[fintstone]

Originally Posted by speeder

My limited personal experience with FEMA, (1994 Northridge earthquake), was that they were extremely helpful and efficient at giving out $$. It's a department of the govt. that is basically about giving away $$ to people affected by disaster, kind of the opposite of the IRS. Politicians look bad when people don't get relief and get it quickly, so they direct FEMA to spend their mandate in any given disaster zone quickly and without glitch.

That's my experience, anyway.

As for insurance paying for crazy expensive houses and what was in them, I guess it depends on how much coverage the person had. One difference between the Palisades and most places in the USA is that the land is worth WAY more than the structure sitting on it. So even if your house burns to the ground, you still own something very valuable, unless the bank owned the whole thing.

My extensive experience with FEMA has been one where massive amounts of money was spent to help rebuild disaster areas. We sent people to even remote areas who went door to door. It came very slowly in the area of the country I refer to and really has been very limited. The difference is appalling. Folks that keep assuring us that everything is great simply make it even harder for these people to get help.

Of course, insurance is helpful in CA, but most of the victims of Helene were not on the coast and their insurance covers nothing (from flooding/landslides). Not only were their homes, vehicles, and belongings destroyed, but the workplaces of many were as well. Even the roads that would allow them to go to work are gone. By the time FEMA arrived, most had spent every penny they had to survive.

I hope it is better in CA...and expect it to be. FEMA/State government) will arrive there before it does for the folks in my hometown. They have lost everything...and will never fully recover.