Flooding in the East coast of America

[pericles_plato]

My home state North Carolina has some serious flooding. We are supposed to have support from Obama. Most of Mecklenburg county is flooded by Creeks.
Not much damage but hundreds of people are thousands in debt due to no flood insurance. The storm is moving into Virginia and Maryland all the way to New York, says our weather person. Hopefully GWB can give us some financial help.

[Mikelus Trento]

We are supposed to have support from Obama.

I know McCain thinks Obama can part the Red Sea (google up "moses ad" if you want to see him in action), but I don't think it's true.

Elect McCain so the whole world melts down and you won't really care about a little rain.

[Caerid]

Every year the natural disasters seem to gradually get worse. But, if you want we here on the west coast could trade our fires for your floods?

[pericles_plato]

Every year the natural disasters seem to gradually get worse. But, if you want we here on the west coast could trade our fires for your floods?

I'll take the fire we actually have a lot of people with fire insurance. Thing is the small creeks over flowed a lot. most of our interstates closed. First that ever happen to North Carolina.

[Wheelchair]

Is volcano insurance irrelevant?

[pericles_plato]

Is volcano insurance irrelevant?

We got no volcano insurance. No volcanoes near us. Luky for that alergic to sulfer.

[Mithie]

The torrential rain continued through the night. Dawn broke over the small outcropping rising from the muddy mire of the flooded town. Upon it was a figure; his hands outstretched, head thrown back, and mesmerizing eyes looked directly to the heavens.

From beneath the curtain of light, he seemed an angel; a sublunary and wholly ephemeral figure from the likes of books and dreams - a time far removed from ours. Deliberately, the figure began to rise into the air. His arms thrown outwards, his legs pressed against each other, his back arched, he screamed to the sky a pronouncement, "I AM BARACK OBAMA, SON OF AMERICA. BY MY POWER I BESEECH YOU! CHANGE!"

The heavens recoiled. The sky darkened. Clouds congregated for one last defiance, but the figure would have none of that. With a casual wave of his hand, the clouds shrank back, and the torrential storm calmed to nothingness. The sun shone through a clear blue sky, and the only reminder of the catastrophy was a brilliant rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon - a three striped beauty across the heavens - of the colors red, white, and blue.

[Senno]

Has the governor declared a state of emergency?

[Pontifex Maximus]

I can attest to this. It's been dumping rain down here for the past week. No major flooding, but there have been alot of accidents related to the rain.

[Father Jack]

Ouch sounds pretty bad over there. Well we had huge flooding in England last summer and it destroyed alot of homes and businesses, alot of those people didnt have insurance either. People are still being forced to live in caravans and hotels a year on because they are still trying to repair thier houses. Despite the grey and cold summer we havnt had that much rain this year thankfully.

[Viking Prince]

So when you do not spend money up front to share risk through insurance, the government should just hand out cash? Who would buy insurance then? Who would locate on higher ground that was not as scenic as near a bubbling brook? Who wouldn't want to leave on the beach?

Be realistic -- if you take risks and do not hedge -- you may lose.

[Senno]

Isn't that what FEMA does? Shows up and hands out cash?

[Viking Prince]

Isn't that what FEMA does? Shows up and hands out cash?

Yep -- but rebuilding on a flood plain will cost you a bit and they are loans and not grants. They do offer shortterm housing assistance. You probably get better and faster shortterm assistance with the Red Cross, IMO. Most FEMA money handouts is to get government facilities rebuilt (schools, roads, hospitals, etc.) since local governments do not typically insure against such risks. Private grants are few and small. Biggest hangup will be lack of the federal flood insurance. FEMA covers quite a bit over and above, but only if you already had the insurance.