Time, Thought is Needed So Flood Recovery Efforts Don’t Become New Disaster

Driving through La Grange, Texas a couple months after Hurricane Harvey, we encountered some signs of reconstruction, some cleanup underway, but quite a bit of remaining damage. Hundreds of mobile homes and the scattered remnants of personal belongings lie askew along streets and yards in the areas nearest to the river. A few other homes also remained empty, with no debris, but also no signs of inhabitants. This variation in recovery timing is common across disasters in Texas and elsewhere. As is the common refrain from disaster-experienced experts, recovery is a very long process. Taking time, though, is often not what residents or community leaders want.

Taking time to rebuild can benefit residents and the community as a whole. First, it allows for deliberation and public discussion about any community-wide changes, such as buying out homes located in flooded areas or requiring elevation of homes in areas that experience flooding again and again. For example, both Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Grand Forks, North Dakota, bought out housing and implemented public parks along their riverfronts. Building support for any new community vision takes time and ensuring public participation can be difficult. Thus, regular communication, to the point that it feels like too much, is best. As we’ve learned in other communities, if community leaders are not transparent about decisions, rumors will fill the void and be difficult to deter later.

Next, taking time to thoughtfully consider rebuilding options also allows residents to ensure they have received and maximized all potential resources available to them. FEMA funding is only one available resource, and any determinations from FEMA can be appealed to ensure residents get the appropriate payment. Other resources include charitable resources donated to local, regional, state, and national organizations and religious institutions. Over the next few years, money, physical resources, and volunteers will flow into La Grange and Fayette County and can be used to support rebuilding. These labor, financial, and physical resources (such as donated appliances and fixtures) can save residents thousands of dollars if they haven’t already completed rebuilding. Residents also can take time to learn about mitigation options available to them, understand future hazard risks, and adapt their rebuilding to be more resilient to the future.

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