So a few days ago, I had a rant about “Why won’t people prepare for emergencies?” And while I’m working on a longer rant, that may or may not see the light of day, one of the things I tripped over in wading through the morass that is FEMA documents, is a failure in the whole idea of planning and mitigation.
We are currently paying taxpayer money to some people for rebuilding homes and businesses in the path of a future hurricane. We are probably paying to assist the rebuilding of Paradise, California. I know FEMA was involved at some level, but I haven’t dived into that. In Russian River, California, one business has rebuilt 4 times due to flooding. With federally-subsidized flood insurance of course. When is it time to move? (Pay him his money on the condition that he not rebuild in a flood zone.) We know that another hurricane will hit Mexico Beach, Florida. We just don’t know when. Houses being constructed in Paradise, CA are exactly the kind of 2 X 4 stick construction that went up like candles. The next flood in Russian River will come. When, not if. Why are we not either paying to relocate these people or ensure that building methods are more sensible?
When do we say that we are going to stop subsidizing your bad decisions?
357 Magnum Archive 
As someone who has lived in California for 50+ years, I’m amazed at how we keep rebuilding in areas with the same building codes as the ones that failed.
It’s very obvious that the home manufacturers have the most to gain by rebuilding entire communities every generation or so.
We now have the utility company exercising a mandatory power to shut off power to areas that are subject to high winds or other environmental effects.
Who determines these events requiring the exercise of power over millions of people has yet to be disclosed.
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