Harvey, Irma, Maria.Now Nate.Will We Learn?

October 2017

Have we got this all backwards?

Instead of building back stronger after each hurricane, tents suddenly make a lot of sense to me. Air conditioned, plumbed, private bath, fridge, wall receptacles, windows – mostly home minus the granite counter top, flat screen TV, recessed lighting. If giving those up are deal breakers, you idea of beach front enjoyment could probably use a makeover.

OK, you can’t conjure up tent living. I tested such on several occasions on a wildlife preserve within a two hour drive from DFW. AC, private bathroom, comfortable bed (not a Sleep Number, get over it), smothered by one of the darkest skies you’ll ever witness and sounds of the wilds as you drift to sleep. Comfy, cozy, pretty cool.

Here’s the thing: when Hurricane Havoc takes your “tent home” away, what’ve you lost? Near zero compared to rebuilding a CAT-5 capable fortress, then factor in flood insurance dollars saved.

My banker, in our discussion about Harvey’s impact on his Houston properties, did this (or as close as he could get) after losing his beach house years ago. OK, so he didn’t go back with a tent, but the rebuild was so cheap, no big loss should his “box” blow away. It’s the land underneath it where the value builds year after year anyway.

This Harvey-Irma-Maria-(please be nice, Nate) thing is not a Texas, Florida or even a US thing. It’s global. A game changer that, if we learn anything, should upend the way we think about coastal habitats. ” What hurts, instructs” — Ben Franklin.

And the hurt, well, this is a whole different order of magnitude which can’t be ignored. It will take decades to grasp in terms of human misery and suffering. Yes, send money, supplies, blood, prayers, but also seek to understand: what is to be learned here?