Preparing Vancouver and other B.C. communities for climate disasters will always be cheaper than rebuilding from the ruins.
When Hurricane Beryl came ashore in southeast Texas early last week, it was a mere Category 1 hurricane.
But that was enough to give the Houston region a first-class polycrisis built on inadequate infrastructure.
It also gave us reason to look at our own power resources challenged by climate change.
What happened when the power went out
Of course Beryl caused floods, but Houston always floods. Beryl also knocked out much of the electrical grid, triggering a rush of other problems. Traffic signals went out, resulting in enormous traffic jams. Gas stations without electricity couldn’t refuel cars; those with power had long lineups to deal with.
Even businesses with electricity often found themselves struggling. Many were short-staffed, as employees were marooned in blacked-out neighbourhoods far across town. The same was true of hospitals and other health-care facilities.
Downtown Houston suffered a spill of 154,000 gallons (583,000 litres) of “domestic wastewater” — a polite term for raw sewage.
And with no power, Houston had another infrastructure problem: no air conditioning, while the heat index (a combination of heat and humidity) soared to 106 F (41 C) late last week.
The total economic loss due to Beryl was estimated at $30 billion — and the hurricane season has just begun.