example? 4) Those along the Gulf Coast wouldn’t be the only climate change refugees My great-uncle and his wife lived in Buras (Placquemines Parish) and lost everything twice (Camille and Betsy). They kept some photos in a safety… Read more »

Pogo
3 years ago

Ms. Bronc, the last paragraph of your last post yesterday about now having to deal with the idiots planning the next war was unfortunately right I fear. 

Poobah, great question. It would IMHO be appropriate for insurers to pool insureds into high risk groups for homeowners and renters in geographically risky areas and upcharge them for losses related to the risks. Trying to do something like that as a matter of public policy would be a horse of a different color. Not saying it couldn’t be done without a slide to libertarianism but it would be a hard slog.

blueINdallas
3 years ago

Insurers may already be refusing to insure, or virtually do so by pricing folks out of the market.

What do you do with climate change refugees? What happens when you become one of them?

patd
3 years ago

seems we had this same discussion in the aftermath of hurricane sandy.

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

Pogo
3 years ago

patd, est-ce que quelque chose change?

Jamie
3 years ago

Craig & Patd

The hurricane damage is even more evidence of putting people where people were never meant to be.  The alternative isn’t all that great either.  There is an old series still available on the History Channel.  Life After People is well worth watching.  There is probably a possible middle ground.  

 

Jamie
3 years ago

Blue

When I was a child, people in suburbs used to sit on roofs to watch the summer fires.  It was the source of all those “Only you can prevent forest fires” commercials.  There simply weren’t any people in those areas other than some small resort towns such as Bear Lake or the various summer church camps.  Those fires were usually contained or simply burned out without the annual destruction we see now.

 

whskyjack
3 years ago

Just looking at the numbers, This hurricane just looks like an ordinary major hurricane. Top wind 150mph, pressure didn’t get below 930 nothing remarkable, not in the top 10 probably not even the top 20.  Hurricanes happen down that way yah know.
You would think they would be prepared, except , it is Louisiana and Mississippi who are tied as  the most incompetent state governments.
Jack

Katherine Graham Cracker
3 years ago

It used to be that folks along the Russian River in Sonoma County used flood insurance as a remodeling fund.  And then the feds said. From now on you have to raise your house so it doesn’t flood or we will no longer sell flood insurance in the whole county. Now people have their houses lifted and the feds are paying out far less 
They could do something like that everywhere fed flood insurance is offfered
 
 

Blue Bronc
3 years ago

Interesting thing I learned about the FB algorythm is that if you report a hate page, you will get two more showing up.  That gives two more pages to report and on and on.  The pos internet scheme to keep you entertained KOKO.,
 
It disturbing how much garbage there is on it. I suspect, because so far I am too lazy to do much digging, is those pages of hate have a beginning near putin, are then shipped to white supremacists for distribution.  They need more of the SFB cure.  Sheep worms, horse parasites, a little bit of sodium hydroxide to swallow the horse pill, and more stuff they do to themselves.  Instead of a free ten minute shot.

RebelliousRenee
3 years ago

BiD… I hear you about how easy it is to say…  let them move…  until it’s your relatives.
 
I just spent a couple hours terrified as my niece was taking her 5yr old daughter to urgent care in order to get a Covid test.  It’s easy to say… I don’t care about the unvaccinated… until it’s your family member.  Luckily…  she tested negative.  It was a 24 hr. stomach bug.  

blueINdallas
3 years ago

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/30/texas-hurricane-ida/

“Cecilia and I continue to pray for the people of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida and the first responders who have answered the call to protect and serve those affected by this storm.”

Ah, but what has Greg done about climate change? He’s propped up big gas/oil, that’s what.

patd
3 years ago

U.S. winds down evacuations ahead of final Afghanistan withdrawal – CBS News

Washington — With the United States’ mission in Afghanistan entering its final hours, the Pentagon is winding down evacuations of Americans and Afghan allies from the main airport in the country’s capital while officials warn the threat from ISIS-K militants remains high.

The White House said Monday that in a 24-hour span from Sunday morning to Monday, the U.S. evacuated 1,200 people from Kabul, with 26 military flights and two coalition flights carrying evacuees out of Kabul. 

Over a 24-hour period the prior day, from early Saturday into early Sunday, roughly 2,900 people were evacuated, with 32 military flights and nine coalition aircraft departing Kabul’s airport.

The U.S. has relocated more than 122,300 people from Afghanistan since the end of July, including 5,400 American citizens, Army Major General Hank Taylor told reporters during a Pentagon briefing Monday. While it’s unclear exactly how many Americans are still in Afghanistan, Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, told “Face the Nation” in an interview Sunday the administration believes roughly 300 remain.

“There is still time,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday when asked about American passport- or green card-holders who may be trying to get to the airport in Kabul ahead of Tuesday’s withdrawal deadline.

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patd
3 years ago

vanity fair:

Ron DeSantis, Angel of Death, Says Biden Should Follow His Lead on COVID
The Florida governor, whose state’s COVID-19 deaths have hit record highs thanks to his policies, chided the president for failing to end the pandemic.

Jamie
3 years ago

Patd

Loved the DeSantis cartoon.  Of course I’m a little on the side of witches in general as just last night I watched Wicked in Concert on PBS and I’m re-reading Wicked.  Elphaba got a pretty raw deal.

https://youtu.be/0Nx5WuhS3JE