re: Why does Florida just kick our arse in post hurricane recovery?

I talked to a few of those out of state crews helping in gouma after Ida. They all mentioned how bad our infrastructure was. We are a welfare state where we just wait for a storm to damage something and we get the fed funds to fix ir

During Gustav I was working disaster relief catering. I lived in Capitol Heights the first house off Government Street. I was the first house to get my power restored on my street because of that fact (my power was tied into Government Street's power while everyone else's was tied into the grid from Capitol Heights Road). It took 13 days for my house to get power restored. 16 days for the rest of the street.


While feeding the Entergy crews and all the Line Men from out of state, they explained that the reason was simple: They couldn't start working on repairing and replacing the power grid until all the debris was cleared away. And there was an ungodly amount of debris (fallen trees, limbs, etc.) from this storm because it was the first major storm to hit Baton Rouge since Andrew. That's a long time-period without any sort of high force winds clearing out weak tree structures and allowing more tree density than there should be.


The most glaring thing I've noticed since Gustav is the fact that before that storm the power in the Garden District would go out anytime someone sneezed outside. After Gustav passed through the power rarely goes out, even during heavy storms. Gustav cleared out all the weak tree limbs so now the power lines aren't taken down when one snaps due to wind.




Louisiana takes longer for "recovery" and to restore power because of environmental factors more than anything else. Trust me: Power companies want to get power restored as fast as humanly possible. As long as power is out, they are not making money, only spending money. But they can't send their repair crews out in the field to work on anything until they assess the damage and what/where they need cleaned up first. Not to mention if they can even get crews and equipment to locations safely and if they have a good foundation for new installation of equipment (can they securely install poles and the like in the ground or do they have to wait for it to drain/dry more.)


Florida gets hurricanes on a more regular basis preventing weak tree buildup, so the environmental damage and delays aren't as much of a factor.

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 While I understand a Cat 4 to a Cat 2 can't really be compared

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Apparently, you don't.

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Florida and FPL put a shite ton into infrastructure after 2004 Frances -Jeanne and 2005 Wilma. Buried lines, made sure gas stations have generators etc.

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There was a situation about 15 years ago where Louisiana received a bunch of generators for similar reasons, but they never seemed to get installed. I'm not sure whatever came of that, but it was right up there with the formaldehyde trailers as far as FEMA frick-ups in Louisiana.

Competent leadership

Money

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Why does Florida just kick our arse in post hurricane recovery?

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Lots of practice?

What was it the hurricane in 26' was one of the worst ever and was when South Florida was just getting their tourist game on.

Florida is one of the few states I pay attention to EVERY hurricane season.

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Just under 8%, actually.

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Is that base, or multiplier?

Ocala for horses

Orlando for Disney

South Florida for old people

Keys for fishing

That is just off the top of my head

How many in those groups came as tourists first and are now residents?

I would think accessibility and storm damage would be huge factors. Comparing the power restoration for these 2 storms is not the gotcha you think it is. BTW my camp was without power for a month and a half or longer from IDA.