Katrina - thinking ahead

So they're going to level all or most of the houses in the flooded areas. Those houses are going to get re-built.

We've had a little bit of experience with FEMA and insurance companies out here because of the wild fires (not me personally, but people in the area).

These people won't get enough money to pay to get their houses rebuilt. It's not feasible to leave the area as-is until these people can rebuild or decide to sell. What's going to happen? The government can sieze the land via imminent domain, and I know they can pass it off to a commercial entity because wal-mart uses that tactic occasionally to bully themselves into areas that people don't want them. (have the government sieze the land, buy the land from the government)

Is some construction company going to make a killing by getting the rights to all this land? With mortgage companies so widely dispersed nowadays, are they all going to have to eat the losses? How is this all going to play out? Any ideas? Somebody is definitely going to get screwed out of a lot of money. It would seem the people who would make the least noise are the displaced victims, so they are the most logical target.

 

If what Jeb Bush did to Florida giving it to developers is foresight, then these folks will get screwed.

I expect that they will give it to casinos.

 

I wouldn't be surprised that, in the midst of all this misery, death & destruction with people losing *everything* they ever owned, that someone is already plotting on making themselves a fat profit out of their loss. I joked to a friend a couple of days ago that Haliburton would get a contract to rebuild...

 

I've heard that the victims will get $250.000 for their houses plus $100.000 for interior, but should everthing be rebuilt at the same place? I think it's a bad idea. The land will have a lower value now too, - I guess.

 

Those kind of numbers will never happen. I guarantee that. The government just doesn't give away that kind of money to individuals. Displaced fire victims out here were lucky to get 1/4 of their deductible from mandated fire insurance from the state and federal governments.

 

Then if that's the case, what future awaits for these people; especially those who have left not just their properties but their jobs there as well?

 

I've noticed that the government has spread folks out all over the country. Could be that they hope most of them will decide to stay in those communities for good. That could help them a bunch in the long run. Here in Texas, people are helping them find jobs, get their kids registered in school and even helping high school students join sporting teams like football.

 

300 just arrived here in Reno today.

Talk about a long way from home!

 

Out of destruction and misery often comes profit, it will, but in what shape or form only time will tell, I am sure there are many blueprints for the whole area that will revolve around profit and money rather than development and regeneration.

 

It's a natural human condition.

 

and one more c to add to that list. Construction / Reconstruction.

 

there is no point in rebuilding it.. it is better to move everything to higher ground.. this is going to happen again when the next hurricane strike.