No sympathy for "victims" of Ivan who built houses on glorified sandbars

[Dirty Hippie]

My rant:

As a lifelong Floridian I've watched as rich folks have built second homes on barrier islands which are nothing but large sandbars. When their property is damaged as a result of a hurricane they cry like babies.

Hurricanes are a fact of life if you live in this state. However, your risk of property loss is minimal if you live even just a mile or more inland (barring a category 5 storm). To build on a barrier island in insane.

Even worse, my homeowners insurance is through the roof (even though I live about 20 miles inland) because of these people.

My opinion: If you want to build a mansion on a sandbar you should have to self-insure your home.

If Florida had adopted this policy years ago I bet we would have a few decent beaches left and the insurance companies would be more willing to do business in the state.

Whew! I feel better.

[dogtag]

1. It's amazing how many times

The mob family compound at Kennebunkport has been rebuilt at no cost to the owners.

[demnan]

2. I think we need to keep beach areas public.

Everyone should be able to enjoy the ocean. No one should pig it all to themselves on private beaches. That's what I liked about Naples, Florida where my brother's family lives. They have 41 square miles of public beach down there.

[sleipnir]

3. Hey, my tax dollars go to those idiots when they whine and bitch

I'm sick of it too, and I don't even live close to Florida.

I strongly feel that the state should reclaim the barrier islands and drive all the people off and give them a nice cot in a federal prison, until their new homes can be built in the middle of North Dakota! That'd be hilarious.

Maybe not that far, but I, too, have no sympathy for those people.

[redqueen]

4. I heard something like this on NPR a while back

Someone stated that the federal government insures high risk property, but I couldn't find any corroborating information.

Are you saying this is true?

[sleipnir]

6. Well, these people are eligible for loans and grants. I'll explain:

If they have enough cash for a nice place on a barrier island, that means they're pretty friggin' rich. And as well all know, in America, money = power (or at least association with powerful people.) It's not that hard to get a loan or a grant after a storm if you know the right people and can push the papers though faster than everyone else.

I have read elsewhere that several of the recipients of the government's best loans and grants turn out to be quite wealthy people who really didn't need the money and/or had high risk property.

I recall also reading, in that article (damn, I'm going to have to find it again) that the corruption of FEMA loans/grants is quite high, but because of all the paperwork, it's easy to bury and obfuscate facts, especially with the right contacts.

[redqueen]

7. Yes the interviewee mentioned FEMA

Now I wish I had paid more attention.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. serious question...

should we also do this to people who choose to live along rivers that flood? There are some places that are not safe to build...and flood planes are one of them. Sure, you may have time to get out of the way of a rising flood, but your home (provided it isn't on wheels) is screwed. And what about earthquake prone areas...you know...every hundred years or so you get rocked by a good one and *poof* everything needs to be rebuilt.

I do agree that YOU (living 20 miles inland) should not have to pay exorbidant rates on your insurance...

theProdigal

[barb162]

8. yes, why not?

[slappypan]

9. Federal Flood Insurance

It was a New Deal program to help people in poor rural areas, but has become a subsidy in some cases for waterfront vacation homes for the wealthy. There are also situations where people who own property in floodplains collect a check from the governement every few years and rebuild their "home" until the next flood. The government has tried to phase out the worst offenders, but I think the whole program should go, it's and environmental disaster and mostly just a big grift at this point.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. I would have to agree

when asked if we needed flood insurance on building our new home, I laughed...if we flood out then we need to start looking for the Ark. But it was being almost PUSHED on us.

I don't understand why, if you CAN get out of a flood plane, why you wouldn't (unless you were financially prepared to deal with the consquences).

theProdigal

[barb162]

15. "...if you CAN get out of a flood plane, why you wouldn't ...."

exactly, and if people keep insisting on living and/or building in these places, how much sympathy or money are we supposed to be giving to them because they like their nice view of the water.

[redqueen]

14. That's the subject of the interview I heard

Thanks!

Sounds like something to put some effort into next year.

[truthspeaker]

10. barrier islands move naturally; building on them promotes erosion

[barb162]

11. as I was watching the news the last few days

I kept thinking just what you are saying, so I am glad a Floridian is saying this. I know some people (4) who came up north here from Pensacola a few days ago; they live(d) 4 blocks from the beach in Pensacola; moved there 2 years ago. They left to go back to Pensacola this morning. I bet they won't even be able to drive back there as all the roads seem to be blocked by flooding, cracked bridges, police, etc. I was watching the pictures of the homes on the sandbars, YES that is all they are and they are putting up houses on this shifting sand. You know, is it rich people buying off the cities with the building codes or what? It is the most amazing thing.

I agree with you completely that if you want to build on a sandbar, NO INSURANCE. But I would take it even further, no building within a mile of the water or there is no insurance available. I bet that would put an immediate halt to just about all building. It is just insane what is going on. I would just make anything within a mile of the water a national seashore. Despite what some people say, this will affect insurance around the country. A homeowner a thousand miles away with a nationwide insurer like Allstate or State Farm is going to be affected. The reinsurance rates of all insurers will be going through the roof.

[Bridget Burke]

13. After Galveston's Great Storm of 1900....

When at least 8000 people died, the city built a Seawall between the populated area & the Gulf. Then all the remaining buildings were jacked up & sand was pumped in to raise the grade. There have been big storms since but the wall was good protection against the storm surge that absolutely destroys anything close to the water. (Yes, there's flooding, wind & tornadoes--but no area is perfect.)

Since then, much building has occurred in areas beyond the protection of the Seawall--& a great deal of that is vacation mini-mansions. Other shoreline communities around Galveston Bay have seen similar growth. Not just bait camps & fishermen's shacks, but large, expensive places right on the water.

After Hurricane Carla, my family took a Sunday drive down to check out the damage. Anything right on the water had been reduced to toothpicks. No area is free of risk, but anything built in certain locations should be considered disposable.