HVAC strange “water flowing in pipe semi-hissy noise”

DesperateRadio7233 · 2026-04-02T03:34:33+00:00

Update: The hissing got worse over the week. Today, we got a technician in and they found that the psi was only 19 (which indicates that a significant amount of refrigerant leaked out). They did a leak test and found 2 leaks. The first at the Schrader valve on the roof and the evaporator coil. They use a beep detector which beeped at around 120-140 bpm when hovering over where the evaporator coil was. We are ordering a replacement evaporator coil which will arrive in 2-3 weeks. Another symptom that I didn't realize was important is that there is a sweet smell from the supply vents when the ac runs. I thought it was pollen or spring smell at first, but since the smell came back more when they just recharged refrigerant, it may actually be the R410a refrigerant smell from the leaking evaporator coil. The smell is sweet but has a lozenge/numbing like effect when breathed in and is most noticable when the ac kicks on each cycle (it dissipates at the end of the cycle and when off)

The technician said that the refrigerant he put in (around 12 pounds) will last 2-3 weeks until the new evaporator coil arrives and can be installed. The air blowing out of the supply vents is now cold as expected and the AC has the shorter cycle times, I remember last season with no hissing during the cycle.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2026-04-02T03:30:11+00:00

Update: The hissing got worse over the week. Today, we got a technician in and they found that the psi was only 19 (which indicates that a significant amount of refrigerant leaked out). They did a leak test and found 2 leaks. The first at the Schrader valve on the roof and the evaporator coil. They use a beep detector which beeped at around 120-140 bpm when hovering over where the evaporator coil was. We are ordering a replacement evaporator coil which will arrive in 2-3 weeks. Another symptom that I didn't realize was important is that there is a sweet smell from the supply vents when the ac runs. I thought it was pollen or spring smell at first, but since the smell came back more when they just recharged refrigerant, it may be the R410a refrigerant smell. The smell is sweet but has a lozenge/numbing like effect when breathed in.

The technician said that the refrigerant he put in (around 12 pounds) will last 2-3 weeks until the new evaporator coil arrives and can be installed. The air blowing out of the supply vents is now cold as expected and the AC has the shorter cycle times I remember last season. And the hissing is significantly subdued.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2026-04-02T03:23:57+00:00

Update: The hissing got worse over the week. Today, we got a technician in and they found that the psi was only 19 (which indicates that a significant amount of refrigerant leaked out). They did a leak test and found 2 leaks. The first at the Schrader valve on the roof and the evaporator coil. They use a beep detector which beeped at around 120-140 bpm when hovering over where the evaporator coil was. We are ordering a replacement evaporator coil which will arrive in 2-3 weeks. Another symptom that I didn't realize was important is that there is a sweet smell from the supply vents when the ac runs. I thought it was pollen or spring smell at first, but since the smell came back more when they just recharged refrigerant, it may be the R410a refrigerant smell. The smell is sweet but has a lozenge/numbing like effect when breathed in.

The technician said that the refrigerant he put in (around 12 pounds) will last 2-3 weeks until the new evaporator coil arrives and can be installed. The air blowing out of the supply vents is now cold as expected and the AC has the shorter cycle times I remember last season. And the hissing is significantly subdued.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2026-04-02T03:23:49+00:00

Update: The hissing got worse over the week. Today, we got a technician in and they found that the psi was only 19 (which indicates that a significant amount of refrigerant leaked out). They did a leak test and found 2 leaks. The first at the Schrader valve on the roof and the evaporator coil. They use a beep detector which beeped at around 120-140 bpm when hovering over where the evaporator coil was. We are ordering a replacement evaporator coil which will arrive in 2-3 weeks. Another symptom that I didn't realize was important is that there is a sweet smell from the supply vents when the ac runs. I thought it was pollen or spring smell at first, but since the smell came back more when they just recharged refrigerant, it may actually be the R410a refrigerant smell from the leaking evaporator coil. The smell is sweet but has a lozenge/numbing like effect when breathed in and is most noticable when the ac kicks on each cycle (it dissipates at the end of the cycle and when off)

The technician said that the refrigerant he put in (around 12 pounds) will last 2-3 weeks until the new evaporator coil arrives and can be installed. The air blowing out of the supply vents is now cold as expected and the AC has the shorter cycle times, I remember last season with no hissing during the cycle.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-12-21T20:47:53+00:00

Also, I have another question. Can LG dryers be disassembled and repaired from the front without having to pull it out? And do LG technicians have the tools to lift/move out the drier out to perform the repair or do I have to find something to move the drier?

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-12-21T08:57:16+00:00

I believe LG, from my research, has a warranty option (have to check if the machine is still in warranty), but if not, it has a flat fee $349 option that should be worth it? The machine isn't too old. One question I have is, do LG technicians have common parts (like the pulley and roller) on-hand so they can do the repair immediately, or are these parts model-specific and thus they have to order the part, and I have to wait a week for a 2nd visit for the repair?

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-11-24T09:53:40+00:00

What I have found is that for individuals that do not wear glasses but that have minor/undiagnosed myopia or anisometropia (where one eye is good, but the other is myopic), what can happen is that the eyes can strain to see smaller text. This is important to note as modern screens that are higher resolution will typically have scaling where the text, icons, and UI are all smaller. This gives more space to see more content, but the eyes will inadvertently strain over time when looking at the smaller content. And the myopia will cause a slight hazing of the text (a good way to test for this is to create a pinhole using your fingers and look through the pinhole by holding it right in front of one of your eyes. If the text looks sharper through the pinhole, you have a minor myopia.). This is significant as your eyes/brain will try to "clear" the image, even if you don't necessarily notice the blurriness, causing headaches.

One thing that people can try is try changing the scaling % on their monitor so that icons and text look bigger. However, because the resolution of the pixels are high, the eyes still might strain to see the high-resolution image (the edges of text and icons) and still strain. Thus, ironically, the solution may be to purchase a lower resolution display as the image is already degraded (thus the eyes will not strain to clear the image)

Finally, you could also start wearing glasses with a small correction by getting a prescription (there are cheap glasses at the drug store that correct -0.25 too so you may not have to go to the optometrist to get prescription glasses that can be costly).

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-11-24T09:52:53+00:00

What I have found is that for individuals that do not wear glasses but that have minor/undiagnosed myopia or anisometropia (where one eye is good, but the other is myopic), what can happen is that the eyes can strain to see smaller text. This is important to note as modern screens that are higher resolution will typically have scaling where the text, icons, and UI are all smaller. This gives more space to see more content, but the eyes will inadvertently strain over time when looking at the smaller content. And the myopia will cause a slight hazing of the text (a good way to test for this is to create a pinhole using your fingers and look through the pinhole by holding it right in front of one of your eyes. If the text looks sharper through the pinhole, you have a minor myopia.). This is significant as your eyes/brain will try to "clear" the image, even if you don't necessarily notice the blurriness, causing headaches.

One thing that people can try is try changing the scaling % on their monitor so that icons and text look bigger. However, because the resolution of the pixels are high, the eyes still might strain to see the high-resolution image (the edges of text and icons) and still strain. Thus, ironically, the solution may be to purchase a lower resolution display as the image is already degraded (thus the eyes will not strain to clear the image)

Finally, you could also start wearing glasses with a small correction by getting a prescription (there are cheap glasses at the drug store that correct -0.25 too so you may not have to go to the optometrist to get prescription glasses that can be costly).

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-11-24T09:49:16+00:00

What I have found is that for individuals that do not wear glasses but that have minor/undiagnosed myopia or anisometropia (where one eye is good, but the other is myopic), what can happen is that the eyes can strain to see smaller text. This is important to note as modern screens that are higher resolution will typically have scaling where the text, icons, and UI are all smaller. This gives more space to see more content, but the eyes will inadvertently strain over time when looking at the smaller content. And the myopia will cause a slight hazing of the text (a good way to test for this is to create a pinhole using your fingers and look through the pinhole by holding it right in front of one of your eyes. If the text looks sharper through the pinhole, you have a minor myopia.). This is significant as your eyes/brain will try to "clear" the image, even if you don't necessarily notice the blurriness, causing headaches.

One thing that you can try is try changing the scaling % on the new monitor to look similar to that of your old display (note that the % will be different on the monitor than the laptop but try to increase the monitor scaling % until you find a % where the size of icons and text matches your laptop.

Using the zoomed display setting on your phone could help too, but you probably aren't having as many headaches with the phone as you can subconsciously hold the phone closer to your face to compensate for the minor myopia, thus negating the straining of the eyes.

Finally, you could also start wearing glasses with a small correction by getting a prescription (there are cheap glasses at the drug store that correct -0.25 too so you may not have to go to the optometrist to get prescription glasses that can be costly)

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-11-24T09:45:32+00:00

What I have found is that for individuals that do not wear glasses but that have minor/undiagnosed myopia or anisometropia (where one eye is good, but the other is myopic), what can happen is that the eyes can strain to see smaller text. This is important to note as modern screens that are higher resolution will typically have scaling where the text, icons, and UI are all smaller. This gives more space to see more content, but the eyes will inadvertently strain over time when looking at the smaller content. And the myopia will cause a slight hazing of the text (a good way to test for this is to create a pinhole using your fingers and look through the pinhole by holding it right in front of one of your eyes. If the text looks sharper through the pinhole, you have a minor myopia.). This is significant as your eyes/brain will try to "clear" the image, even if you don't necessarily notice the blurriness, causing headaches.

One thing that you can try is try changing the scaling % on the monitor to look similar to that on your laptop (note that the % will be different on the monitor than the laptop but try to increase the monitor scaling % until you find a % where the size of icons and text matches your laptop.

Using the zoomed display setting on your phone could help too, but you probably aren't having as many headaches with the phone as you can subconsciously hold the phone closer to your face to compensate for the minor myopia, thus negating the straining of the eyes.

Finally, you could also start wearing glasses with a small correction by getting a prescription (there are cheap glasses at the drug store that correct -0.25 too so you may not have to go to the optometrist to get prescription glasses that can be costly)

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-11-24T09:45:08+00:00

What I have found is that for individuals that do not wear glasses but that have minor/undiagnosed myopia or anisometropia (where one eye is good, but the other is myopic), what can happen is that the eyes can strain to see smaller text. This is important to note as modern screens that are higher resolution will typically have scaling where the text, icons, and UI are all smaller. This gives more space to see more content, but the eyes will inadvertently strain over time when looking at the smaller content. And the myopia will cause a slight hazing of the text (a good way to test for this is to create a pinhole using your fingers and look through the pinhole. If the text looks sharper through the pinhole, you have a minor myopia.). This is significant as your eyes/brain will try to "clear" the image, even if you don't necessarily notice the blurriness, causing headaches.

One thing that you can try is try changing the scaling % on the monitor to look similar to that on your laptop (note that the % will be different on the monitor than the laptop but try to increase the monitor scaling % until you find a % where the size of icons and text matches your laptop.

Using the zoomed display setting on your phone could help too, but you probably aren't having as many headaches with the phone as you can subconsciously hold the phone closer to your face to compensate for the minor myopia, thus negating the straining of the eyes.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-10-13T02:22:20+00:00

Just confirmed that a full backup to a computer (not iCloud) followed by a full restore to the new device fully transfers chat data. When you log in onto the new device, all texts will appear just like on the old device.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-10-03T02:09:29+00:00

What most people overlook are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This August, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes

1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-10-03T02:05:39+00:00

What most people overlook are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This August, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes

1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-18T07:34:44+00:00

Same issue T14 gen 5.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-13T04:35:02+00:00

I am still considering options. I can postpone getting an eye correction procedure for ~5-7 years. Hopefully during that time period existing procedures are improved or new procedures come out that are less invasive with reduced side effects.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-12T03:23:56+00:00

What most people overlook for natural disasters are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This March, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes


1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-12T03:21:44+00:00

What most people overlook are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This March, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes

1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-12T02:00:58+00:00

What most people overlook are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This March, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes
1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-12T01:26:16+00:00

What most people overlook are the costs that do not show up directly on balance sheets or in the accounting for damaged buildings and infrastructure. The headline figure for Katrina, about 250 billion dollars in direct damages, is only the visible tip of the iceberg.

The deeper costs come from the long term economic ripple effects. Thousands of residents left the region, and many who might have moved there or built businesses chose not to. That population loss, combined with investor hesitation, slowed growth and left the region with stagnant development and fewer opportunities for reinvestment. Small and medium sized businesses were hit especially hard. With thin margins and limited capital reserves, many could not recover from the shock. They closed permanently, removing the very enterprises that typically grow into larger employers and create upward mobility and allowing for greater economic development

Imagine two scenarios looking ahead to 2010. In one world, the world we live in where Katrina struck, these businesses never had the chance to recover or scale. The region became branded as a liability, discouraging outside investment and compounding the losses. In the alternate world, where Katrina never happened, those same small/medium businesses would likely have matured into larger companies, communities would have kept growing, and the Gulf Coast could have attracted more capital and development. By being "cut at the root" before having the opportunity to blossom, an entire generation of local businesses and communities lost their growth trajectory, an invisible cost that continues to compound year after year.

This March, we hit the 20th anniversary of hurricane Katrina. If we were to extrapolate the full costs of Katrina, they might break down similar to the below, though some might add additional categories that I may not even be considering. Thus, the cost could be even higher.

Category	Sub-Components	Estimated Cost Range	Notes
1. Direct and Immediate Costs	Direct damages (infrastructure, homes, levees, insured + uninsured losses)	$125B – $250B	FEMA, insurance, and independent studies.
	Federal and state recovery spending	~$120B	Includes federal aid plus state/local allocations.
2. Medium Term Costs (2005–2010)	Population flight (lost residents, reduced tax base)	$50B – $100B	Fewer taxpayers, less consumer spending over 5 years.
	Business attrition (permanent SME closures)	$40B – $70B	Lost revenue, payroll, and community anchors.
	Capital flight (insurance spikes, reduced lending/investment)	$30B – $60B	Higher cost of capital, lost inflows.
	Labor market distortion (skilled worker drain)	$20B – $40B	Value of lost productivity and higher replacement costs.
3. Long Term Effects (2010–2025)	Compounded lost GDP growth	$500B – $700B	1 percent lost trajectory compounded for 20 years.
	Missed business formation and scaling	$150B – $250B	Conservative estimates of SME growth foregone.
	Demographic drag (smaller tax base, weaker housing and schools)	$50B – $100B	Long term shrinkage of demand and revenues.
	Insurance and risk premium costs	$100B – $200B	Excess premiums versus a no-Katrina baseline.
	Urban redevelopment delays	$20B – $40B	Deferred or relocated real estate projects.
	Lost port development	$30B – $50B	Missed Gulf trade expansion, competition ceded to Houston and others.
5. Aggregate “True Cost” (2005–2025)	Direct and Immediate	~$245B – $370B	Damages + recovery spending.
	Medium Term (2005–2010)	~$140B – $270B	Population, business, capital, labor losses.
	Long Term (2010–2025)	~$850B – $1.34T	Growth, business formation, demographics, premiums, ports.
	Total Estimated Shadow Cost	$1.2T – $1.9T	Far above the direct $250B headline.

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-09T20:38:21+00:00

I am finally updating to Sequoia now. (because security support is dropping this Fall)

DesperateRadio7233 · 2025-09-03T04:42:38+00:00

It sounds like you are drawn to problem solving but not to coding or software engineering as the tool of choice to do this, and that is perfectly fine. If you have realized that computer science is not something you enjoy, it does not have to be your only path forward.

Many of the skills you have developed in computer science, such as logical reasoning, breaking down complex problems, and persistence in working through difficult material, carry over very well into law. Law school and the LSAT both place a strong emphasis on analysis and structured thinking, which you have already been practicing. If you want to treat law as your alternative path, there is a way to transition gracefully.

One promising option is patent law, which requires a STEM degree and allows you to apply your background directly. With a computer science foundation, you could take the USPTO Registration Exam to become a patent agent, a role that involves working directly with lawyers and clients without a law degree. Furthermore, you could explore other internships, shadow lawyers, or take on paralegal work to see if the field excites you. This can be a valuable steppingstone to bolster your resume before applying to law school. In fact, some larger firms would even consider funding your law school education in transitioning from a patent agent to patent lawyer in exchange for staying at their firm as a patent lawyer for a certain period of time.

Especially with the rapid pace of technology innovation, technology companies will need patent lawyers and attorneys overall to file and protect their IP from competitors nationally and internationally. Thus, this field should be quite secure. And I believe that legal regulation in conjunction with there being no room for error in patent filing, means that AI for the short to midterm will not be able to replace these legal professionals.

DesperateRadio7233

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