----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Tarr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: Energy Crisis
> > Let me conclude by relating one of my favorite stories:
> >
> > The City of Galveston, TX is located on the Gulf of Mexico, and as such,
> > yearly faces the risk of hurricanes. When a hurricane is bearing down
> on
> > Galveston, the price of plywood to board up windows and doors regularly
> > increases to several times its ordinary cost. People from surrounding
> > cities load up their trucks and vans with plywood, and drive down to
> > Galveston to take advantage of those high prices and make an extra buck.
> >
> > Now, the City Council of Galveston, TX thought that this was grossly
> > unfair. If plywood cost a certain price in January, then the price
> > certainly should not increase several times just when then citizenry
> needed
> > the plywood the most. Neglecting for a moment that everyone living in
a
> > hurricane zone like Galveston should stock up on plywood whenever the
> price
> > is relatively cheap - the City Council took matters into their own
hands,
> > declaring that plywood prices would not be allowed to increase whenever
> > there was a threat of a hurricane.
> >
> > Sure enough, the next hurricane rolled around, and prices stayed flat.
Of
> > course, without the high prices, the truckloads of plywood from
> > entrepreneurs from nearby inland communities never materialized either.
> > This time around, the City of Galveston was terribly short of plywood,
and
> > when the hurricane finally hit, the damage was enormous.
> >
> > Suffice to say, the City of Galveston promptly repealed its ordinance in
> > time for the next hurricane.
> >
> > JDG
>
> John, I like what you say about 90% of the time. Usually you say what I'm
> thinking a lot better. (Here it comes). BUT I was suspicious about this
> story.
It is kinda strange, but seems familiar to me in a vague sort of way.
> I've been to Galeveston
I live within 35 miles of Galveston and have probobly been there more times
than everyone on the list put together. <G>
and I'm a weather buff. My knowledge said
> that since 1900 Galveston was hit only four times with Hurricanes.
Which means nothing of course. You have to prepare for a hurricane days in
advance if you live near the coast.
> Of course
> even indirect hits cause a lot of wind hundereds of miles away, but I
didn't
> think the townies were shuttering up their houses every time a storm got
> past Cuba.
Actually some do. Cuba isnt that far away from here.
>
> I do know where your story comes from but I saw no supporting evidence
that
> Galveston tried to control prices. It even sounds implosible. There is
just
> too much area to cover that would cause that much spare plywood to be
> trucked to Galveston.
Galveston is a long thin island barely out of the gulf. It isnt implausible
that plywood would run out quickly when authorities usually recommend
evacuation during a hurricane.
> A storm that hits Galveston will certainly do damage
> to Houston, unless they were noticing plywood being sold from trucks from
> Oklahoma or Arkansas.
Aside from the fact that Texas is immensely incredibly huge, Louisiana is
the nearest state to Galveston, being only a few hours away.
>
> Of course stocking up isn't an issue. You really can't store plywood
> effectively, it has to stay dry all of the time and to keep enough for
your
> house or business would quickly seem a waste if you didn't use it for
three
> years.
Most people store plywood in their garage attic around here. It stays dry
year round and remains in good condition for 15 to 20 years. Then you might
have some dry rot.
> A smart home owner would have storm proof shutters.
The only storm shutters I can recall seeing here are the decorative kind
that dont actually work. They just look good.
>
> Otherwise you points are valid. just wondering about the source.
>
The city of Galveston does not encompas the whole of Galveston Island. Any
such law would only cover about half the homes there.
xponent
rob
