(C) Common Dreams
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Hurricanes Irma and Harvey may be a 'wake-up call' for vulnerable cities, and local zoning laws: Expert [1]
['Beth Corsentino']
Date: 2017-09-15
The numbers are mind boggling.
Collective estimates for the damage caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma are upwards of $200 billion. According to Paul Walsh, director of weather strategy and a business meteorologist for IBM's Global Business Services, that's half the total cost of damage caused by all hurricanes over the past 50 years.
Part of the reason for the high price tag is more people moving into "at risk" areas. In Florida alone, more than 5 million people evacuated their homes.
"Whether or not they are able to rebuild I think is a question" Walsh told CNBC's "On the Money" recently. He said that given the devastation from these storms, zoning standards for rebuilding may need to change.
"I think there has to be a lot of thought put into how we, sort of, zone and where people should be building," Walsh said, pointing to the flooding in Houston. He believes the way the city was laid out contributed to the damage, as Houston is the only major U.S. city without zoning.
Walsh added that the hurricane "is going to be a bit of a wake-up call in terms of the way we develop our communities going forward, especially along the coastal areas."
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[1] Url:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/15/hurricanes-irma-and-harvey-may-be-a-wake-up-call-for-vulnerable-cities-and-local-zoning-laws-expert.html
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