Houston

[alfsauve]

Yes I was.  Sad for those workers.    The tower was on the east side of our subdivision, Quail Valley (a very big development).   I could see it from my house, though it was a mile away.

[TAB]

I have 4 insurance companies blowing up my phone for me to go down and be an adjuster.   ( I am already emergency contractor/ adjuster for 3 of them)   the offers keep getting better.    still not close to what I am making here.  the best yet was about 2k a day, its just not enough.   

[Big Frank]

I wish I was in a position to turn down 2K a day, but it would be more work than I wanted to do.

[TAB]

I also don't think I would be paid, its from a small company based in texas, 5 will get you 10 they will file bk.  When they get your number, by going too the emergency contacts of your competitors, something is not right.

[billt]

I also don't think I would be paid, its from a small company based in texas, 5 will get you 10 they will file bk.  When they get your number, by going too the emergency contacts of your competitors, something is not right.

They are saying the insurance scammers are already starting their crap. I don't see how you can trust anyone in that type of situation. Just look at the amount of building materials that are going to be required. It's monumental. Drywall, flooring and carpet, cabinets and vanities. Appliances will all be ruined, and will require replacement. There are going to be shortages of EVERYTHING for months.

TAB, how long can a house sit in stagnant water until it degrades enough to have to be torn down?

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

In a normal situation it would depend on the soil and the foundation, as you could dry out the wood and fasteners.    InHouston sthey all will have too go.

[alfsauve]

Just look at the amount of building materials that are going to be required. It's monumental. Drywall, flooring and carpet, cabinets and vanities. Appliances will all be ruined, and will require replacement. There are going to be shortages of EVERYTHING for months.

Don't mean to be happy about other people's misery, but investing in building material providers would be a good thing right now.

[billt]

In a normal situation it would depend on the soil and the foundation, as you could dry out the wood and fasteners. In Houston they all will have to go.

That will amount to an unbelievable disaster. It really makes you wonder how many will actually attempt rebuilding, or just take the money and run? If you do have flood insurance, and your home needs to be torn down and rebuilt, why do it there? Yeah, you'll be out the cost of the lot. But something tells me real estate land prices aren't going to be worth much around that area for a long time to come.

I bet if you wanted to buy a lot in the old Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, they would practically give it to you. Assuming there are even utilities available there any more. There are a lot of areas in Houston that will now have much the same fate. Especially all of these developed areas that were heavily flooded, that were all located downstream from the release points of these big reservoirs. They are saying Barker and Addicks reservoirs could take over 2 months to drain. Those houses flooded by the release of all that water, will all be under contaminated, stagnant water for months to come. And most will have no chance to be rebuilt. And that's a LOT of homes. It's the same, or even worse for Beaumont and Port Arthur.

[billt]

Another thing is even if you do choose to rebuild. You are going to wait months, and end up paying top dollar for what amounts to substandard work. These guys are going to cash in for as much, and as fast as they can. And good luck trying to get any of them to come back if something wasn't done correctly. You'll be seeing every building inspector in Houston driving a new truck, pulling a nice $75K Bass Boat behind it.

[Rastus]

I'm struck by the contrast of the federal response to the Houston area floods versus the floods in Louisiana a year ago.  In Louisiana 150,000 homes were flooded, most without flood insurance from a once in a thousand year weather event.  There was some press on the event...most of which was focused on trying to slime Trump when he went down to see what was going on during the campaign.

With Trump, there is a machine working to help ALL OF THE PEOPLE around Houston.  The "dumb ass redneck conservatives" from Louisiana didn't get that treatment from Obama.  To be sure, there was federal disaster help AFTER THE FACT.  As far as having a federal presence initially to help people...not so much.

I think the people in Houston need to be helped right now.  However, it sure would be nice if the bigoted news media would point out how white conservatives were left to fend for themselves and to save their own hides by the leftist Obama administration just a year ago.