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Most Expensive Natural Disasters in the U.S.

Billion Dollar Natural Disasters

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The Most Expensive Natural Disasters in the United States

The Southern California wildfires claimed the lives of at least 29 individuals who resided in the Los Angeles and Palisade area for many years. Similar to other disasters, many families did not evacuate because they were unable to do so for various reasons. These wildfires were exacerbated by severe drought conditions as well as strong and gusty winds. Homes, churches, and businesses were scorched and burned to the ground, the fires consumed everything in its midst with no remorse. Families were displaced and lost precious lives and everything they worked and sacrificed for. According to the Urban Institute, "The recent wildfires in Los Angeles burned more than 11,500 homes across 60 square miles, making the fires one of the costliest disasters in US history and deepening the city's housing crisis". How do they begin to put the pieces together and rebuild? A natural disaster that I'm all too familiar with is Hurricane Katrina which ravaged my city, New Orleans, the Crescent City also known as The Big Easy. A welcoming city to all who enjoy jazz, carnivals, parades, friendly people, second line, beignets, jambalaya, gumbo, poboys, red beans and rice, and delicious seafood. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina did what no other hurricane had done in this country, it stole the lives of more than 1,800 New Orleanians with an estimated damages of $201.3 billion dollars. My family of 33 and I ranging from newborn to my elderly aunt evacuated with only enough clothes and toiletry to last us a weekend. We watched our city die along with the bodies being washed away in the flood waters. I tried to see if I could recognize someone, any one of those floating bodies or inhabitants on roof tops while tears rolled down our distraught faces. What would we do? Where would we go? In 2017, my family and I experienced a deja vu event when the rain showers wouldn't stop for days and power was lost. My sister, nieces, and I waded through the waters with our little ones on our shoulders so as to not lose any of them. We could no longer remain in the home due to the rising waters and our neverending trauma. At least 68 Houstonians perished in the deadliest Texas Hurricane since 1919 and more than 1 million people were displaced. The combination of flooding, electrocution, physical trauma, floodwater contamination infections caused the deaths of these residents. According to the National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic flooding and nearly 60 tornadoes which damaged an estimated 200,000 homes. What was the outcome? Natural disasters have serious ramifications such as loss of life and physical injury, trauma, displacement, environmental harm, and economic destruction. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "Natural disasters can seriously injure large numbers of people, contribute to the spread of some diseases, disrupt sanitation, and interrupt normal public service". The American Psychiatry Association (APA) stated, "Climate-related (disasters) increase in global temperatures affects populations via circumscribed localized disasters, but also via long-term and often large-scale effects that come from experiencing repeated disasters and their effects on well-being, economic stability and infrastructure in a given region". In this topic, we are often left with more questions than answers, more fear than certainty, and more chaos than peace. One thing that's certain is that after each event, we must START OVER and believe that we have A SECOND LINE OF HOPE!
Most Expensive Natural Disasters in the U.S.

Billion Dollar Natural Disasters

0

The Southern California wildfires claimed the lives of at least 29 individuals who resided in the Los Angeles and Palisade area for many years. Similar to other disasters, many families did not evacuate because they were unable to do so for various reasons. These wildfires were exacerbated by severe drought conditions as well as strong and gusty winds. Homes, churches, and businesses were scorched and burned to the ground, the fires consumed everything in its midst with no remorse. Families were displaced and lost precious lives and everything they worked and sacrificed for. According to the Urban Institute, "The recent wildfires in Los Angeles burned more than 11,500 homes across 60 square miles, making the fires one of the costliest disasters in US history and deepening the city's housing crisis". How do they begin to put the pieces together and rebuild? A natural disaster that I'm all too familiar with is Hurricane Katrina which ravaged my city, New Orleans, the Crescent City also known as The Big Easy. A welcoming city to all who enjoy jazz, carnivals, parades, friendly people, second line, beignets, jambalaya, gumbo, poboys, red beans and rice, and delicious seafood. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina did what no other hurricane had done in this country, it stole the lives of more than 1,800 New Orleanians with an estimated damages of $201.3 billion dollars. My family of 33 and I ranging from newborn to my elderly aunt evacuated with only enough clothes and toiletry to last us a weekend. We watched our city die along with the bodies being washed away in the flood waters. I tried to see if I could recognize someone, any one of those floating bodies or inhabitants on roof tops while tears rolled down our distraught faces. What would we do? Where would we go? In 2017, my family and I experienced a deja vu event when the rain showers wouldn't stop for days and power was lost. My sister, nieces, and I waded through the waters with our little ones on our shoulders so as to not lose any of them. We could no longer remain in the home due to the rising waters and our neverending trauma. At least 68 Houstonians perished in the deadliest Texas Hurricane since 1919 and more than 1 million people were displaced. The combination of flooding, electrocution, physical trauma, floodwater contamination infections caused the deaths of these residents. According to the National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic flooding and nearly 60 tornadoes which damaged an estimated 200,000 homes. What was the outcome? Natural disasters have serious ramifications such as loss of life and physical injury, trauma, displacement, environmental harm, and economic destruction. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "Natural disasters can seriously injure large numbers of people, contribute to the spread of some diseases, disrupt sanitation, and interrupt normal public service". The American Psychiatry Association (APA) stated, "Climate-related (disasters) increase in global temperatures affects populations via circumscribed localized disasters, but also via long-term and often large-scale effects that come from experiencing repeated disasters and their effects on well-being, economic stability and infrastructure in a given region". In this topic, we are often left with more questions than answers, more fear than certainty, and more chaos than peace. One thing that's certain is that after each event, we must START OVER and believe that we have A SECOND LINE OF HOPE!
Natural Disasters

Disasters

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Disasters also known as climate violence, sudden or great misfortunes come in all forms and sizes. Immediately, one may describe a disaster as natural weather catastrophes such as cyclones, droughts, fires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and the like. As a relocator from New Orleans, Louisiana to Houston, Texas, I am all too familiar with natural disasters […]

The Southern California wildfires claimed the lives of at least 29 individuals who resided in the Los Angeles and Palisade area for many years. Similar to other disasters, many families did not evacuate because they were unable to do so for various reasons. These wildfires were exacerbated by severe drought conditions as well as strong and gusty winds. Homes, churches, and businesses were scorched and burned to the ground, the fires consumed everything in its midst with no remorse. Families were displaced and lost precious lives and everything they worked and sacrificed for. According to the Urban Institute, "The recent wildfires in Los Angeles burned more than 11,500 homes across 60 square miles, making the fires one of the costliest disasters in US history and deepening the city's housing crisis". How do they begin to put the pieces together and rebuild? A natural disaster that I'm all too familiar with is Hurricane Katrina which ravaged my city, New Orleans, the Crescent City also known as The Big Easy. A welcoming city to all who enjoy jazz, carnivals, parades, friendly people, second line, beignets, jambalaya, gumbo, poboys, red beans and rice, and delicious seafood. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina did what no other hurricane had done in this country, it stole the lives of more than 1,800 New Orleanians with an estimated damages of $201.3 billion dollars. My family of 33 and I ranging from newborn to my elderly aunt evacuated with only enough clothes and toiletry to last us a weekend. We watched our city die along with the bodies being washed away in the flood waters. I tried to see if I could recognize someone, any one of those floating bodies or inhabitants on roof tops while tears rolled down our distraught faces. What would we do? Where would we go? In 2017, my family and I experienced a deja vu event when the rain showers wouldn't stop for days and power was lost. My sister, nieces, and I waded through the waters with our little ones on our shoulders so as to not lose any of them. We could no longer remain in the home due to the rising waters and our neverending trauma. At least 68 Houstonians perished in the deadliest Texas Hurricane since 1919 and more than 1 million people were displaced. The combination of flooding, electrocution, physical trauma, floodwater contamination infections caused the deaths of these residents. According to the National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic flooding and nearly 60 tornadoes which damaged an estimated 200,000 homes. What was the outcome? Natural disasters have serious ramifications such as loss of life and physical injury, trauma, displacement, environmental harm, and economic destruction. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "Natural disasters can seriously injure large numbers of people, contribute to the spread of some diseases, disrupt sanitation, and interrupt normal public service". The American Psychiatry Association (APA) stated, "Climate-related (disasters) increase in global temperatures affects populations via circumscribed localized disasters, but also via long-term and often large-scale effects that come from experiencing repeated disasters and their effects on well-being, economic stability and infrastructure in a given region". In this topic, we are often left with more questions than answers, more fear than certainty, and more chaos than peace. One thing that's certain is that after each event, we must START OVER and believe that we have A SECOND LINE OF HOPE!

Juneteenth

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‘Juneteenth’ by Amiri Farris Courtesy Of The Artist What is the meaning of Juneteenth? Why is it important? Why is it celebrated? Juneteenth is the oldest celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Freedom finally came to more than 250,000 enslaved on June 19, 1865, when roughly 2,000 Union troops in […]

Natural Disasters

Disasters

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Disasters also known as climate violence, sudden or great misfortunes come in all forms and sizes. Immediately, one may describe a disaster as natural weather catastrophes such as cyclones, droughts, fires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and the like. As a relocator from New Orleans, Louisiana to Houston, Texas, I am all too familiar with natural disasters affecting the deep south. According to the Natural Centers for Environmental Information, in 2024 Texas experienced Central and Northeast Severe Weather 6/2024, Hurricane Beryl 7/8, Derecho 7/13 and Hurricane Francine 9/11. The state of Louisiana endured tornadoes and flooding as a result of heavy rains and severe storms in April and May of last year. These disturbances affected Ascencion, Assumption, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, and Terrebonne parishes as per the Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center. As someone who actively works in the area of natural disasters, I’m here to inform you that these occurrences will continue to take place and may even worsen within the coming years.

Health calamities are also a specialty of mine as a Lupus, Leukemia, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and MGUS survivor dealing with Hypoglycemia, Scoliosis and degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine. According to the American Public Health Association, access to public health resources improves our quality of life, helps children thrive, reduces human suffering and saves money. Unfortunately, the United States has recently been experiencing a lack of public health through infectious disease outbreaks and uncontrollable gun violence which are serious disruptions of our current society and communities. National terrorists and racial attacks are also serious public health disasters since violence negatively affects physical health and mental disorders increasing economical and various disparities. Regrettably, I believe that this situation will only worsen as a result of the dissolution and dismemberment of governmental organizations which served to protect the public’s health and prevent massive epidemics.

Cataclysmic political actions have consequences that are adversely affecting this country like never before seen or experienced. The breakdown of long established and trusted international relationships have been annihilated. Intensifying climate change and lack of clean energy will exacerbate environmental pollution hindering any consideration of a sustainable future. Illnesses that are no longer preventable due to a lack of control will increase the likelihood of epidemics and pandemics as well as seriously strain our healthcare system. Relentless economy killers such as increased taxes, tariffs that we the people pay for, massive inflation, mass deportations, unemployment and financial downfalls will lead to an inevitable degree of homelessness. Lack of quality education, innovation, research, equity and equality will only set us back many years. Let’s not even talk about the lives lost in plane crashes this year alone. These are all tragedies that most would not normally categorize as disasters but in fact, they are.

Although some voters thought that their decision would positively affect them and negatively affect others, that’s never the case. Our decisions affect ALL of us.