Hurricane Rita

[xcmt]

So what the hell happens when Houston is destroyed? Will it not be so terrible because it's actually above sea level? Will Bush leap to

Can Republicans fund the Iraq war, Katrina victims, and Rita victims? This seems like a reconstruction, military funding, no-inflation; pick two kind of situation.

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Houston's too far Inland

and if it's really destroyed, I'm sure Bush will come talk about kickin' it on Pat Robertson's porch.

[Hissyspit]

2. There is potential for significant flooding in Houston...

under just the right condition. Too soon to tell, of course. Charlotte is far inland and Hugo caused major damage. It didn't destroy the city.

[FloridaPat]

3. As Galveston goes, so goes the country & economy.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/092105_rita_storm.shtml

" September 21st, 2005 1530 PST (FTW) – As I pack my bags to head to Washington for Congressional Black Caucus hearings on the September 11th attacks (to be conducted this Friday and Saturday) my inbox is being progressively flooded with emails from inside sources in the energy industry about what Hurricane Rita is now likely to accomplish – the near-complete destruction of an already teetering US economy.

Fully 30% of all US refining capacity is in the target zone. Perhaps most importantly, almost every refinery capable of producing diesel fuel is in immediate danger. This promises (especially in the wake of Katrina) a devastating and irreplaceable shortage of the diesel fuel needed to power America’s harvest of grain and food crops this month and next. Without diesel fuel to power the harvesters and combines, crops may be left to rot in the ground presenting a double whammy: food shortages (with prices that may treble or quadruple) and export defaults negatively impacting the financial markets and trade deficit.

Even before Rita strikes, fully 30% of all domestic natural gas production is shut in. The US cannot import natural gas from overseas like it can both crude and refined products. Repair work on infrastructure damaged by Katrina has been halted as crews have been evacuated. The remaining half of Gulf energy production undamaged by Katrina is directly in Rita’s crosshairs. Natural gas prices are up over 110% and home heating oil futures are up almost 70% before Rita even gets here. Since Katrina, US domestic oil production is down one million barrels per day (from 5Mbpd to 4 Mbpd). We were producing 9 Mbpd less than a decade ago. "

[obxhead]

4. it does suck

It really would take so little to shut this country down. Still we are unprepared.
9/11 changed everything. Rrrriiight.