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[Trojita]

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/stricter-building-rules-supported-by-obama-but-rejected-by-trump-helped-certain-harvey-hit-communities/

One of the Executive Orders Trump signed last month revoked an Executive Order Obama signed that would force floodprone areas to impose higher elevation standards for buildings.

As Hurricane Harvey pummeled the Gulf coast in Texas, the city of Seabrook had an edge over flood-swamped nearby towns and the devastation in Houston, just a half-hour drive away.

Years ago, the city imposed higher elevation standards for buildings that were stricter than existing federal guidelines on construction in flood-prone areas. Before leaving office, President Barack Obama sought to toughen those national rules, to bring them more in line with those in communities like Seabrook. President Donald Trump, however, revoked Obama’s executive order last month.

Harvey, which has displaced around a million people and flooded swaths of Houston, has proven an early test of that decision. Floodplain experts wrote to Trump this week, urging him to rethink his reversal of Obama’s order.

“As we come to the conclusion of Harvey, we have suffered some damage to our community, but not to the extent that some of our neighboring communities have. That is partly because of our (elevation) requirement,” said Seabrook deputy city manager, Sean Landis.

Although Obama’s order had not yet come into effect when Trump rescinded it, some communities had been concerned about the cost of elevating existing buildings to comply with the new rules. But Landis said more stringent rules have paid off in Seabrook. “We feel more resilient,” he said.

Seabrook’s experience illustrates how some American coastal municipalities, fearing more intense storms and rising seas, have gone beyond federal standards for building in flood-prone areas. Those federal rules largely have not changed since the 1970s, when there was less evidence of the effects of global warming.

Obviously Obama's E.O. wasn't fully activated yet to make a difference, but it would surely have made a difference going forward. Trump's removal of Obama's E.O. is probably in line with his objective of erasing all of Obama's legacy. It's sad irony that Trump removed the E.O. just this past month and then a storm, that is the exact example of why this is needed, comes to wreak disaster.

 

[darkwing]

just going through a list, how petty can you be

 

[Choppasmith]

"I don't know what this does but Obama did it so it must be awful!"

 

[Zenner]

Obama's E.O. wasn't fully activated yet to make a difference, but it would surely have made a difference going forward

With all the reconstruction money that's gonna be flowing into post-hurricane areas, you'd figure the government would want a better framework in place to reduce the chance of mass destruction again.

Well, my tax-payer ass would appreciate it, in any event.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Good luck..

 

[DarkKyo]

Does his admin EVER stop to think "oh, maybe this was passed for a common sense reason for the good of the country and we shouldn't rescind it just because the mean black man who made fun of me did this?"

What a worthless buffoon.

 

[gabbo]

Does his admin EVER stop to think "oh, maybe this was passed for a common sense reason for the good of the country and we shouldn't rescind it just because the mean black man who made fun of me did this?"

What a worthless buffoon.

No he doesn't. Plain and simple.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Trump is a fucking idiot. His only goal is to undo everything Obama did.

 

[jelly]

Trump needs spoon fed an Obama policy every few days to get through the week.

Will any Republicans care to notice they are being screwed and vote differently.....

 

[rambis]

Terrible optics sure but neither the original order nor Trumps recant of it would've affected much now.

 

[WiiredShawn]

Trump needs spoon fed an Obama policy every few days to get through the week.

Will any Republicans care to notice they are being screwed and vote differently.....

Nope.

Replace "Skinny Repeal" with almost any Republican/Trump policy.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

TBH this is all due to that roasting Trump received at the House Dinner. He's getting his revenge.

 

[ultracal31]

Does his admin EVER stop to think "oh, maybe this was passed for a common sense reason for the good of the country and we shouldn't rescind it just because the mean black man who made fun of me did this?"

What a worthless buffoon.

Nope

It really as simple as destroy all of Obama legacy

 

[Addy117]

Nope

It really as simple as destroy all of Obama legacy

To be honest, if any legacy's gonna get destroyed, it'll be Trump's

 

[Duane Cunningham]

When the electoral backlash hits, and it will, the GOP is in for a world of hurt. And I hope that the resulting Democratic president makes it a point to restore every piece of Obama's legacy that Trump is trying to erase.

 

[Teren_Kanan]

When the electoral backlash hits, and it will, the GOP is in for a world of hurt. And I hope that the resulting Democratic president makes it a point to restore every piece of Obama's legacy that Trump is trying to erase.

I wish I had your faith.

 

[Scirrocco]

I wish I had your faith.

Oh the backlash is coming, there's no doubt and it will be big. The only question is if it will be enough to overcome voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the inevitable continuation of Russia's election meddling. We'll have to wait and see. And hope.