More on hurricane Helene

[Donald]

The news reports say only 1 or 2 % of the homes damaged by Helene outside Florida have flood insurance. Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.

FEMA can provide small amounts for emergency repair or living. But not to rebuild when you have no flood insurance.

People saved money by not getting flood insurance and are now screwed.

No idea what will happen to these people (thousands).

What's fair to tax payers and those that paid for flood insurance?

 

[buster]

The pictures I've been seeing are so bad. I feel terrible for these people.

 

[tbm5690]

I don't blame them if they've lived there for decades without anything close to this, and are not in flood zones. I can't say that I wouldn't be in the same situation without flood insurance that far inland.

Worst case, buy it and keep it in effect through hurricane season and then cancel for a pro-rated refund. Rinse and repeat the next fall.

 

[alarmguy]

The news reports say only 1 or 2 % of the homes damaged by Helene outside Florida have flood insurance. Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.

FEMA can provide small amounts for emergency repair or living. But not to rebuild when you have no flood insurance.

People saved money by not getting flood insurance and are now screwed.

No idea what will happen to these people (thousands).

What's fair to tax payers and those that paid for flood insurance?

Terrible, wife and I know just about every place in the news. Heck my son who lives well into SC only got his electricity back last night 10/4.
Been there, done that in the entire region by motorcycle every year, sometimes more than every year for 15ish years. I have a picture on my office wall that my wife just bought for me last Christmas. It was stuck in my head for 3 years when I saw it in the artist shop in Asheville, GREAT guy. We held his card for 3 years and before Christmas last year she called him and ordered it.

No guarantees in life, bad storms happen and people will have to pick up their lives and move on. The taxpayers are not going to rebuild their homes. It's been this way as it should be, forever. Something like 30% of homes that get flooded every year are not in flood zones. The fact is, even if they are, many will try to get out of being forced to pay flood insurance by their mortgage company if they are in a borderline area. Heck we have a flood zone less than two blocks away from us. I am not buying insurance and it's dirt cheap to buy if you are outside the flood zone like we are. I think like $300 to $400 a year. Clearly I possibly would think differently if I was in a mountain valley area between two mountains.

Here is a fact sheet. I assume it will be declared a federal disaster area people will be able to get government (taxpayer) LOANS to rebuild.

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230425/fact-sheet-myths-and-facts-about-flood-insurance

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Sure but not all the damaged homes outside Florida were damaged by flooding. It's a meaningless headline tbh.

The reality is that if a property is located in a specific flood zone it cannot be financed without having flood coverage. Sure there may be some houses outside these specific flood zones.

Edit: A big issue is going to be small business owners who opted not the obtain flood insurance for their inventory and such.

 

[K-Man]

When a hurricane flooded a town near where I used to live over 20 years ago, numerous homes were lost. Their owners said they had been told they "didn't need" flood insurance or the insurance "wasn't available to them".

 

[SC Maintenance]

The situation in that area is dire, and its not getting a whole lot of national media attention. I won't say any more on that.

A lot of those areas were not very well off. I read somewhere the median income is like $40K. I think a lot of those will not get rebuilt.

I have flood insurance even though I am not required to (500 year zone). Every year I get the bill and contemplate letting it lapse, then I see something like this. I consider it my annual rent for living where I have no neighbors behind me - the area behind is a buffer with a small stream, and that area floods often, although my property never has, including the "1000 year flood" in 2015.

I don't think there is anything the tax payer can do for their homes. Beyond rescuing them and helping them short term. Its no different than any other natural disaster.

 

[alarmguy]

The situation in that area is dire, and its not getting a whole lot of national media attention. I won't say any more on that.

A lot of those areas were not very well off. I read somewhere the median income is like $40K. I think a lot of those will not get rebuilt.

I have flood insurance even though I am not required to (500 year zone). Every year I get the bill and contemplate letting it lapse, then I see something like this. I consider it my annual rent for living where I have no neighbors behind me - the area behind is a buffer with a small stream, and that area floods often, although my property never has, including the "1000 year flood" in 2015.

I don't think there is anything the tax payer can do for their homes. Beyond rescuing them and helping them short term. Its no different than any other natural disaster.

I am shocked at the lack of media attention and I understand fully what you are saying. The death toll will be in the hundreds, never mind the destruction.

We have some things in common. Our community on the NC side of the border is technically built on a swamp. Looking out my back patio, we too have a roughly 12 foot deep and wide creek that we chose as a buffer. Most times barely a trickle of water however during a storm of 5 to 8 inches it can fill up with 5 feet or so of water as the lakes drain into this long and winding creek I would not want to be near or anywhere near the tail end of it which is a food zone area.
That buffer though, is what attracted us to pick this lot over a small lake lot. Peaceful and private (for a community anyway)

 

[Owen Lucas]

What's fair to tax payers and those that paid for flood insurance?

People without flood insurance get whatever basic handout the government might give, $750?

Those with flood insurance (who paid through the nose for such coverage) will come out fine mostly sans construction delays and insurance adjusting hassles.

I'll leave it at this: The tax payers are supporting $2k+ monthly support payments to migrants and billions of dollars in wars with little accountability. Commander in Chief was on the news literally saying the American citizens need to fun relief efforts when FEMA spent close to a billion dollars on migrants. Priorities are borked and no one cares because this area was going to vote red anyway. Based on FEMAs response to Maui, you can also blame bureaucracy, mismanagement, incompetence, and probably some corruption as well.

p.s. I ate at a First Watch brunch restaurant the other day. One of these restaurants was destroyed in the floods and this can be seen in the post carnage videos. I spoke about this with the young lady at the counter. She had no idea there were floods and that one of her company's restaurant was leveled. People have no idea what's going on in the world.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I am shocked at the lack of media attention and I understand fully what you are saying. The death toll will be in the hundreds, never mind the destruction.

We have some things in common. Our community on the NC side of the border is technically built on a swamp. Looking out my back patio, we too have a roughly 12 foot deep and wide creek that we chose as a buffer. Most times barely a trickle of water however during a storm of 5 to 8 inches it can fill up with 5 feet or so of water as the lakes drain into this long and winding creek I would not want to be near or anywhere near the tail end of it which is a food zone area.
That buffer though, is what attracted us to pick this lot over a small lake lot. Peaceful and private (for a community anyway)

Really? The national news has been running it every day.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

People without flood insurance get whatever basic handout the government might give, $750?

Those with flood insurance (who paid through the nose for such coverage) will come out fine mostly sans construction delays and insurance adjusting hassles.

I'll leave it at this: The tax payers are supporting $2k+ monthly support payments to migrants and billions of dollars in wars with little accountability. Commander in Chief was on the news literally saying the American citizens need to fun relief efforts when FEMA spent close to a billion dollars on migrants. Priorities are borked and no one cares because this area was going to vote red anyway. Based on FEMAs response to Maui, you can also blame bureaucracy, mismanagement, incompetence, and probably some corruption as well.

p.s. I ate at a First Watch brunch restaurant the other day. One of these restaurants was destroyed in the floods and this can be seen in the post carnage videos. I spoke about this with the young lady at the counter. She had no idea there were floods and that one of her company's restaurant was leveled. People have no idea what's going on in the world.

They can get govt loans to rebuild but on the condition they also purchase flood insurance.

 

[Donald]

Terrible, wife and I know just about every place in the news. Heck my son who lives well into SC only got his electricity back last night 10/4.
Been there, done that in the entire region by motorcycle every year, sometimes more than every year for 15ish years. I have a picture on my office wall that my wife just bought for me last Christmas. It was stuck in my head for 3 years when I saw it in the artist shop in Asheville, GREAT guy. We held his card for 3 years and before Christmas last year she called him and ordered it.

No guarantees in life, bad storms happen and people will have to pick up their lives and move on. The taxpayers are not going to rebuild their homes. It's been this way as it should be, forever. Something like 30% of homes that get flooded every year are not in flood zones. The fact is, even if they are, many will try to get out of being forced to pay flood insurance by their mortgage company if they are in a borderline area. Heck we have a flood zone less than two blocks away from us. I am not buying insurance and it's dirt cheap to buy if you are outside the flood zone like we are. I think like $300 to $400 a year. Clearly I possibly would think differently if I was in a mountain valley area between two mountains.

Here is a fact sheet. I assume it will be declared a federal disaster area people will be able to get government (taxpayer) LOANS to rebuild.

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230425/fact-sheet-myths-and-facts-about-flood-insurance

In many areas the people are low income and could not afford flood insurance. Unsure if these low income people would qualify for a loan.

 

[burbguy82]

What's fair to tax payers and those that paid for flood insurance?

Each is responsible for their own actions. Is it horrible, yes. Did anyone think that this could have been a possibility? They should have as it had happened before.

Is it fair for those people to have their house rebuilt with no flood insurance, not really....not to all those who do.

I will private message you something.

 

[Donald]

Sure but not all the damaged homes outside Florida were damaged by flooding. It's a meaningless headline tbh.

The reality is that if a property is located in a specific flood zone it cannot be financed without having flood coverage. Sure there may be some houses outside these specific flood zones.

Edit: A big issue is going to be small business owners who opted not the obtain flood insurance for their inventory and such.

Most homes outside Florida WERE damaged by flooding of one type or another. Once the hurricane made landfall the wind was reduced and the majority of the damage was flooding. There area had a lot of rain in the days prior to the hurricane so the ground was wet and the brown ocean effect took place.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

In many areas the people are low income and could not afford flood insurance. Unsure if these low income people would qualify for a loan.

Just like New Orleans with Katrina.

 

[IndyIan]

I imagine some lawyers will be going through the fine print of the policies, and the specifics of what happened at each house matters.
My BIL parents house had the basement filled with water during a flood, which had water halfway up their basements windows, but there was no evidence of significant amounts of water entering through the overland water, and most of the water came up through the sewer.
So insurance covered it as sewer back up damage.
If your foundation got washed away, or hit by a landslide, and your house caught on fire, you have a shot at being covered.
https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/homeowners-insurance/earthquake-coverage.

Even though Homeowner's and Renter's policies typically do not cover losses caused by earthquakes, a direct loss by fire, explosion or theft resulting from earth movement is usually covered under the Homeowner's and Renter's policies. Dwelling policies often also provide coverage if fire or explosion ensues.

Also here's the flood mapping for Asheville NC,
https://fris.nc.gov/fris/Index.aspx?user=General Public&address=asheville&ST=NC&ST=NC#
Not a huge number of buildings are in the 1 in 100, or 1 in 500 year flood zone and hopefully they knew they were a high risk and had insurance as it seems these areas would have been almost totally washed away...

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Most homes outside Florida WERE damaged by flooding of one type or another. Once the hurricane made landfall the wind was reduced and the majority of the damage was flooding. There area had a lot of rain in the days prior to the hurricane so the ground was wet and the brown ocean effect took place.

The majority may have been damaged by flood but that's less than the alleged 98% in your opening post. I have family and friends in WNC and Charlotte NC. They've seen an experienced damage to their homes from falling trees.

I'm heading to WNC in about 2 hrs.

 

[Pew]

With how much it costs to build even a small house today, I don't think the towns that were affected the worst are going to recover. I imagine this is a perfect time for a developer to come in, buy up all the land, build mil dollar vacation homes.

Really? The national news has been running it every day.

Not here in the Midwest. Nothing about it on the news and anything about it on the online websites are buried under election news or twisted to whatever website's political preference is.

 

[SC Maintenance]

The majority may have been damaged by flood but that's less than the alleged 98% in your opening post. I have family and friends in WNC and Charlotte NC. They've seen an experienced damage to their homes from falling trees.

I'm heading to WNC in about 2 hrs.

Safe travels, and best wishes to your WNC family.

 

[opus1]

...Not here in the Midwest. Nothing about it on the news and anything about it on the online websites are buried under election news or twisted to whatever website's political preference is.

Depends on one's listening habits. The radio station I listen to has been running information consistently, even the extra stories about private efforts being stymied by FEMA or local government agencies for whatever reason, and the feds saying that FEMA is or soon will be out of money.

I'll stop here lest I touch the political third-rail...