What Do You Mean "Flooding"?

I saw something amazing, but not surprising, on CNN this morning. FEMA, that admittedly horrible and inept agency, is being blamed for not forcing people in the Mississippi flood plain to buy flood insurance!

CNN interviewed a couple who were "devastated" that they didn't buy flood insurance. Why didn't anyone warn them? Why wasn't it emphasized or required? Yes, they knew they were living in a flood plain but didn't realize there might be a devastating flood! The government should bail them out.

Good grief people, FLOOD PLAIN. This seems so simple to me. I own property in a forest out west. Forest fires anyone? Do I need to be told by the government? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I have a very hard time feeling sorry for people who CHOOSE to live in a flood plain, and then complain when a flood comes along and turns their living room into a swimming pool.

We have an interesting case about an hour north of where I live. The city of Lake Delton was enrolled in the federal flood insurance program (not sure if that is the right term) up until 2001. The federal government redrew the flood plain map and submitted it to the city. The city choose NOT to accept the new map, and as a result opted OUT of the national flood insurance program. A few weeks ago a levee broke and the entire lake drained taking a couple houses with it. Those people had no flood insurance. Some of the homeowners said on the news that they tried to get flood insurance, but nobody would sell it to them. I would have thought that would be a pretty big clue that maybe it isn't safe to live there...

The local economy thrives around that lake for millions of tourist dollars. One of the main property and business owners who has made a lot of $ from the lake was part of the city board who choose NOT to accept the new flood map back in 2001. I'm guessing that had he and the rest of the city board accepted the new flood plain map, development along the lake would come to a stop. Along with the $ they could make on it.

Levees make flooding worse.

I know FEMA has had a bad rap since Katrina but after the tornado hit my area and my home I signed up and they actually worked pretty quick to help out considering they got hit pretty hard with the tornados and flooding still going on in Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin as well. They got things handled quickly and still contact me weekly to see how things are going. Personally I'm impressed by how they responded :thumbsup: Heck, I still haven't seen anyone from the state level here! The local EMA showed up late the Monday after the tornado along with the NWS and thats the only locals who showed up other than police and fire the night of the tornado.
I did get a bit po'ed by the Sheriffs Dept who spent the night of the tornado blocking roads but by 4am they were all gone, signs replaced them and no one paid attention to the road closed signs of course so we had a steady stream of gawkers who were continually in the way, and almost were involved in accidents because they were not paying attention, some driving and taking pictures :mad: I made the comment to one clown "what, you never saw a tree down before?".... ok, so there were 40 down in my yard :mad:

Oh, and when I got my permits for rebuilding I found out I am in a flood plain :mad2: something I hadn't known and it wasn't on the paperwork when we bought the place! However, part of my reconstruction has fixed some, if not all of the flood issues for the house. It took 60 tons (three loads) of dirt to raise the new pole barn 1' and that has helped keep a lot of if not most o f the water from going under the house. One area of the yard that held water no longer does so it looks like it will work out well :)


JS