Morons get flooded

[bedub1]

"John Young thought he made the real estate deal of his life in 1993 when he bought a flood-damaged, three-bedroom house in this Mississippi River town for just $3,000."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 1704.story

I have no sympathy for him, he's an idiot. And I don't want to pay for any of his shit, cause he still owes $200,000 for his house. Let him pay for it. I don't want to support him.

"My kids hope FEMA buys us out so we never get flooded again," said Young, referring to the government's policy of buying some properties in flood-prone areas to avoid generating more grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency."

Yeah...FEMA should give him $3000 and tell him to leave the country cause we don't want him here.

[Nickbaldwin]

What the f*ck! Why would a flood-damaged property even be worth looking at, let alone buying? I also have no sympathy, you really do have to be stupid to buy a flood damaged house, and not think it would flood again....

$3000 would be generous....

[PLAYER57832]

What the f*ck! Why would a flood-damaged property even be worth looking at, let alone buying? I also have no sympathy, you really do have to be stupid to buy a flood damaged house, and not think it would flood again....

$3000 would be generous....

I fully agree, with the small exception of places like Hannibul Missouri that never did flood .. until the wonderfully wise Corps of Engineers came in with all their downstream levis to protect those who had the "misfortune" of living in flood areas.

And, of course, in some areas (New Orleans is classic), folks of color could not buy places outside of flood zones and other areas the whites rejected for many, many years. We DO (in the US) owe those folks a special obligation. That does not mean we necessarily should rebuild, say the 9th ward in New Orleans ... but it DOES mean that those folks should get more than the usual compensation perhaps.

Other than that ... I fully agree, let economics take care of it. Buy your OWN flood insurance, build to WITHSTAND flooding ... or at least build so the debris won't ruin areas down stream.


one of the worst ads I have ever seen was for the US flood insurance program It said "you never know where a flood will hit" BALONEY!!! Unless you are talking about a LARGE dam failure ... you want to build in a flood zone, then PAY FOR THE DAMAGE when a flood occurs!!!

[bedub1]

Especially the people on the Mississippi. That river has been flooding it's flood plains for the past million years. And so you decide to build a house there. Thats YOUR choice. But I'M not gunna bail you out if your house gets flooded.

People love to blame others for their problems, when really their problem is they made a bad choice. About time they took responsibility for their actions instead of blaming others and then looking to the government for a handout.

When I hear about people wanting to outlaw smoking in bars, Imposing their will on others, because the bartender "doesn't have a choice"....or hear about "folks of color" who "could not buy places outside of flood zones", I know it's just people not taking responsibility for their own actions and looking for someplace else to place the blame.

Nut up! You fucked up your life. I'll help ya out and teach ya to fish, but I ain't giving you any of my fish.

So let me help that guy out. DON'T LIVE IN A FLOOD PLAIN. MOVE!
Don't like the smoke in the bar? LEAVE! GET A NEW JOB!

It's kinda like running around a pool. It's a really stupid idea. You could slip and fall on the concrete. If you choose to do it...then eventually you will get hurt and never do it again. Bad decisions need to result in bad things happening. The guy should loose it all and realize not to live in a flood plain. Instead FEMA will bail him out, and he will learn an easy way to make a quick buck.

[snifner]

If the Jack-hole is on record buying the "flood damaged house" for $3,000 thats should be the max amount of his claim.

If he refinanced the house and took out a 200,000 loan on it? Then he is an asshole and assholes eventually get fucked.

[Ntetos]

I remember in Greece last summer with all the fires that many lost their houses. I feel sorry for the people that lost their homes, because entire villages were burnt and I think those should get financial support, but just because someone's illegal villa inside the forest was burnt doesn't mean I have to pay for him.

[PLAYER57832]

or hear about "folks of color" who "could not buy places outside of flood zones", I know it's just people not taking responsibility for their own actions and looking for someplace else to place the blame.

If you seriously don't think race had to do with black folks building in flood zones historically, then you need to review your history.

They were very specifically excluded from the better areas for years and years. It takes more than 50 years to undo that kind of long term racism. Granted, they do need to move now, but to criticize them for staying in the homes where they were brought up, in the communities where they have friends and families is a bit disingenuous.

But, I also think it is time to undo those wrongs, not continue them. I DO NOT think that someone should get to rebuild in a flood zone and then expect us to pay for the next flood -- no matter their color!

[jay_a2j]

Aaaaah, that's why I love upstate NY. No floods, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no tsunamis and very rare twisters which never do any real damage. The worst thing about this area is snowfall.

[PLAYER57832]

Aaaaah, that's why I love upstate NY. No floods, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no tsunamis and very rare twisters which never do any real damage. The worst thing about this area is snowfall.

Sorry, but you have had a few floods, and a rare earthquake. You might not have tsunamis ... yet, or hurricanes, but they could certainly affect you if a big enough one hit, as expected, as some point in the future. And, you get more than just a bit of snowfall. Seems I saw reports of folks needing rescue last winter (mostly older folks and such).

The REAL truth is that you need to design your house/buildings to withstand what you can, insurance for the unexpected ... and, you MUST, MUST, MUST have 2 weeks of supplies in your house at all times. Including, in your case, means to keep you and your family warm if you lose electric, gas and so forth in a time when the roads are shut down. (if its really bad out, you get all three) That could be sweaters and blankets if you are all basically healthy ... or alternative heat sources. BUT, make sure they are safe for use in enclosures.

And, don't think you need to heat your whole house. A room or two will do in a real pinch.

[bedub1]

or hear about "folks of color" who "could not buy places outside of flood zones", I know it's just people not taking responsibility for their own actions and looking for someplace else to place the blame.

If you seriously don't think race had to do with black folks building in flood zones historically, then you need to review your history.

They were very specifically excluded from the better areas for years and years. It takes more than 50 years to undo that kind of long term racism. Granted, they do need to move now, but to criticize them for staying in the homes where they were brought up, in the communities where they have friends and families is a bit disingenuous.

But, I also think it is time to undo those wrongs, not continue them. I DO NOT think that someone should get to rebuild in a flood zone and then expect us to pay for the next flood -- no matter their color!

Are you implying that their race affects their ability to move out of a flood plane? Cause thats just silly...

[PLAYER57832]

or hear about "folks of color" who "could not buy places outside of flood zones", I know it's just people not taking responsibility for their own actions and looking for someplace else to place the blame.

If you seriously don't think race had to do with black folks building in flood zones historically, then you need to review your history.

They were very specifically excluded from the better areas for years and years. It takes more than 50 years to undo that kind of long term racism. Granted, they do need to move now, but to criticize them for staying in the homes where they were brought up, in the communities where they have friends and families is a bit disingenuous.

But, I also think it is time to undo those wrongs, not continue them. I DO NOT think that someone should get to rebuild in a flood zone and then expect us to pay for the next flood -- no matter their color!

Historically, they absolutely and completely WERE forced to live in flood plains, heavily polluted areas and other undesirable locations ... all over the US at some points, but in the south, this continued even through a good part of the 70's. In fact, it was happening to some extent even in the 1990's in some areas.

YES ... study history if you don't believe me!
Are you implying that their race affects their ability to move out of a flood plane? Cause thats just silly...

YES YES YES YES .. not implying stating it as an absolute and COMPLETELY verifiable and wlel known fact.


Even as late as the 1970's blacks were shunted to the less desirable areas ... be they polluted, flood areas or otherwise considered less desirable.

FURTHER, though a good many blacks did gain decent incomes, racism still meant that many, many african americans and folks of color were not paid as well as whites. That limited where they could buy, even when they were technically allowed to buy elsewhere.

[bedub1]

1970 was 38 years ago. I'm pretty sure anybody can move if they want.

[PLAYER57832]

Okay, folks, a reality check here from a trained hydrologist.

Even though I absolutely and completely believe with the fundamental principal ... that folks need to not build in inappropriate areas AND have absolute disdain for our current flood insurance program, because it encourages folks who DO have a choice to build homes, factories, etc in flood areas, you have to recognize that there are real reasons why intelligent people do build there.

1. Floods bring hazard, but they also bring prime crop land. Someone has to live near enough to farm ... and that generally means small towns with various supports fairly near as well.
BUT, there are things they can do to build those houses either to withstand the floods OR to disintigrate in a manner not so hazardous to those downstream. A plain wooden plank house will more or less become "natural" debris. Aluminum siding, asbestos insulation, etc. turns a short term intense hazard into a long term hazard.


2. Economics. The Mississippi is a prime trade route historically. That means people need to leave near enough to supply traders needs, to run the boats, etc. It also most definitely means you need active ports at the mouth.

NOTE: the truly historical regions of the mostly white parts of New Orleans survived the flood essentially intact. Remember pictures of the French quarter? They were dry! Also, remember the pictures of the ninth ward? Notice that virtually everyone there was black? There is a reason. For years and years, that is about the only place a black could buy ... money or no. AND remember, New Orleans was actually a better place for blacks throguh most of its history than the rest of the south.

3. Family,friends, history. So, you grow up in a town ... maybe your folks were forced to live there because racism prevented them from buying a home elsewhere. BUT, you made it home. You made friends ... and it is hard to leave.

4. FLOODS are largely predictable. But, don't think that any state, ANY area is truly safe. Serious earthquakes occur in every state. Storms can hit anywhere. Are some areas more prone? Absolutely!!! Should folks who live in known flood areas be required to build flood-resistant houses? Absolutely!!!

BUT, don't say that because you live in Dakota or New York or anywhere else, that "nothing can happen". I can, does and will.

PLAN FOR IT!!!!

And that is the real message ... PLAN.

Also, I might add that we need to change, in my mind, FEMA regulations to instead of just supplying funds for government buildings to bring them back to "where they were before",w e need to ensure that the infrastructure is built to withstand the next disaster. Else, we are jsust back where we were. I DON'T think we across the nation should pay for it, except in some specific cases. New Orleans, surprisingly, is one of those cases because we depend so heavily on its ports.

but enough prepare for your own disaster .. don't think it "won't happen to me" ... it WILL gaurantee it ... eventually!!!!!!
when you put the "entire Mississippi Delta" and so forth into

[The Weird One]

"John Young thought he made the real estate deal of his life in 1993 when he bought a flood-damaged, three-bedroom house in this Mississippi River town for just $3,000."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 1704.story

I have no sympathy for him, he's an idiot. And I don't want to pay for any of his shit, cause he still owes $200,000 for his house. Let him pay for it. I don't want to support him.

"My kids hope FEMA buys us out so we never get flooded again," said Young, referring to the government's policy of buying some properties in flood-prone areas to avoid generating more grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency."

Yeah...FEMA should give him $3000 and tell him to leave the country cause we don't want him here.

...You say this about him. What was your stance on the Katrina victims?
I'm withholding my beliefs on the issue for now.

[Jenos Ridan]

The levees that hold back the Columbia out here haven't broke since the 1930's if I remember the story right, but most of the area is farmland anyway so it's not that much of a problem.

Not many natural disasters out here, apart from a flood in '96 (hit a part of town not protected by either the dike or the seawall) and the St. Helens eruption in '80, we have it pretty good. Now is the best part of the year, from late May to early November.

[protectedbygold]

You certainly don't like wasteful spending of your tax dollars, do you Bedub! I caught your other thread on oil drilling. If Obama gets in there you better find a way to hide your investments

[PLAYER57832]

1970 was 38 years ago. I'm pretty sure anybody can move if they want.

the 1970's ... 1970-1979, not 1970. so not over 30 years. And, the same stuff was happening though not quite a severe, when I was there in the early 1990's.

But you have quite obviously never had to leave a place where you have a job own your home .. possibly one you grew up in and inherited. It is not quite so easy.

Besides, where would they live. There are not that many places out of the flood zones down there.

[demon7896]

california
sunny weather, no floods, tornados, freak volcanoes, only earthquakes. shoot.

[PLAYER57832]

california
sunny weather, no floods, tornados, freak volcanoes, only earthquakes. shoot.

1986, 1987, 1990 .... just a few of the CA Delta floods that I WORKED. I have not lived there for over 20 years, so I am missing more recent stuff.

Oh, and most of the dams in CA are over 50 years old. You will almost certainly live to see them become 100. Trust them that long? (actually, you probably can ... but at some point ...)

Shasta and Lassen still have potential to erupt.

Tornadoes are rare, but hit Colinga and Los Angeles in the 1980's (again ... I have not been there, but there are more recent examples)

Oh and as for the "sunny weather" part ... ever talk to a resident of Tahoe ... or Mammoth, for that matter? They LIKE snow, but 20 feet is hardly a "drop".

But, yes, you do have earthquakes ... and a lot of sunny weather (though if in LA, or the Sacramento basin, you have to wait until just after a rainstorm to see it.)

[2dimes]

I think in the origional link the bank should get screwed here.

Oh you had some negligent appraser tell you the porperty is worth $200 000 ok, here's the property and dude is absolved of the debt, enjoy your 3 bedroom catfish house.

[PLAYER57832]

I think in the origional link the bank should get screwed here.

Oh you had some negligent appraser tell you the porperty is worth $200 000 ok, here's the property and dude is absolved of the debt, enjoy your 3 bedroom catfish house.

There is most definitely a LOT of truth to this. I know I actually wanted to get flood insurance for a home in coastal Mississippi some years ago. I was told it was "not necessary". When I said I wanted it anyway, the Real Estate agent hemmed and hawed. I had to get a survey, but it was not a flood survey. I was told I would have to pay another $300 to get a whole new survey! It did not get done. I left right before Ivan, but would have been out of luck had I still been there. My old house was utterly destroyed.

IN hurricanes, you get the double whammy that you can even buy hurricane insurance, and think you are covered (think with the nice help of oh-so helpful agents, I will add) but it often covers only wind damage ... and when a twenty foot wall of water hits, that is not considered wind damage, no matter what goes on above the water

[2dimes]

*property

So yeah I realise my little thing there is eutopic but... I love how the insurance business is made out to be our friends while it's set up to guarantee a profit over protecting their customers.