I'm just curious....what do you'all see for the future of Houston, TX? Do you see it as a smaller city in the future (this is what I am thinking personally) or rebounding and retaining it's status as the forth largest US city in terms of population? Rob
I have no idea. I imagine some people will say "forget it", and move to higher ground. But it wouldn't surprise me if the majority just build again. I wonder if there will be any new building codes now?
Before the hurricane, I was watching the news and one person built a huge house on cement supports. I can't remember how tall they were. I never heard how his house fared.
Just talked to a relative in the area. Closer to Galveston. House gone. They are building again. I guess home is home for some.
I think Houston will recover fairly quickly. Its importance as a hub of the petroleum business and a port city will continue to support a stable population. In spite of all the attention, I don't think Harvey was another Katrina. It will take another few once in 500 years or once in 100 years coastal disasters to convince people that climate change events, or weather extremes as Trump likes to call it, may now happen more like every ten or twenty years.
I believe nearly all will stay and rebuild and Houston will remain the 4th largest city in the USA.
Mom and Dad were adults near Rotterdam during WW2. Mom said "it's your home. You stay. When your home gets blown up, your neighbors move you in with them. It doesn't matter how many live there. The nieghborhood stays together".
Mom helped me understand why people stay in a location of continued repetitive strikes of nature. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes. She said " no different from war zones. It's home".
A friend of mine got flooded. The 2nd the water left her home? In she goes with a wonderfuly volunteer girlfriend....boxing, stacking, hiring day labor to pull out heavy/wet carpets....ruined sofas/ottomans to the curb......assessing repairs, hopefully new refrigerator installed soon so she can live in her home again despite it's condition. She figures 6 months before she is finished with repairs.
The question is, Who pays when only 20% of homeowners had flood insurance? Here's an opinion piece from USA Today:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...umn/619926001/
Good question. This is going to make rebuilding in Houston (or elsewhere, really) sticky for many people. I wonder if Houston may become something like Detroit - there are actually people who have moved to Detroit and have accepted the risks of living there due to the ultra low housing costs. There's actually a community of entrepreneurs there that praise the place as a cheap place to get a business off the ground.....Though in Houston's case, with the petroleum industry there, I don't know how low land valuations could realistically sink. There's more market forces invested in getting Houston rebuilt than Detroit, at least in my mind. RobOriginally Posted by Lainey
My friend's flood insurance covers the structure. When the adjuster was there Wednesday she was informed it does not cover contents! how the hell is that possible? Without disclosure one buys flood insurance and in the tiny tiny print somewhere it might say this?
She is calm. I am outraged! I am 1000s of miles away and I cannot help her right now (can't take emergency leave from work for non-family). All I can do is send her a check.
I have flood insurance. It's only good for $250,000 on the structure. If I want additional coverage for the contents it's very clear that there is an additional charge for that. The policy was very clear, no fine print. I've had different policy's in different states, same information. It's probably why she is calm, she knows she didn't pay for it.
Thankfully she has insurance for the structure and has already had an adjuster out. I hope everything works out for her.
As long as there are jobs, people will live there.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote