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While stories have been popping up progressively in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, one interesting development has been the efforts by lawmakers and citizens for preparedness should an unpredictable catastrophe befall their hometown. States along the Eastern Seaboard have been taking action instituting insurance measures and local disaster drills should an unexpected and devastating hurricane knock on their doorstep.

New Jersey is one of those states, taking it as far as to create a fund that would help make sure homeowners would be protected in the event of a cataclysmic storm:

Today, the Legislature will begin hearings on how to best protect New Jersey homeowners from the devastation of major hurricanes or other natural disasters. This is an important and timely step; the Atlantic hurricane season begins in less than a month and New Jersey is both exposed and vulnerable to those storms.

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In a move set to memorialize and preserve the memory of the carnage and harm recent hurricanes have caused, the NOAA is retiring several notable storm names from active use in the upcoming hurricane season.

The names Gustav, Ike and Paloma will never be associated with future hurricanes or tropical storms on account of their deadly romp through the Caribbean last year, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced.

The storms claimed more than 200 lives and left a trail of destruction calculated in the billions across the region from August to November 2008.

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In a move intended to help protect the citizens of Louisiana from price-gouging and keeping companies from taking advantage of service monopolies, the Berniard Law Firm has joined with other area law firms in a class action against Cox cable.

The general intention of the case against Cox revolves around their refusal to provide their service without costly add-ons that gouge customers and prevent fair market practice. Cox’s refusal to allow customers to use cable boxes of their own when using the premium cable service they subscribe to is wholly unfair and constitutes a violation, in our opinion, of antitrust law. Cox customers are unable to do any arrangement but the one Cox forces, which is to contract with Cox for the rental of a set top or cable box that totals $5.25/month, $63.00/year. For customers who have used Cox for some time, these charges can add up.

Because Cox ties their premium cable services to piece of technology that they alone provide constitutes, in our opinion, a violation of regulations of trade that were put into effect by the government, both state and federal, to protect consumers from unfair business practices.

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As cases of Chinese drywall continue to pop up in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Virginia and other places, the dangers of exposure to it seem to be becoming all too clear. Per CNN, Chinese drywall, in one doctor’s opinion, is the cause of recurring health problems and may even be dangerous to pregnant women. One family’s situation led the physician, Dr. Ross Nochimson of South Florida, to recommend evacuating to another residence until the drywall and its health danger are gone.

Yorelle Haroush fled a million-dollar South Florida home this week, chased out, she said, by drywall made in China that’s emitting vapors that smell like rotten eggs.

“It’s making me sick. Physically, mentally and emotionally, making me sick,” said the 18-year-old, who is pregnant with her first child.

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Over the weekend, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s William Gibson reported progress is being made on an investigation into Chinese drywall and its toxic health effects:

Congressmen Robert Wexler and Mario Diaz-Balart persuaded the House to approve a measure this week that directs the secretaries of housing and treasury to study the effect of tainted drywall on home mortgages and property insurance.

”Parents who have found Chinese drywall in their homes and wish to leave out of concern for the safety and health of their children are facing the dilemma of how to find secondary housing and maintain their mortgages on their primary residences,” said Wexler, D-Boca Raton. “In addition, the values of these homes in most cases have plummeted due to this tainted drywall.”

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In perhaps the most high profile account of Chinese drywall being installed in a home, the NFL’s New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has found the faulty wallboard in his house. WNOE reports

The home of Saints coach Sean Payton is one of those where tainted drywall from China has ended up.

Payton and his wife, Beth have joined others in filing suit seeking to recover damages. Named as defendants are companies believed to be involved in the manufacture, importation and installation of the sulpher-emitting drywall.

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New issues surrounding faulty drywall are emerging as builders and suppliers are becoming more and more protective of their business practices against accusations of negligence. A recent article by the Herald Tribune points out that homeowners with symptoms closely mirroring those of people living in homes with Chinese drywall are finding their builders are checking for the faulty imported wallboard and then leaving without fixing the issue when tests come back negative.

The new problem is that there may be more to this health concern than simply those sheets of drywall imported from China:

George and Brenda Brinku’s home outside Fort Myers has all the signs. A Florida health official and the representative of another builder called the house one of the worst examples they have seen to date. Pictures depicting corrosion inside are on the Florida Department of Health’s Web site.

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In a telling piece that shows just how serious the government is taking this Chinese drywall issue, President Barack Obama is looking to remove the current chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Nancy Nord.

The Herald Tribune reports

President Barack Obama intends to remove the current chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission — an agency that has been criticized for its slow response to the Chinese drywall and other issues — as lawmakers look for another $2 million in emergency funding aimed at the growing problem.

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The Chinese Drywall issue continues to spread beyond the Gulf Coast area and makes it more apparent that not only is it a nationwide issue, but that there may be more of this faulty wallboard in the country, possibly in the state, than we first considered.

In Virginia, a group of homeowners have banded together to sue their developer and others for using Chinese drywall in their homes:

Five Hampton Roads homeowners are seeking more than $5 million in a lawsuit filed against a local developer, a distributor and a Chinese drywall manufacturer.

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Anyone thinking that this issue is not going to make an effect in the New Orleans and greater Louisiana area is going to be surprised we think. This isn’t just a Florida issue. The health symptoms of Chinese drywall exposure are being documented and it’s only a matter of time before homeowners begin finding out the faulty product is in their homes. Chinese drywall symptoms may not only be in regards to your health, though, as damage to the surrounding property of the drywall has been documented, reported and is currently being investigated.

Contact an attorney at the Berniard Law Firm for more information about this drywall disaster and/or check out the Chinese Drywall section of this site for more information regarding symptoms, home/property damage and other things relating to this issue.

Symptoms of Chinese drywall exposure include

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