As a previous resident of the Houston area, I have spent
hours following the trials of family and friends dealing with the worst
flooding to date. In many ways it seems too soon to reflect on a situation that
is still unfolding, but we know there will be a lot of issues to deal with, and transportation is a part of that. Airlines and cruiselines will have to bring on the people waiting for the airports and ports to reopen. Roads will need cleared of debris, then fixed, from sinkholes to railings and signs. Flooded cars will have to be towed.
There are also issues regarding future planning. For example, the Houston mayor has been called to defend his
decision not to evacuate.
He is right, after the standstill on roads during Rita, having millions of
people clogging the roads would lead to more disaster. On the other hand, if we
can reasonably predict which areas will flood, perhaps certain areas should
have been evacuated. https://projects.propublica.org/houston-cypress/
During evacuation, what do you take? My choice probably
makes emergency planners shudder- my cars. When I have evacuated, both my
husband and I have driven cars rather than carpool. In terms of the collective,
this is terrible. It puts twice as many cars in congestion. In terms of
personal loss, our cars are the most expensive movable material possession we
own.
If you are going to evacuate, it is important to do so while
your roads are clear. I heard from many friends given voluntary or even
mandatory evacuation after their neighborhood streets had already flooded to
the point that they couldn’t get out. And is a voluntary evacuation enough? If
the likelihood that the people can’t get out later, maybe not.
This disaster also makes us think, not only about planning
for road flooding, but how to get our rescuers around. In a heartbreaking
incident, a police officer was killed in floodwaters trying to drive in for a
shift. We learn from this incident how important it is to make sure our first
responders have access to information about open transportation routes and the
conditions on them.
In addition, there was a desperate need for boats to conduct
rescues. While it is not possible to keep an entire array of rescue boats that
sit around waiting for a day that may or not come, as we move into a future of
climate change and a higher likelihood of incidents like this, we need to begin
to plan what resources are available for massive rescues.
Hurricanes changing the city landscape and transportation is
not new. Houston knows this looking back at the 1900 hurricane that hit
Galveston, washing away not only homes on the island, but also its railroad
connection. This incident gave incentive for the growth of Houston, instead of
Galveston.
