Rebuilding from a hurricane is rarely fast or straightforward, and Ida is not any exception

On Monday, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards said he was working to make sure people doing reconstruction work in the area actually have shelter. Hotels in the region, for example, must give priority to healthcare workers, infrastructure repair workers and first aiders thanks to a proclamation he has signed. The same proclamation also suspends a number of court terms until the end of the month.

This makes sense because many streets are still unusable, debris and trash are strewn, New Orleans is still under curfew, and repairs may take longer than expected. For example, as reported by the Associated Press, repairing the roof of your home or business may seem like a relatively quick means of getting back to your home safely – hire the workers, pay the workers, etc. – but in the wake of Ida, the process can easily last until next year.

“Lots of the materials you would need for any project,” Henry D’Esposito, who leads construction research for a real estate services company, told the Associated Press in an interview, “and most importantly, something so urgent – you are not” for weeks or months being on site. ”He added that delays in sourcing materials such as steel, aluminum and drywall are a big problem.

Gas supplies collapsed on the Gulf Coast – a problem for people when it comes to refueling their cars, yes, but also when it comes to their power generators. This is not a minor issue when you consider that in some areas the power is largely out, cellular service is sparse, and some people do not have running water. Thousands of masts and transformers have failed, and while local workers come to help, none of these jobs can be done with the snap of a finger. But for people stuck in the heat of the region – and after trauma – help cannot come quickly enough.

It’s also about getting skilled workers to do the job – nobody wants someone without special skills to work on their roof, for example – and being able to house them, feed them, and generally a relatively safe environment Offer. When workers are relatively constrained for any of the reasons mentioned above – for example, there may be few hotel rooms with running water – workers can use the simple supply-demand model to raise their prices.

This makes sense for employees, but also a challenge for small business owners or homeowners who cannot compete with offers for more money. This can have a domino effect if, for example, delays in repairing your home or business mean you are staying in a hotel longer or unable to return to work. The longer some damage lasts, over time, the problem can get bigger, more expensive, and more complicated.

And, of course, we are still living through a global pandemic that can add extra stress to people who may be close to others, unable to go into quarantine after developing COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, or even people who have favourited There are lives with long-term health effects after the virus is survived. And as always after natural disasters, disabled people, the elderly and even pets can be particularly at risk as access during and after a disaster can (unfortunately) go out the window. We also know that incarcerated people are left chronically behind during natural disasters, and Ida was no exception.

Help us now to support the relief efforts for Hurricane Ida.