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There was an editorial in the paper regarding no-zoning Houston, where developers were building housing developments in low-lying areas, subject to flooding. I believe the payout for Hurricane Sandy, was around $175 billion. And the Governor of TX is estimating the payout for Houston to be around $125 billion. Taxpayer's dollars!
Now, the way I see it, if Houston and Harris County allowed these developments, isn't this negligence on their part? Shouldn't Harris County pay for their own negligence, as opposed to American taxpayer's?
Building wooden structures along the Gulf coast, as opposed to concrete structures, we should pay for their oversights?
The county is unlikely to come up with that kind of $. What do you think could happen without it? At what cost - short term as well as long term?
Leaving destroyed homes to rot, people bankrupt and unemployed (and not paying taxes), disease to fester. Desperate people do desperate things. It would ultimately cost more to ignore it - and thats only $. What is the cost of a bitter, desperate, unemployed citizenry?
Last edited by maciesmom; 09-05-2017 at 07:44 AM..
There was an editorial in the paper regarding no-zoning Houston, where developers were building housing developments in low-lying areas, subject to flooding. I believe the payout for Hurricane Sandy, was around $175 billion. And the Governor of TX is estimating the payout for Houston to be around $125 billion. Taxpayer's dollars!
Now, the way I see it, if Houston and Harris County allowed these developments, isn't this negligence on their part? Shouldn't Harris County pay for their own negligence, as opposed to American taxpayer's?
Building wooden structures along the Gulf coast, as opposed to concrete structures, we should pay for their oversights?
What do you think?
I think you have a very limited understanding of American geography, weather, climate, and geology. All coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf are subject to hurricanes. The midwest is subject to tornadoes. The west coast is subject to earthquakes and coastal storms. Mountain areas and the northern half of the nation are subject to blizzards. Flooding is a major issue along many American rivers.
There was an editorial in the paper regarding no-zoning Houston, where developers were building housing developments in low-lying areas, subject to flooding. I believe the payout for Hurricane Sandy, was around $175 billion. And the Governor of TX is estimating the payout for Houston to be around $125 billion. Taxpayer's dollars!
Now, the way I see it, if Houston and Harris County allowed these developments, isn't this negligence on their part? Shouldn't Harris County pay for their own negligence, as opposed to American taxpayer's?
Building wooden structures along the Gulf coast, as opposed to concrete structures, we should pay for their oversights?
What do you think?
They could make the bail-out subject to improved building code and the enactment of zoning laws. Re-building in flood-prone areas, like Galveston, and those island environments especially, shouldn't be allowed. Some areas should simply be abandoned, and perhaps restored as wetland buffers. The whole issue needs to be studied, before proceeding blindly; you're right.
I think you have a very limited understanding of American geography, weather, climate, and geology. All coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf are subject to hurricanes. The midwest is subject to tornadoes. The west coast is subject to earthquakes and coastal storms. Mountain areas and the northern half of the nation are subject to blizzards. Flooding is a major issue along many American rivers.
I could go on, but hopefully you get the point.
No, not really. I think the OP has a point. In view of anticipated climate change and increased disaster-proneness of some regions, plans and policies should be put in place. Believe it or not, the UN has been advising developing countries for years now, regarding revising estimates for economic growth, factoring in increased disasters of various sorts due to climate change (change in monsoon regime, to name one factor), and has been helping produce studies on what to expect and where, so governments can be better prepared, or try to be.
Only the US is not doing this analysis and anticipatory planning. Europe is way ahead. Governments want to know what's coming, and how to prepare for it. Knowledge of geography should empower people to enact mitigation measures, not cause people to roll over and die, resigning themselves to fate, lol. For example, throughout some coastal regions, tsunami warning signs have been posted, marking danger zones, and safe elevations to retreat to. Science exists and is pursued in part for the purpose of informing the public and policy makers to improve public safety; it's not some form of entertainment, detached from real life and practical issues.
They could make the bail-out subject to improved building code and the enactment of zoning laws. Re-building in flood-prone areas, like Galveston, and those island environments especially, shouldn't be allowed. Some areas should simply be abandoned, and perhaps restored as wetland buffers. The whole issue needs to be studied, before proceeding blindly; you're right.
FEMA does make bringing above flood elevation a condition of rebuilding for the grant/low interest loan program.
For those with flood insurance the insurers will pay the policy limit damages but if the homeowner refuses to remediate and build above flood elevation the NFIP will decline future coverage.
In extreme cases of serial losses FEMA will buy out the affected homeowners (fair market value minus 2% administrative charges) with the property reverting to the local government in a permanent open space easement.
Also, to say the US isn't looking ahead and planning is incorrect. Flood maps were just redrawn and property owners who were well outside the high risk zone are now firmly in it, with the concomitant flood insurance requirement.
The old standard for raising a house above the flood plain was Base Flood Elevation plus one foot (ex. 8 ft. BFE meant a 9 foot raise). That was changed within the last 5 years to BFE plus 2 ft.
"Blindly" is the key term, for which the answer is "no, of course not." But, therein often lies the problem when government bureaucracy FIRST gets their hands on the money. In the case of Harvey, the first $7-8 Billion in Aid is going to replenish the FEMA emergency disaster fund. Is that wrong or bad? ... I don't know, but, "trickle-down economics" is always in play when government agencies are in charge.
Do you remember the Horizon oil spill along the northern Gulf Coast, for which BP was fined several billion dollars? Now, several years later, government bureaucracies all over the state (which were no where near the oil spill), are lining-up with their hands out. Actually, the oil spill never got to a lot of Gulf Coast beaches, but, businesses and people are still lining-up years later, claiming enormous losses due to "bad publicity regarding advertised potential damage to beaches."
YES, we need to make sure that whatever we can do to help the people directly damaged by Harvey and other natural disasters, receive whatever aid is available. But, should aid first be "blindly" funneled through government agencies?? .... Only if you want "reported damages" to increase exponentially!
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