I'm willing to bet that the cost of the Harvey cleanup will be made up with more people paying taxes...employed.
In the end, perhaps Trump's 1st term will not see the debt grow 'significantly'.
They were employed. Now the job is under water, perhaps in more ways than one.
Think about how the cost of cleaning up, except as expressed in the most narrow and arcane terms, will be recouped by taking a fraction of that cost in taxes? Keep in mind that those people and/or businesses which had revenue streams to tax have suffered a grave interruption of that revenue and, if they can afford to rebuild, have losses not only in revenue but in physical and real assets as well. Those reconstruction and recapitalization costs will be tax deductions, and they'll be lucky to be back in the black in the next year or two.
So, I still don't understand how taxing the cost to rebuild will put that much money back in the government's pocket, unless the tax is at 100%
From the first locked door over this storm until the last business is back up and running, there is a loss of business, personal, and private income, and that loss translates to less money in taxes.
Now those who come into the area and participate in the construction frenzy that is sure to come will (some of them) pay taxes, at least sales taxes on materials they don't truck in, but that is part of the cost of rebuilding.