'We watched our house get destroyed': One story of life with extreme weather

[marble falls]

‘We watched our house get destroyed’: One story of life with extreme weather

Recounting the winter storm that destroyed his home, one victim of extreme weather contemplates an uncertain future.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90678427/we-watched-our-house-get-destroyed-one-story-of-life-with-extreme-weather?utm_source=pocket-newtab

By Zlati Meyer5 minute Read

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The storm crippled a good chunk of the state, knocking out the grid that provided power to the four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom house that Mikey and Teara had transformed into a workspace and nest for their quiet, simple lives, working 9-to-5 and then hanging out in an aesthetic they describe as modern farmhouse, rainbow colors and art-student chic. They endured four days without power—their cell phones long dead, the rooms punched up with the scent of Yankee candles, and tea lights to help them see. They couple ate gumbo warmed in the fireplace and tried to stay warm under nine blankets.

Forced to abandon their home and seek shelter at their friends’ house, they weren’t there when the pipes began to burst. By the end, they’d also lost much of what was in their home—laptops, a printer, merchandise they sell, framed artwork, custom-drawn movie posters, a sofa, a nightstand. Their world was filled with filthy, frigid water. They became essentially homeless, which was particularly hard for Neumann, who’d suffered a stroke at age 29, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a half a decade ago, and then broke his knee in mid-July.

Close to one-third of Americans live in a county impacted by extreme weather, according to analysis by the Washington Post earlier this month. And a study by the University of Houston found that 69% of Texans lost their electricity in February, like Neumann.

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It’s depressing to know… we’ll keep on like we’re keeping on. It seems like it’s not serving Texans very much, ignoring it. You can’t [say] the words “climate change” in Texas. They’re bad words. It’s so hard to separate the politics and the issue. I’m sympathetic to it. I think changes in our world are scary, because you never know where you’re going to be next week. Most of this year, we didn’t know where we’d be. Do we believe it won’t be destroyed again? Not 100%. Maybe in another weird climate disaster.

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[Champp]

1. "No biggie. Just a freak thing. Climate change is a lib hoax." - Republican Gaslight Machine, Inc.

[Dustlawyer]

2. I am working hurricane Ida in LaPlace, LA.

This town is devastated as is Lake Charles which was wacked last year by hurricane Laura and tornados a couple of days ago. People here are living in pop up trailers in their driveways as they have since the end of August.

My windstorm and flood insurance are going through the roof. People are talking about moving away from the coast. Despite all of this we cannot get real climate change legislation because oligarchs and corporations!

[modrepub]

3. I Hate To Say It

But if you want the impacts of climate change to hit home, you have to allow them to hit people's pocket books. We subsidize too many folks who are now located in the high hazard areas. If the insurance industry were allowed to factor in the correct risk factors without political interference we'd all be better off in the long run.

I'm not a complete troll, I'd rather have government resources buy people out at some reasonable rate than constantly helping them rebuild only to have it torn down again in a short period of time. How many times do folks have to be smacked across the head with a 2x4 before they duck out of the way?

[marble falls]

5. 79% of Texans need to move where?

[MagickMuffin]

6. Plano, Texas is NOT a high hazard area

It isn't anywhere near the coast. It's a part of Dallas County which is in North Texas. So, not sure what you are really going on about.

The storm that hit Texas this year was a man made disaster because our republicon government doesn't fix it. It still is not functioning, yet my Gov. Abbott isn't the least bit concerned about our state's grid and using our funds to fund other non issue issues like the "border wall" and other non serious issues.

[modrepub]

7. It Is Because The Grid Isn't Hooked Into Any Cross State Ones

That's a political decision, not a market one. Most other grid operators in the country are independent enough to side step politicians. Their priorities mirror what the consumers want. First, keep the power flowing. Second, try and avoid price spikes as best as possible.

When politicians get involved everything goes haywire. Let the market decide what works. That being, plug into neighboring grids to keep the power flowing during emergencies and try and manage price spikes when emergencies do come up. A side benefit can be emission and pollution control by factoring in the cost of burning fossil fuels.

[Johnny2X2X]

4. NPR did a segment on disaster insurance this week

Basically, 40% of all claims in the US now are because of weather related disasters, the highest it's ever been.

We're having 100 year floods, storms, heat waves, and wild fires every few years now in some places. It's going to get worse, there are people living in regions that are not going to be habitable in the very near future. And some of these areas it will be a complete shock as they haven't really been disaster prone until very recently.