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*** Official 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Thread *** (1 Viewer)

Clearly, a redraw of the 100yr flood line will have to happen. There have been 3 100 year floods in recent history.   I think you will see insurance agencies and banking push for this.  It won't be advocacy groups but those with skin in the game.
Banking maybe, but not insurance.  Flood is all feds anyways through National Flood Insurance Program.

 
Evacuation warning in Crosby due to risk of an Arkema chemical plant exploding.  Yikes

eta:  looks like the plant itself was evacuated.  Not sure about the greater town.  

 
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That's disappointing. Just the other day I was telling my father how proud I was there weren't reports of looting here.

But then it isn't like we don't have burglaries during normal times. I don't know why they wouldn't do the same when people are gone.
Saw this earlier on a friend's fb.  Not smart in Texas. Can't believe it's not getting more air time.

Edit to remove link as not to spread false info.  My bad for not verifying.

 
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So say you have a house that is worth 250k, it has water in it 3 feet deep.  The furniture is all destroyed and appliances.    Insurance caps out at 100k for clothes, furniture, and appliances.  What would be the average cost to fix the house?   Drywall removal, wiring redone, floors ripped up, mold.          Oh, on a side note the Fox news station was interviewing a local contractor and getting back to work and the contractor stated, "I am ready to get back to work, but I can't find enough help.  No one can find enough laborers to work in construction at the moment."

Bankruptcies are going to be very high.   I guess we will see a lot of people from Houston starting to make their journeys to new places to live and work. 
Came across this just now based on federal numbers:  The average flood loss is $45,000

 
Saw this earlier on a friend's fb.  Not smart in Texas. Can't believe it's not getting more air time.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/28/gang-members-brandish-guns-and-joke-about-looting-white-neighborhoods-in-hurricane-harvey-6885182/
Probably because they quickly verified it is a hoax. Took me all of a minute to find that myself.

View the image from the first tweet to get the URL.  (https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/gang-1-1.jpg)
Google image search it.

Result:  Looting of a Walmart in Charlotte on 9/21/2016

 
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Just saw that the max rainfall was over 51 inches! All time record high. Text a buddy of mine in Katy. His home is basically on an island at this point. He is at his parent's home packing them, then said he plans to swim to his house to gather what he can before they all evac to his grandmother's. Begged him not to try and reach his house but haven't heard back in hours. I hope to god he was joking, but I don't think he was.

 
DallasDMac said:
Just saw that the max rainfall was over 51 inches! All time record high. Text a buddy of mine in Katy. His home is basically on an island at this point. He is at his parent's home packing them, then said he plans to swim to his house to gather what he can before they all evac to his grandmother's. Begged him not to try and reach his house but haven't heard back in hours. I hope to god he was joking, but I don't think he was.
Man, I hope he didn't too. Only thing worth going back for is a family member. Losing things sucks, especially ones you can't replace, but no thing is worth risking your life for. Hope he's ok.

 
DallasDMac said:
Just saw that the max rainfall was over 51 inches! All time record high. Text a buddy of mine in Katy. His home is basically on an island at this point. He is at his parent's home packing them, then said he plans to swim to his house to gather what he can before they all evac to his grandmother's. Begged him not to try and reach his house but haven't heard back in hours. I hope to god he was joking, but I don't think he was.
Hope your friend is ok.

 
Man, I hope he didn't too. Only thing worth going back for is a family member. Losing things sucks, especially ones you can't replace, but no thing is worth risking your life for. Hope he's ok.
Exactly. That's pretty much what I tried to convince him of. No idea if he listened. Hoping he is just to busy to respond. Driving maybe.

 
Gawain said:
After the event there will be people clamoring that there wasn't enough warning, homes weren't built to handle this event and that generally everyone dropped the ball.
However, if we prepped every home in the USA to handle events that occur less than once every hundred of years, we'd be worse off than having the occasional disaster.
If we evacuated everyone within twenty miles of the coast whenever a tropical storm threatened an area, we'd likely lose more $$ in terms of productivity and more lives in terms of traffic snafus than what we actually lose during events like this.
The urge to monday-morning quarterback is going to be tremendously strong, but people should remember the incredible rarity of storms like Harvey in Houston, Sandy in NY/NJ, Katrina in NO and Andrew in Florida.

ETA: T's and P's to all FBG affected and to everyone that's suffered a loss during this storm.
:goodposting:

No city is prepared for 50 inches of rain in 3 days. That's beyond the worst-case scenario. What happened in Houston isn't anything that ANY city could prepare for.

 
Thoughts and prayers to you all. I have vacation time coming up and have struggled on offering to volunteer to go down there or go back to CA for my sons 16th bday. I've decided to throw my name in the hat and see if my command will let me go since I'm independent duty. Truth is vacation home was not my dilemma, it's been a struggle as I had a hard time adjusting back to myself after spending months worth of time down at Katrina and Rita. I don't pray but tonight I pray for all of you in the affected area and those of you with family there.

 
DallasDMac said:
Just saw that the max rainfall was over 51 inches! All time record high. Text a buddy of mine in Katy. His home is basically on an island at this point. He is at his parent's home packing them, then said he plans to swim to his house to gather what he can before they all evac to his grandmother's. Begged him not to try and reach his house but haven't heard back in hours. I hope to god he was joking, but I don't think he was.
I'm probably stupid enough to try it.  If he's a strong swimmer and is going a somewhat short distance I could see risking it.  Would depend on what you are trying to save and how close to dark it would be.

 
I'm probably stupid enough to try it.  If he's a strong swimmer and is going a somewhat short distance I could see risking it.  Would depend on what you are trying to save and how close to dark it would be.
He's genuinely a smart fellow. So hopefully not doing anything stupid. Just one of many folks I am worried about, including all our own FBGs here in this thread. Glad everyone has been able to keep us updated as to how they are doing.

 
Wife's uncle lives in Kingwood area.  They left before storm and can't return and estimate they have two feet of water in their home and have been told they can't return until lake level goes down 9 feet.

 
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Cousin who was a NICU nurse went to volunteer at a shelter today.  Her comment was that there is a illness/flu thing that is going thru the shelters that is going to be a real problem.  It could be something that is making people sick in the water too who knows.

Food scarcity is starting to be an issue in pockets.  

In good news addicks has reported two declining readings in a row. 

 
Cousin who was a NICU nurse went to volunteer at a shelter today.  Her comment was that there is a illness/flu thing that is going thru the shelters that is going to be a real problem.  It could be something that is making people sick in the water too who knows.

Food scarcity is starting to be an issue in pockets.  

In good news addicks has reported two declining readings in a row. 
My close cousin lives in a Houston and sent me a pic of him wading chest deep in water to help a friend evacuate.  My biggest worry is that the water has got to be awful.  Hopefully his shower was extra long tonight.

 
Man, this looks serious. I'm waaaaay on the outskirts of this storm (Downtown, MS), but if anyone knows anyone who gets lost in my locale, holler I'll help them get help.

 
Long couple days for us. Have had to rescue a few friends, but we remain safe so far at what I hope is 105 ft. The resevoir overflow is less than a half mile away and rising. Barker is 101.5 with spillover at 104.5, so we got a few days to go to peak.

Been many nice folks with boats all day rescuing folks. Blackhawk helicopters and C 130s refueling helicopters, it sounds like a war zone here. 

I have a few friends 800k houses under water, no flood insurance. Their houses weren't even close to flooding in the tax day floods. 

Its a mess. But it's good to see people come together in times like this. Great to see the sun out today. 

 
All the FBGs who have posted, homes are ok, right?  I was a bit out of it for awhile with the fever, and remember talk of affected friends/family, but was there anyone whose own home was impacted?

 
Question about flood insurance because I really don't know.  My parents and sister live a block away from each other.  One is required to have flood insurance if they have a mortgage, the other isn't.  My understanding was that if your home wasn't in a federal or state designated "flood plain" that didn't require flood insurance, any water damage was covered by the regular home owners insurance.  I'm sure it depends on the policy.

Are all of these people that aren't in a designated flood plain really on the hook for the damage despite having homeowners insurance?

My ex and I had just moved into a house not in a flood plain.  Because of bad gutters and downspouts that we didn't notice when we moved in, we ended up with 2 feet of water in our basement after a period of heavy rain.  The insurance adjuster was very good to us, but I'm sure that scenario is completely different.

I would like to hear from someone in insurance to know what is going to be the liability of the homeowners in Houston that are not in a flood plain.
I'm not in insurance, but I can answer. Easier to cut and paste:

Why Do Lenders Require Flood Insurance?
Homeowners insurance policies (also called hazard insurance) do not cover flooding - only a separate insurance product can protect against flood damage. Flood insurance is usually optional for mortgaged homeowners in what are normally considered low-risk flood areas. It may even be optional for mortgaged homeowners in high-risk flood areas, depending on the mortgage product. However, homeowners who take out a mortgage from a lender that is federally regulated or insured (such as an FHA mortgage) and buy a home in a high-risk flood zone (also known as a Special Flood Hazard Area) will be required to buy flood insurance. In most cases, the homeowner will have to pay for flood insurance every year until the mortgage is paid off.

So yes, everyone without flood insurance is on the hook, regardless of floodplain or as safe of an area as they rate them. The federal government underwrites flood insurance, but you have to go to regular insurers to actually handle the policy. The rates are determined by FEMA based on things like the classification of the area, your exact elevation, etc, so it would be the same rate from any company.  If you don't have an Elevation Certificate, they basically give you the worst rate for that zone, is my understanding. Just being like 1 foot above the average flood surface can be a 30% savings, and 3 feet above can be a 60% savings.  There is also write-your-own where you and an insurer can come up with your own, within some federal guidelines.  Federal flood insurance is also limited to $250k structure and $100k possession.

 
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My close cousin lives in a Houston and sent me a pic of him wading chest deep in water to help a friend evacuate.  My biggest worry is that the water has got to be awful.  Hopefully his shower was extra long tonight.
Yeah, I was optimistic that most of the water was moving, rather than standing so we should have less funk floating around. Then I drove through some mud that was left behind and got some on my door handle. I've washed my hands six or seven times and can still smell it. 

 
All the FBGs who have posted, homes are ok, right?  I was a bit out of it for awhile with the fever, and remember talk of affected friends/family, but was there anyone whose own home was impacted?
I'm good. Wife's family in the area is all good.

How are you feeling? We ended up at MedSpring Urgent Care. Igno, Jr. diagnosed w/probable strep but doing well now. Luckily we got his antibiotics in at the one pharmacy open in the area. They closed about 5 minutes before I got there but I walked to the drive thru and pleaded with them. Guess they were sympathetic to the fact that I was picking up antibiotics so I didn't have to throw a brick through their window. 

 
I'm good. Wife's family in the area is all good.

How are you feeling? We ended up at MedSpring Urgent Care. Igno, Jr. diagnosed w/probable strep but doing well now. Luckily we got his antibiotics in at the one pharmacy open in the area. They closed about 5 minutes before I got there but I walked to the drive thru and pleaded with them. Guess they were sympathetic to the fact that I was picking up antibiotics so I didn't have to throw a brick through their window. 
Whew, glad you were able to get something.

I feel much better than I did that first day. Though still have a temperature fluctuating. Checked a bit ago and it was 97.7.

Having to go chase a racoon around my attic for an hour to get him out, and then board up the hole he made, didn't help. Underside of an overhang so wasn't an issue with the rain. Just needed to make sure he was out before I could board it up. Had called a roofer already before the storm, going to replace all the wood there with something they can't gnaw through. A few homes around here have had problems with that.

 
Have friends who have lost homes, but they are thankfully safe. Immediate family is all doing well, but mom's home is still in jeopardy depending on what happens to Brazos and San Bernard rivers. 

 
Really glad it's working out as well as can be imagined for all of you guys. Keeping dry, safe thoughts and prayers flowing. Are there any Houston ffa folk who haven't checked in? 

 
Incidentally, if anyone is encouraging folks to get flood insurance after this... at least in Harris County, any buildings in flood plains that were built after 6/97 should have Elevation Certificates on file with the county. You can request them through the Public Information request thing.  Costs like $300 if someone has to come in and do one. Not sure about other counties.

 
Interesting and thank you.  There is a 2 x 4 block section in my small town that is almost unsalable unless a buyer can pay cash..  I have 2 different friends that have homes in this area that would love to sell, but can only rent them out.  The extra insurance premium is tough for people looking at low cost housing because of the flood designation

This was all designated many years ago before flood controls were put in place, but the Houston situation is showing that it may be difficult to change even with controls in place.
The FEMA site also has a list of things that can be done to a structure to lower the insurance cost. Might have them take a look and see if anything is both affordable and enough to help.

 
About 80% of Hurricane Harvey victims do not have flood insurance, face big bills: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/08/29/hurricane-harvey-houston-flood-insurance-damages-claims/611910001/

It could take along time for some neighborhoods to recover. Per the article, in Katrina, about half the damaged homes had flood insurance. I don't know how many homes in Miami had wind-storm insurance to rebuild after Andrew, but it was definitely higher than 50%. The adjusters were generous and many people re-built better homes, added pools, put in new kitchens, etc. The economy recovered quickly, except for a few locations near Homestead. But insurance become much more expensive with higher premiums and deductibles, more inspections, and credits for high impact windows. Windstorm insurance on a $200,000 mortgage in a home east of I-95 can run upwards of $5,000 with a 2% deductible. Will flood insurance premiums increase after Harvey? 

 
Texans preseason game with Dallas has been moved to AT&T stadium.

Options the Texans gave for refunding to those who have tickets includes donating it to United Way of Houston for flood relief. I imagine that's going to bring in quite a bit of money.  On top of the 1 mil each that Texans, Titans, and NFL have donated.

 
Question about flood insurance because I really don't know.  My parents and sister live a block away from each other.  One is required to have flood insurance if they have a mortgage, the other isn't.  My understanding was that if your home wasn't in a federal or state designated "flood plain" that didn't require flood insurance, any water damage was covered by the regular home owners insurance.  I'm sure it depends on the policy.

Are all of these people that aren't in a designated flood plain really on the hook for the damage despite having homeowners insurance?

My ex and I had just moved into a house not in a flood plain.  Because of bad gutters and downspouts that we didn't notice when we moved in, we ended up with 2 feet of water in our basement after a period of heavy rain.  The insurance adjuster was very good to us, but I'm sure that scenario is completely different.

I would like to hear from someone in insurance to know what is going to be the liability of the homeowners in Houston that are not in a flood plain.
The best advice I can give anyone who didn't have flood insurance is to get a lawyer now who has experience in wind vs. flood damage cases. 

You may never use him/her.  But find one who will take your case if you get denied. 

 
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Having lived in Texas all I can say is it is one of the most well run states.

Really wish all those FBGs impacted the best in this really arduous time, I can only imagine based on what I see on the TV what you're going through.  Best of luck to all of you and your families. 

 
About 80% of Hurricane Harvey victims do not have flood insurance, face big bills: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/08/29/hurricane-harvey-houston-flood-insurance-damages-claims/611910001/

It could take along time for some neighborhoods to recover. Per the article, in Katrina, about half the damaged homes had flood insurance. I don't know how many homes in Miami had wind-storm insurance to rebuild after Andrew, but it was definitely higher than 50%. The adjusters were generous and many people re-built better homes, added pools, put in new kitchens, etc. The economy recovered quickly, except for a few locations near Homestead. But insurance become much more expensive with higher premiums and deductibles, more inspections, and credits for high impact windows. Windstorm insurance on a $200,000 mortgage in a home east of I-95 can run upwards of $5,000 with a 2% deductible. Will flood insurance premiums increase after Harvey? 
Texas has odd rules on this. Short answer is regular homeowners wont be affected 

 
The best advice I can give anyone who didn't have flood insurance is to get a lawyer now who has experience in wind vs. flood damage cases. 

You may never use him/her.  But find one who will take your case if you get denied. 
In typical hurricane situations, this sometimes get traction.  Especially slabs where significant winds came in at the same time as surge.

It's going to be very difficult for Houston.  The winds never got high enough for there to be a dispute.  Flood, wind driven water, surface water, etc.  None of these things are covered by homeowners insurance.  This hurricane as it relates to Houston is a flood event.  While you can still file a claim against homeowners that will almost certainly get denied (properly, since there is no coverage), it is such a long shot that I wouldn't get my hopes up fighting a fight that you know going in you have no business fighting.  Your best bet is probably if you also had a roof leak you could get some coverage to repaint a room, etc due to ceiling stains but your not going to also get coverage for the 3' of water in your home damaging your possessions, drywall, and flooring.  Maybe if a few shingles got torn off you get a new roof, if its irreparable due to age.

My best advice would be to get a start as soon as the water recedes cutting out the damaged drywall, carpets, soft goods and hope to start the drying process.  Even as uncomfortable as it may be, you can actually live in a home without proper drywall and flooring once properly dried out.  Use a camera to document everything you throw away and hope the Feds are more generous with FEMA money than they have been in prior events. 

 
In typical hurricane situations, this sometimes get traction.  Especially slabs where significant winds came in at the same time as surge.

It's going to be very difficult for Houston.  The winds never got high enough for there to be a dispute.  Flood, wind driven water, surface water, etc.  None of these things are covered by homeowners insurance.  This hurricane as it relates to Houston is a flood event.  While you can still file a claim against homeowners that will almost certainly get denied (properly, since there is no coverage), it is such a long shot that I wouldn't get my hopes up fighting a fight that you know going in you have no business fighting.  Your best bet is probably if you also had a roof leak you could get some coverage to repaint a room, etc due to ceiling stains but your not going to also get coverage for the 3' of water in your home damaging your possessions, drywall, and flooring.  Maybe if a few shingles got torn off you get a new roof, if its irreparable due to age.

My best advice would be to get a start as soon as the water recedes cutting out the damaged drywall, carpets, soft goods and hope to start the drying process.  Even as uncomfortable as it may be, you can actually live in a home without proper drywall and flooring once properly dried out.  Use a camera to document everything you throw away and hope the Feds are more generous with FEMA money than they have been in prior events. 
I'm not going to get into legal advice, but I've worked hundreds and hundreds of wind/flood claims as a plaintiff's lawyer, and while this is one perspective, I recommend getting a lawyer with experience on these cases.

They're going to have to do another Road Home program like they did in Louisiana after Katrina. Just not enough people with flood insurance. 

 
My best advice would be to get a start as soon as the water recedes cutting out the damaged drywall, carpets, soft goods and hope to start the drying process.  Even as uncomfortable as it may be, you can actually live in a home without proper drywall and flooring once properly dried out.  Use a camera to document everything you throw away and hope the Feds are more generous with FEMA money than they have been in prior events. 
Important advice for several reasons.  First is to document possible wind and water damages that occurred prior to the flood damages that may be covered under the homeowners contract and, uninsured losses may be claimed as deductions for tax purposes.  In addition, if you have a flood policy it can be used to outline what you had, but had to dispose prior to inspection.  Its been since Ike that I have worked flood, but in the least, be sure to photograph model and serial numbers on big appliances (and I would recommend on anything that has them).  

ETA, Better, IRS Link on Deductions

 
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Sounds like Beaumont / Port Arthur are getting hit hard. I saw on another board that the Cajun Navy has had to stand down in that area because the flooding and currents are too strong for the smaller boats. Basically USCG boats for rescue 

 
Yeah, I was optimistic that most of the water was moving, rather than standing so we should have less funk floating around. Then I drove through some mud that was left behind and got some on my door handle. I've washed my hands six or seven times and can still smell it. 
I can only imagine the contaminants in that water. Pesticide/herbicide runoff, sewage, oil and grease from vehicles/gas stations/mechanics, chemicals stored at businesses, on and on. Yuck.

 
TS Irma is making quick time. Models all over the place but looking at a Cat 2 landfall somewhere in the carolinas as the consensus.  

 
This bug just doesn't want to go away. 97 degree temperature this morning, ugh. Anyone who is out and about today, be sure to wash up frequently after contact with others if it is making the rounds as someone mentioned.

 
This bug just doesn't want to go away. 97 degree temperature this morning, ugh. Anyone who is out and about today, be sure to wash up frequently after contact with others if it is making the rounds as someone mentioned.
feel better, gb.

isn't 98.6 normal? ... are you saying you've got a negative fever?

so are you guys in the relative clear at this point? no additional flooding?

 

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