How will Trumpelstiltskin handle Cat 4 Harvey?

[SMOGZINN]

If houses are so cheap, rebuild it yourself.

I have, twice. I actually built my house from the ground up doing a lot of the work myself, the rest was done with help from my family. But even doing the work myself it cost me $20,000 last time. Then I moved to Dallas. Because I am a white collar worker that makes a comfortable living and was able to. Not many are so fortunate.

Harsh but gets to a core question of is it really low cost of living if you've gotta rebuild regularly and you can't get/afford insurance on it?

Yes. It is. Even in these huge floods not everyone gets flooded. I lived in Houston 38 years, in that time maybe we flooded 4 times, twice it was minor, a few thousand dollars in repairs, the last time was devastating and I lost everything and had to do major renovations on my house (Allison). Given that I bought the land and built the house for around $70,000 (In 1997 money) I think I did pretty well.

 

[snoopy7548]

Harsh but gets to a core question of is it really low cost of living if you've gotta rebuild regularly and you can't get/afford insurance on it?

Also gets into the question of which is cheaper - spending billions upgrading infrastructure to (better) handle storms like this, or spending hundreds of millions (into the billions) every time we get a storm.

One of the reasons why I will never leave the Northeast - the worst we get is 5'+ of snow in 24 hours, which is only an inconvenience for a day or two.

 

[K1052]

Yes. It is. Even in these huge floods not everyone gets flooded. I lived in Houston 38 years, in that time maybe we flooded 4 times, twice it was minor, a few thousand dollars in repairs, the last time was devastating and I lost everything and had to do major renovations on my house (Allison). Given that I bought the land and built the house for around $70,000 (In 1997 money) I think I did pretty well.

But that's argument for your situation not that of the metro at large. Houston has had three 100 year flood events in the least three consecutive years. The odds of that happening are supposed to be vanishingly small. The area has had more billion dollar disasters than anyplace else and that situation doesn't look to improve.

 

[K1052]

Also gets into the question of which is cheaper - spending billions upgrading infrastructure to (better) handle storms like this, or spending hundreds of millions (into the billions) every time we get a storm.

One of the reasons why I will never leave the Northeast - the worst we get is 5'+ of snow in 24 hours, which is only an inconvenience for a day or two.

The former is obviously the best option along with not allowing development in vulnerable places. Kind of amazing to see that they let people build into the footprint of their flood control reservoirs.

 

[Puffnstuff]

These people need help too.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winnie-texas-and-the-hurricane-harvey-victims-the-news-doesnt-show/

 

[Jhhnn]

Also gets into the question of which is cheaper - spending billions upgrading infrastructure to (better) handle storms like this, or spending hundreds of millions (into the billions) every time we get a storm.

One of the reasons why I will never leave the Northeast - the worst we get is 5'+ of snow in 24 hours, which is only an inconvenience for a day or two.

Don't be so sure-

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-new-england-hurricane