Not to neglect Rockport or elsewhere, but this will focus on Houston, and on how some damages there will go beyond that city. This will be updated on an occasional basis.
Monday:
First, Exxon's Baytown refinery, one of many shut down, has been damaged by all the rain. No info on how this will make it take longer to reopen. This will further add to gas price issues, possibly.
Second, we know of one chemical spill in the Houston Ship Channel, along with several reports of petrochemical leaks. Expect more.
Third, Joel Osteen's reputation took a hit among those who don't better. Among those who do, his eventual, belated response to finally opening (some small part) of his church as evacuee help looks like PR more than anything. Given that a strip-mall mosque did this much earlier, that's even more true. Specifically, first, a Twitter Moment shows Lakewood was not flooded out. Second, the fact that the church eventually DID open its doors, also per Twitter, is further proof it wasn't flooded out, unless Osteen topped Moses of legend and actually parted waters.
Tuesday:
First, per an AP story, Houston is going to be a public health tragedy and nightmare for weeks if not months. The chemical spill and leaks and many others like it. Backed-up and broken sewer lines. City sewer systems flooded out before this is over is a possibility. All of that shit, literally, in stagnant water, in Houston? Like a welcome mat for mosquitoes. West Nile, Zika and who knows what else among more "traditional" mosquito-borne diseases. More here.
And, black mold among houses that aren't condemned, or that are, but people can't afford to leave.
Wednesday:
The big news is Harvey wreaking havoc on Beaumont-Port Arthur before landfall. The biggest issue that will ripple beyond the immediate area is the shutdown of the nation's largest oil refinery. I doubt, outside of gouging, that gas prices will go $1 a gallon higher, but 15-25 cents?
The bigger yet news is, per USA Today, that AccuWeather claims the total cost of Harvey will equal Katrina PLUS Sandy.
Thursday:
The Arkema chemical plant northeast of Houston has started having explosions that were warned about. Beaumont is officially without city water. Colonial Pipeline is shutting down its pipe that takes the South a lot of its refined gasoline from the coast.
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