The wealthy have the political power and resources for the dikes, berms and spillways that can protect them. The poor are indeed bearing the brunt of the flood (as with most of Houston’s floods) and they benefit less from recovery programs like fema grants, small-business loans and insurance payouts. There’s also the Texan environmental racism in the placement of the chemical and refinery plants in low-income neighbourhoods of colour and small cities, which cause health problems with the contamination in floodwaters and the air pollution released.

Too many Texans (and unfortunately now the U.S. government) are of the mind that government and regulations are only good when it’s helping their own.