It has been just about 3 months since hurricane Rita swept through my home and business located on Lake Livingston, Texas.
From a nearby dock, I watch the setting sun, with the lake looking like a scene out of a post-apocalypic movie.
Lake Livingston is barren, stagnant, polluted, and filled with tree stumps as far as the eye can see. It now resembles a Louisiana swamp more than the recreational and sporting lake it once was in its heyday.
Waterfront property is now beachfront with boats hanging precariously from their lifts. If lowered they would sink into a quagmire of something with the consistancy of quicksand. More than an inconvience to the boat owners, it has caused property values to plummet.
As hurricane Rita slammed into the \”golden triangle\” – Orange, Beaumont, and Port Arthur, Texas, her winds gusted to nearly 120 mph. Winds that pushed the second largest manmade inland body of water in Texas against it already compromised 2.5 mile long earthen dam.
The fear was that the dam would be breached and half of Houston\’s city water would be dumped into the Gulf of Mexico along with thousand of homes along the banks of the Trinity River.
The decision was made to lower the water level 4 feet at the dam, below the defect, which drained all but less than a foot of water now left in the lake north of the Hwy. 190 bridge.
Lake Livingston is the lifeblood of Polk, San Jacinto, and Trinity counties. Since hurricane Rita hit, almost 1 in 5 small businesses have closed their doors including Livingston\’s only Radio Shack.
The better capitalized businesses, such as boat and motor home sales, are sure to follow as the lake continues to deteriorate due to a 2 year drought, high gasoline prices and the lack of any navigatable water.
Even the diehard catfishers in their Jon boats are staying out of the lake and on the river due to marine hazards.
Aquatic bird, reptile, and mammal populations have crashed as their natural habitats and breeding grounds have been decimated.
There was an outpouring of sympathy and donations immediately after Katrina and Rita, and big promises made by the government to help with reconstruction and economic aid. Personally, I received a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches and a bag of ice from the FEMA truck.
The $2,000 FEMA grants were enough for most families to put food on the table, clothes on their back, a roof over their head, and gas in their cars for about a month.
As far as donations, if you do not already know, a number of studies have been commissioned and it has been found that only about ten cents out of every dollar actually winds up in the hand of the needy.
Unless you see the misery and economic harship everyday, the hurricanes were just another media event. To the average midwestern, east, or west coast family it is only a cognitive tragedy that happened on TV and has faded from most peoples day-to-day memory.
The main lesson I learned is that despite the federal, state, and local government taking about 60% of your earnings in the form of one tax or another, you as a citizen can expect little, if anything in return – short of a couple of ham sandwiches and a bag of ice while facing a major crisis.
In other words, when it comes down to it you are on your own.
We have updated our privacy policy to be more clear and meet the new requirements of the GDPR. By continuing to use our site, you accept our revised Privacy Policy.
It has been just about 3 months since hurricane Rita swept through my home and business located on Lake Livingston, Texas.
From a nearby dock, I watch the setting sun, with the lake looking like a scene out of a post-apocalypic movie.
Lake Livingston is barren, stagnant, polluted, and filled with tree stumps as far as the eye can see. It now resembles a Louisiana swamp more than the recreational and sporting lake it once was in its heyday.
Waterfront property is now beachfront with boats hanging precariously from their lifts. If lowered they would sink into a quagmire of something with the consistancy of quicksand. More than an inconvience to the boat owners, it has caused property values to plummet.
As hurricane Rita slammed into the \”golden triangle\” – Orange, Beaumont, and Port Arthur, Texas, her winds gusted to nearly 120 mph. Winds that pushed the second largest manmade inland body of water in Texas against it already compromised 2.5 mile long earthen dam.
The fear was that the dam would be breached and half of Houston\’s city water would be dumped into the Gulf of Mexico along with thousand of homes along the banks of the Trinity River.
The decision was made to lower the water level 4 feet at the dam, below the defect, which drained all but less than a foot of water now left in the lake north of the Hwy. 190 bridge.
Lake Livingston is the lifeblood of Polk, San Jacinto, and Trinity counties. Since hurricane Rita hit, almost 1 in 5 small businesses have closed their doors including Livingston\’s only Radio Shack.
The better capitalized businesses, such as boat and motor home sales, are sure to follow as the lake continues to deteriorate due to a 2 year drought, high gasoline prices and the lack of any navigatable water.
Even the diehard catfishers in their Jon boats are staying out of the lake and on the river due to marine hazards.
Aquatic bird, reptile, and mammal populations have crashed as their natural habitats and breeding grounds have been decimated.
There was an outpouring of sympathy and donations immediately after Katrina and Rita, and big promises made by the government to help with reconstruction and economic aid. Personally, I received a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches and a bag of ice from the FEMA truck.
The $2,000 FEMA grants were enough for most families to put food on the table, clothes on their back, a roof over their head, and gas in their cars for about a month.
As far as donations, if you do not already know, a number of studies have been commissioned and it has been found that only about ten cents out of every dollar actually winds up in the hand of the needy.
Unless you see the misery and economic harship everyday, the hurricanes were just another media event. To the average midwestern, east, or west coast family it is only a cognitive tragedy that happened on TV and has faded from most peoples day-to-day memory.
The main lesson I learned is that despite the federal, state, and local government taking about 60% of your earnings in the form of one tax or another, you as a citizen can expect little, if anything in return – short of a couple of ham sandwiches and a bag of ice while facing a major crisis.
In other words, when it comes down to it you are on your own.