"Once in a Century, once in 500 years"

[question everything]

Last edited Wed Feb 17, 2021, 11:22 PM - Edit history (1)

During the past several years, after major natural disasters where cities and people are hit harshly, we hear these comments from planners and policy makers.

Well, put these comments in the trash. We are now in the "Once in a." The destructive hurricanes of the past ten years, the major forest fires, the pandemic, of course, the current snow and cold that paralyzed Texas, tornadoes, in February?

So when you are designing infrastructure - physical or electrical, water or gas - prepare for the worst. Yes, will be expensive, may require - gasp - new taxes and regulations. But this is it.

Especially Texas. There were several comments about Texas refusing some kind of regulations. And, of course, we've heard about homeowners who kept on building the same houses again and again in the same place, thanks to the generosity of FEMA.

I feel bad for all the Texans who cannot feed their families, cannot keep warm perhaps will face major damages for their homes but, really, start thinking "different." This is more important then cessation.

[marble falls]

1. CENSORED

[Irish_Dem]

2. People seem to keep choosing white supremacy over self-preservation.

[msongs]

3. texas has a big snow/cold wave about every 10 yrs. not unusual altho this one was colder nt

[question everything]

5. I found a post of mine from 2017, after Harvey

Those "once in 500 years floods" happened twice in the past few years said a guest on Rachel. And he asked the rhetorical question: with such heavy traffic goes through Houston, why was nothing been done to be ready?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029527387

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. With particular respect to Texas, it will get very cold there again -

probably much sooner than later - because climate change has made the polar vortex unstable. The mass of cold air that normally hovers over the north pole and usually drops south only as far as the most northern states in the US, is now getting pushed around by warmer air and can flow south all the way to the southern US, while leaving some other, normally cold areas unusually warm (lately it's been warmer in Greenland than in most of Texas). This will keep happening, so Texas' government had better start taking it seriously.

[Rstrstx]

13. This is not a given of global warming

There are theories but the idea of a more unstable polar vortex in the future does not have a strong data signal behind it the way the increasing heat waves and droughts do. If anything the winters in the southern US have paralleled the warming of the planet as the number of extreme Arctic outbreaks into the lower latitudes has decreased in the past few decades. The migration of certain flora, such as mangroves up the coast, suggested a general warming in the state.

In 2011 Texas had a cold outbreak that was perceived as very extreme at the time due to the warmer winters, when historically something of that magnitude had occurred every few years. Fast forward a decade and we get a real outbreak by historical standards coupled with a lot more people and looser regulations and it creates a recipe for disaster. Personally I’m not convinced we’ll see these more frequently but we still need to be prepared for them since they still occur. A diminished risk does not equal no risk.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. Irrespective of the cause, which I can't debate because I'm not an expert,

it will get very cold in Texas again, just as it has before. As you said, the fact that something doesn't happen very often doesn't mean it will never happen or that you don't have to prepare for it. Here in the frigid North most of us keep emergency winter kits in our cars (jumper cables, tow ropes, hand warmers, blankets, etc.) in case we get stuck in a snowbank somewhere. In 40 years of driving around Minnesota I have never had to use mine because I avoid driving in snowstorms, but I will always carry it. I hope Texas' government learns a lesson from this mess, but because they are Republicans and they can make money off disasters, I'm not holding my breath.

One thing I noticed in video coverage is that so many people don't even seem to have warm clothes - they're standing in lines in the cold wearing jeans and sweatshirts and sneakers, wrapped in beach towels or thin blankets. Of course I don't expect them to own the normal Minnesota wardrobe of down parkas, snow pants and Sorel boots, but it might be a good idea to invest in wool socks, hats and mittens, and long underwear, at least, for the next time.

[Wawannabe]

6. I had this same opinion after Katrina

Worked my butt off on my vacation helping pack supplies into tractor trailers.

New Orleans... a city built below sea level on the gulf????????

I think there are many more cities in climate danger.
Like FL state has to have girded up buildings for hurricanes now.

[littlemissmartypants]

7. North Carolina it's the same, bs.

Once in 500 year floods have now occurred three times. The first time was Floyd. I stopped counting after that one. But then we reportedly had two more in less than twenty years. Ridiculous. Folks on the river the first time, rebuilt on pilings 8 ft or more. This last flood most everyone left the river front entirely. "Prime" property full of abandoned waterlogged houses full of mud.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Think of all the military bases on the coast line.

Last edited Thu Feb 18, 2021, 11:10 AM - Edit history (1)

Going to cost a fortune to relocate them.

[roamer65]

11. I should be like Lex Luthor.

I should have this “affinity” for beachfront property.

[SharonAnn]

9. 1989, 2011, and now 2021. TX didn't follow recommendations after the previous ones.

[roamer65]

10. At 500ppm GHG's, humans yet again are making the impossible possible.

[greenjar_01]

12. They act like weatherizing this equipment is some completely outlandish ludicrous idea

We're talking cold snaps, not fucking shark attacks.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. That's not realistic.

So when you are designing infrastructure - physical or electrical, water or gas - prepare for the worst. Yes, will be expensive, may require - gasp - new taxes and regulations. But this is it.

Are you willing to pay for an automobile in which the driver and passengers will survive an offset crash with another vehicle, where both vehicles are traveling 25 miles per hour?

Sure, that's reasonable. Now raise the speeds. How about where both vehicles are traveling 30 mph? 35 mph? 40 mph?

At some point, you're going to end up with a car that is so overdesigned that no one can afford it. Or if you could, it would get 5 miles per gallon.

You have to compromise. There's a trade-off. You can afford only so much, but not everything. It's the same way with the power grid.

The standards for just about everything are set by committees of interested parties meeting endlessly, until they finally deliver a product. Everybody has a say, but it would be a miracle if everyone got all that he wanted.