LOL come on Todd, there have been at least 3 times when we agreed on something.
Each time I looked for the four horsemen
Seriously, I did some homework and we're not going to be able to send people to Indiana until they can make all their houses completely flood-proof.
Seems they had a pretty good sized flood in 2003. They lost over 1300 homes and the federal government coughed up over $15 million in just the first six weeks! 5380 indiana residents applied for federal disaster assistance, over $9 million in housing assistance grants, and about $6 mil in low interest disaster loans. And ..... get this .... it wasn't the first flood. Seems they've had a whole bunch of floods over the years, not to mention the tornados. I guess there just isn't a place that's completely free of natural disasters.
Now here's the really scary part:
In a small way I also agree with Strup.
I think So Cal needs to get a grip on the building codes and expansion of our cities. I'd like to see a minimum 1/8th mile green belt between every new subdivision and the surrounding brush.
Of course no one will listen to me and it wouldn't do a darned thing about the existing subdivisions, people won't like the idea of giving up their close-up view of nature, it wouldn't work where people live in the hills away from other houses, it won't prevent all fires (maybe a few), and it would make houses even more unaffordable because that very expensive land would make it non-cost effective. They could build a whole bunch of houses on an 1/8 mile wide strip of land.
lots of reasons why it wouldn't work but I'd still like to see it.
As it is I live smack dab in the city (actually suburbs but that's what the cities are here).
I'd like to live on top of a hill, or on the edge of nature, or on the beach, but it's too expensive AND I don't like the idea of being first in line for a disaster. I live where I live partly because it's safer.
There was one guy on the news in Malibu that had me shaking my head. He explained that he lost his house in the 1992 Malibu fire and lost another yesterday and he intends to re-build, again.
I wonder how these people can get insurance? If I was an insurance company I'd be really reluctant to issue a policy.
So yes, in a way they are asking for it. But fires happen everywhere. in the city, in the country, I've seen houses burn down in a rain storm.
I don't want to build there but if they do and can afford it and can get insurance and a permit, then it's their decision and their right. As much as it is to rebuild in a flood plain or hurricane zone or in tornado alley. Basically anywhere in this country. As long as it isn't below sea level (little fuel for Mule's fire)