Penna Dexter

I live in Texas. There’s a gaping wound in my state and nation. It needs care and prayer as it heals from Harvey’s devastation. Still we can be grateful for the lessons learned and applied well from another devastating Gulf storm, Hurricane Katrina. We learned to get ready. One can always hope a hurricane will weaken or change course. But as Hurricane Harvey formed, state and federal authorities assumed the worst and made detailed pre-storm preparations. Two hundred buses were at the ready to transport people off the coast to safer areas where there were more than 40,000 beds set up in shelters. Dallas, five hours north, got its convention center and buses ready for a mass influx of evacuees from South Texas. Notably, the Texas Governor activated the National Guard early on. And the Houston mayor had police and firefighters ready to deploy. Hurricane Katrina exposed the flaws in FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In its aftermath, Congress stepped in with reforms that are proving to be crucial today. FEMA must no longer wait for a governor’s call, though the proactive Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, took the lead and worked closely with the feds to identify needs and marshal resources. At the federal level, the Wall Street Journal pointed out that the White House has demonstrated a reassuring ability to focus on a disaster when needed. FEMA was on the ground in Texas 48 hours before Harvey made landfall. The Coast Guard and Energy Department monitored oil and gas facilities and 650 HHS workers were on hand for medical needs. Private companies stepped in. Walmart sent more than 1000 trucks filled with supplies to Houston. Bass Pro Shops sent 80 tracker boats for rescues. The biggest story though is of individuals chipping in to help. The Journal’s columnist Holman Jenkins wrote of “millions of Americans who are not waiting around for someone to tell them what to do.” Dunkirk-like selfless neighbors and out-of-staters hopped into boats seeking Texans to rescue. Savor this unity. And pray it endures during the challenges ahead.