Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye

(think Janis Joplin not NSYNC)

Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coastline and much of my family this weekend. My uncle actually went down to the docks to say goodbye to his baby...his sailboat. His blood, sweat, and tears were poured into that boat, but the (at least) 20 foot storm surge was set to boost his baby over the 16 foot pylons. It was almost certainly goodbye forever. Now my brother and uncle are holding down the fort in the dark but oddly enough they are running a generator for all of their electronics (plus the fridge) so they are actually quite comfy. My uncle will have to wait to find out about his boat since the roads are impossible right now. What would I have to say goodbye to? Thankfully not much! Photo albums and some clothes would be the worst case scenario for me.

A bright moment amidst the darkness - my cousin texted me that she was fine, just bored out of her mind. I teased her that I'm sure she could find something fun to do with her husband to pass the time. Her reply, "Without A/C? Are you kidding?!"

Of course this episode (the hurricane not my cousin) hearkens back to Hurricane Katrina which begs the question who's responsible for responding to these disasters? A combination of state and federal agencies responded to Ike. I've always been of the mindset that people living in areas prone to natural disasters should foot the bill either through real estate values or local/state taxes that can subsidize rescue and recovery efforts. It's one of the reasons I love the east coast - no natural disasters! Why should I have to subsidize the lifestyle of those who live in tornado alley or along a faultline? If some people (like these crazies who decided to stick out the storm in Galveston) have a higher tolerance for risk than they and their surrounding community should pay for the consequences.