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View Full Version : Houston Officials Downplayed Flood Warnings as “Fake News”




Swordsmyth
08-28-2017, 04:20 PM
A Houston-area woman set off a firestorm in the hours leading up to Hurricane Harvey’s landfall when she wrote on social media that local officials and the mainstream media were misleading the public about the severity of the incoming storm.
Resident Rebecca Reisig (https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.reisig) said the Houston City Council knew Hurricane Harvey was expected to do far greater damage than was being reported to the public.

Hey guys, I’m not trying to start a panic, but as some of you know, I work for a law firm here downtown. One of the lawyers I work with has a friend on the Houston City Council. The news is not telling the whole truth. The storm is expected to be three times worse than what the news is saying because they don’t want a panic on the freeways like Hurricane Rita. The City Council and Harris County Flood Control had an emergency meeting this morning. Evertything sound of Katy is predicted to be devastated. They’re predicting 50 inches of rain, not 24 like the news is saying, and 100,000 homes destroyed. Theyre expecting all of Houston to be without power for three days. If you guys live in a flood zone, you need to get out of Houston or try to stay with someone further north of Houston. I hope they’re wrong, but that is the latest I’ve heard from what the news isn’t telling you. Stay safe everyone.
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Ms. Reisig’s post went viral and generated so much controversy that high-ranking Houston politicians and regional media outlets were forced to address it, ordering citizens to ignore it as ‘fake news’ and directing them to only pay attention to government warnings and ‘reputable’ media outlets.
“Harris County officials are batting down false information making the rounds from a Sugar Land lawyer, warning people not to fall for online hysteria,” reported (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricanes/article/Hurricane-Harvey-Houston-flood-fact-check-11956641.php) the Houston Chronicle on August 25. “The false information, in an email from the address of lawyer Ross Bale, indicated officials believed the approaching Hurricane Harvey could be far more devastating than first estimated.”

“Within minutes of the rumor gaining traction, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett had batted it down and spoken to the email’s author, telling him to leave the emergency warnings to Emmett and other officials.”
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“Get your news from legitimate news services, get your news from official sources,” said (http://www.khou.com/news/local/verify/verify-alarming-posts-spreading-on-social-media-are-false/467114788) Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. “There are things on the internet and social media that are just false. We’re trying to give you the best information, and we’ll continue to do that.”
An edited version of Reisig’s original post was circulated, and many social media users took to viciously ridiculing Reisig, and her profile is now missing from Facebook.
“False forecasts and irresponsible rumors on social media are interfering with efforts by the city of Houston, and its government and news media partners, to provide accurate information to the public about the expected effects of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Harvey,” said Houston mayor, Sylvester Turner, in a statement (http://mailchi.mp/houstontx/mayor-turner-urges-public-to-ignore-unfounded-weather-reports?e=d67fd9fea8). “Rumors are nothing new, but the widespread use of social media has needlessly frightened many people today.”

Several false emails & FB posts are being circulated on Hurricane Harvey. Ignore the messages! Monitor the media for official news/warnings pic.twitter.com/qVXk9YITk7 (https://t.co/qVXk9YITk7)
— Harris County OHSEM (@ReadyHarris) August 24, 2017 (https://twitter.com/ReadyHarris/status/900852278395056128)

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More at: https://www.infowars.com/houston-woman-warned-media-officials-were-downplaying-harvey-in-pre-hurricane-fb-post/

Swordsmyth
08-28-2017, 04:22 PM
The Democrats have become more and more desperate to blame Donald Trump for everything. Would they go so far as to sabotage the evacuation of Houston to have another thing to blame on Donald Trump?

https://www.infowars.com/did-democrats-sabotage-houston-evacuation-to-blame-trump/

Swordsmyth
08-28-2017, 04:24 PM
Why Did Democrat Mayor Order Houston Stand Down During Hurricane Catastrophe?Despite governor’s recommendations, Democrat officials ignored him
Democrat Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner refused to issue evacuation orders for the city’s 2.3 million residents, even after Governor Greg Abbott had advised Texans to do so.
Despite Governor Abbott issuing a state of disaster (https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-declares-state-of-disaster-for-30-texas-counties-in-anticip) declaration last Wednesday for Harris and 29 other Texas counties, Mayor Turner did not warn, inform or urge citizens to leave the area, parts of which have now been catastrophically devastated by over 30 inches of rain.
On Friday, Governor Greg Abbott advised (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Abbott-advises-Houstonians-to-evacuate-local-11959607.php), “Even if an evacuation order hasn’t been issued by your local official, if you’re in an area between Corpus Christi and Houston, you need to strongly consider evacuating.”

“If I were living in the Houston region, as I once did, I would decide to head to areas north of there,” he added.
On the other hand, “Mr. Turner, a Democrat, and other local officials urged residents to stay in their homes as Hurricane Harvey, which has since downgraded to a tropical storm, approached Houston on Friday,” reported The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-governor-mayor-split-over-if-houston-needed-evacuations-1503880263).
On Friday afternoon, Mayor Turner reiterated that no evacuation order had been issued for Houston.

Chaotic 2005 traffic with Hurricane Rita lurking was tragic. No official has issued evac order for Houston now. Calm and care! #Harvey (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Harvey?src=hash)
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) August 25, 2017 (https://twitter.com/SylvesterTurner/status/901156498155483137)


More at: https://www.infowars.com/why-did-democrat-mayor-order-houston-stand-down-during-hurricane-catastrophe/

oyarde
08-28-2017, 04:27 PM
Having been places a couple times when 9 - 11 inches of rain fell in a day , I do not think there is any way to downplay 20 to 50 inches of rain in an area that was once a buffalo wallow swamp and only 40 feet above sea level after it was built up.

oyarde
08-28-2017, 04:30 PM
When someone says 24 inches of rain . Time to get out unless you live on a mountain and then know you are not getting off except in a boat.

NorthCarolinaLiberty
08-28-2017, 04:47 PM
Maybe the US just needs more of those hot weather girls from Latin America.

phill4paul
08-28-2017, 04:51 PM
When someone says 24 inches of rain . Time to get out unless you live on a mountain and then know you are not getting off except in a boat.

Yup. Pretty much a no brain-er. Sure the weather guru's spin things up and make mountains of mole hills, but anyone that had been paying attention should have gotten the hell out.

Jamesiv1
08-28-2017, 05:10 PM
Yup. Pretty much a no brain-er. Sure the weather guru's spin things up and make mountains of mole hills, but anyone that had been paying attention should have gotten the hell out.
With this post, you sir, have demonstrated that you are a person of quality and accomplishment, who follows the arts and sciences. +rep