Why do people In Tornado/Hurricane zones still build the same destroyable houses?

[mrnyc]

because everybody pays them to rebuild, including the government and your own insurance fees.

yes they pay higher insurance fees, but still some of yours cover it too resulting in higher rates for all.

plus your tax money.

most places you don't really know when disaster strikes, but there are some places where disaster is a regular well known thing and insuring them sucks (looking at you florida).

[mrnyc]

you could say well, whuddaboud like the gateway tunnels in nj/ny that superstorm sandy wrecked? why do taxpayers fund rebuilding that?

because its rare, well presumably rare one would hope, and mostly because it will pay for itself eventually via use.

you cant say the same for coastal housing real estate in like florida that doesnt pay anything back in a low tax state and also gets hit by devastating storms regularly.

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

because everybody pays them to rebuild, including the government and your own insurance fees.

yes they pay higher insurance fees, but still some of yours cover it too resulting in higher rates for all.

plus your tax money.

most places you don't really know when disaster strikes, but there are some places where disaster is a regular well known thing and insuring them sucks (looking at you florida).

We should all come move back to NYC

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by UrbanImpact

We should all come move back to NYC

naah, nobody does that anymore it's too popular.

[Lost Island]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

This is a really really stupid question.

Do you suggest they build no houses in the red zone on this map?



If you're referring to the type of construction, since tornadoes can be quite destructive there's only so much you can do construction-wise to tornado-proof a house.

Yes, and the US actually accounts for 75% of the world's total tornadoes. Pretty staggering statistic.

Bing Copilot

[bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

you could say well, whuddaboud like the gateway tunnels in nj/ny that superstorm sandy wrecked? why do taxpayers fund rebuilding that?

because its rare, well presumably rare one would hope, and mostly because it will pay for itself eventually via use.

you cant say the same for coastal housing real estate in like florida that doesnt pay anything back in a low tax state and also gets hit by devastating storms regularly.

I wouldn't exactly call taxes low here in Florida especially if you live near the coast. Also if you use it we have a FEE for it somehow!

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

I wouldn't exactly call taxes low here in Florida especially if you live near the coast. Also if you use it we have a FEE for it somehow!

well i hear you, that sucks locally.

but the point is there is no way fla taxpayers have paid for all the damage repair for the constant regular storm damage it receives. they are far in the red for all that. the rest of us pay for people to live there.

its nothing at all like that tornado map, where you might get one damaging tornado of varying degree in in your area in 100yrs or whatever. florida storm weather is pervasive statewide and constant expensive damage.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by JManc

I live in a hurricane zone. No, the taxpayers do not subsidize rebuilding. I believe they do with flood insurance (FEMA) but at least with hurricanes, you're on the hook as far as your insurance is concerned and the deductible for tropical storm damage is often quite a bit higher than a typical claim. For example, ours was $15,000 for Beryl back in 2024. Also, our insurance premiums are expensive and you often need flood insurance on top of that. There might be government programs available to people in certain income brackets who sustained damage and for whatever reason, their insurance wouldn't pay or they didn't have it.

Other insurance payers certainly subsidize individuals living in disaster zones.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Tornado risk DOES affect building codes and housing design, though. Housing in high risk areas are much more likely to have basements or storm cellars. In the Detroit area tornado sirens are tested once a month during the spring and summer, even though strong tornadoes are rare in that area.

Only in most of the South most houses don't have basements. They're built on slab.

As a child, I presumed all homes were built with basements (I'm from PA) until I went to visit family friends that moved to NC.

[Steely Dan]

^ right. Basements have more to do with frost lines than they do with tornadoes.

The further north you go, the deeper the frost line usually is, and thus the more likely basements become.

[The North One]

I don't think a tornado has ever wiped out a large city in human history.

[JManc]

Basements do not work in flood-y areas with high water tables or areas with tough soil such as clay where we are.

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Other insurance payers certainly subsidize individuals living in disaster zones.

Insurance payers, yes (to a certain extent). Taxpayers, no.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by JManc

Basements do not work in flood-y areas with high water tables or areas with tough soil such as clay where we are.

It's frost lines.

Houston frost line: <6"

Chicago frost line: 42"



Chicago is also very flood-y with high clay content soil.

Yet basements are ubiquitous here.

And they flood all the fucking time.

[JManc]

Codes require basements depending on frost lines hence why Chicago has them and Houston doesn't. I'm sure developers up there would love to skip them if they could. You guys simply have no choice but the soil and flood issues still make them a hassle. Every house I lived in back east had issues with flooding in the cellar and you almost had to have a sump pump and a dehumidifier.