Hurricane Michael damage to Mexico Beach, FL

[jztemple2]

The New York Times has an excellent look at the damage: Hurricane Michael: One Mile of Devastation in Florida. It's a panorama of a number of stitched together photos (use your mouse wheel to scroll sidesways). Having lived in Florida for more than a half century, I've seen lots of photos of damage, and a lot in person of course, but the way this is presented really captures the destruction.

[Daehawk]

Cant view that article without becoming a member.

[jztemple2]

Cant view that article without becoming a member.

That's weird, I'm not a subscriber. How about this link? If that doesn't work I'm out of options

[Daehawk]

Same popup. Wants $2. But the box also says at the top 0 articles to view. So maybe I somehow viewed my limit of free articles before this one.

[GreenGoo]

Worked for me, but it could easily be the NYT limiting free articles, as Daehawk says.

[em2nought]

Let's build right on the beach, we can inflate the insurance price that folks inland pay in order for ours to be affordable. What could possibly go wrong?

Fits right in with the "beach replenishment" idea.

[jztemple2]

Let's build right on the beach, we can inflate the insurance price that folks inland pay in order for ours to be affordable. What could possibly go wrong?

Fits right in with the "beach replenishment" idea.

Actually, having owned a two story house that my father lived in right on the beach, the insurance picture isn't that simple. Being right on the beach, the deductible was huge as were the premiums, plus there was a cap on payout. And we could only get insurance through a special company set up by the state of Florida that had to be self funded. Eventually we just decided to do without any insurance beyond the usual liability coverage.

Our home, on the other hand, is 15 miles inland and the insurance is quite reasonable. And we even get a discount because we have a simple roof plan, less likely to get wind damage.

I could also note that your comment could apply to anyone who builds in places susceptible to earthquakes, flooding, tornadoes, blizzards, fires... which is pretty much everywhere.

[TheMix]

What's crazy to me is the couple of homes that look completely untouched.

[Jeff V]

What's crazy to me is the couple of homes that look completely untouched.

There was something on the news this morning featuring a house that was constructed above and beyond the Panama City code that required structures to withstand 120-150 mph winds. It looked immaculate, while everything around it was trashed. The owner mused that others will rebuild to the higher, if more expensive, specs.

[Jaymann]

What's crazy to me is the couple of homes that look completely untouched.

There was something on the news this morning featuring a house that was constructed above and beyond the Panama City code that required structures to withstand 120-150 mph winds. It looked immaculate, while everything around it was trashed. The owner mused that others will rebuild to the higher, if more expensive, specs.

Three little pigs...

[Jeff V]

Three little pigs...

In Florida, they are feral pigs.

[Scuzz]

What's crazy to me is the couple of homes that look completely untouched.

There was something on the news this morning featuring a house that was constructed above and beyond the Panama City code that required structures to withstand 120-150 mph winds. It looked immaculate, while everything around it was trashed. The owner mused that others will rebuild to the higher, if more expensive, specs.

Only if insurance companies and city codes require it.

[Daehawk]

There are so many homes...even entire neighborhoods.....that are built on flood plains. Most times the owner has no idea.

[LordMortis]

There are so many homes...even entire neighborhoods.....that are built on flood plains. Most times the owner has no idea.

Is that true? Maybe it's a Michigan thing, but if you get a mortgage, you must have home owner's, and if you have home owner's then the adjuster must review if the flood rider is mandated based on living on flood plain and the associated costs with you.

https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-1 ... 00.html#23

(Note: I am continually amazed at the coasts get to somehow exempt themselves from many of the mandates, if I am to trust the newslets)

[stessier]

There are so many homes...even entire neighborhoods.....that are built on flood plains. Most times the owner has no idea.

Is that true? Maybe it's a Michigan thing, but if you get a mortgage, you must have home owner's, and if you have home owner's then the adjuster must review if the flood rider is mandated based on living on flood plain and the associated costs with you.

https://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-1 ... 00.html#23

(Note: I am continually amazed at the coasts get to somehow exempt themselves from many of the mandates, if I am to trust the newslets)

The real problem is the maps those judgments are made on are out of date. That was one of the problems in Houston. People were in flood plains because development meant that the old flood plains were no longer able to do their job - and the owners had no idea because the maps said they should be fine.

[Isgrimnur]

FEMA

With over 20,000 communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), it is a challenge to keep flood hazard maps up to date. There are three primary methods by which a community's flood hazard maps are updated. The first is through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-initiated study or restudy of flood hazards and subsequent revision of the NFIP flood maps. The second method is through a community-initiated revision under Part 65 of the NFIP regulations, and the third is through the Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) initiative.