Opinion: Learning from Harvey and Sandy
For those of us who experienced Superstorm Sandy, watching Texas suffer through Hurricane Harvey is like watching a sad sequel to a bad movie. The suffering and sense of loss can be overwhelming, and the acts of everyday heroism are profoundly inspiring.
As of this writing, the water is still rising and tens of thousands remain at risk. Recovery efforts are slowly underway and there’s no mistaking that it will take years to get back to a sense of normalcy.
But there has already a debate about who should’ve evacuated and when. Let’s be clear, mass evacuation of an entire city is dangerous and infeasible, but selective evacuation of those most vulnerable is prudent. First response is something America is getting better at, and the response to Harvey and Sandy seemed far better than Hurricanes Katrina in New Orleans and Rita on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, when many more died. Reconstruction remains riddled with delays, incompetence and bureaucracy; Harvey gives us an opportunity to do better. . .