Gulfport was protected by a levee rated to withstand a 100-year flood. Although it wasn't designed to protect the town from a flood on the scale of last week's, it was enough protection that the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not require business or homeowners to purchase flood insurance.
Some residents told CNN they felt misled about the risks of not having flood insurance. They said they thought the chances of a catastrophic flood were miscalculated.
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, agrees. He supports legislation that would require anyone living in an area protected by a levee to have flood insurance.
"I don't know how you define 'protected' or call that protected when you're telling people 'you don't have to have this; you don't need it' ... and you're watching families being devastated," Dodd said. "But the opportunity to get on their feet again is going to be very difficult for many families. And that's one of the major shortcomings in the flood insurance program."
Listen, I feel bad for these folks. But a greater than a 100 year storm is a historical event. The logic as I see it goes like this: no private insurer will insure your home if you live within the 100 year floodplain. Therefore, "we" stepped in to protect/support/reimburse people when the 100 year storm, which comes around every 100 years or so, came around. "We" all get to pay for these people to live there. In fact, the government forces us to pay for them to live there. (I want to live in your house then, since I'm paying for it.) Have you ever tried not paying that portion of your taxes that goes towards these folks?
Back on point: "we" set up FEMA and created floodplain maps and said that "you" need insurance (FEMA's insurance, since no one else offers it.) if you are to live there. So "we" enable this behavior. Still, the levee's were designed for the 100 year storm. The recent rains created, let's say, a 200 year storm. This event overtopped and broke the levee and the town was flooded. I'm not really certain that 100 year flood insurance provided by FEMA will cover storms of greater strength than the 100 year storm: why would it? They've insured you up to the 100 year storm. Anything above it is out of their control and out of their purview. You can't sue the municipality for the 200 year storm because legally they're only responsible for the 100 year storm. So Dodd, being the political creature that he is, is making himself look good by lamenting that no one had insurance. The levee was the insurance, you fucking dolt. Dodd looks good by lamenting and proselytizing for the poor people that, in truth, we're fucked by a 200 year storm.
It's like arguing for safer roads and stricter rules at a bicycle accident that was caused by a flat tire.
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