Are there any plans to set up vendors (GC\’s or fire and water damage restoration companies )to be ready to execute the rebuilds on any damages that might result in catastrophy situation?
After Catering to the US forestry, state troopers, Feme, and conservation workers in the Gauiter Mississippi camps, and also in the Van Cleave Mississippi camp and visiting the Gulf coast devistation both then, and even more so four month later, I am appalled at the lack of progress on the coast of Mississippi and the empty evacuated barenness of miles of Northern Louisiana, from the business district to Slidell and I-10. Im appalled with insurance companys dragging thier feet and holding big meetings in Orland and sitting around to discuss next years hurricane forcasts.. making silly arguements over wind and water.Flood and hurricane. \”You have to serve somebody\” Rememeber that song? The church,especially the methodist church,is doing more to serve people on the coast, than insurance companies and the elected mayors and govenors and Feme officials in the convention hall in Biloxi and in the French quater of Louisiana. People who still live in those areas who want work ..cant get it, because the govenors of those states still havent got plans to submit to the government to rebuild and release the 86 billion federal dollars.Seventy miles of the ignored and unpublizid, destroyed, coast line of mississippi is completely ruined, shattered, right down to the pad for three hundred yards inland from the shore, to a mile and a half of deep flooding in some lower lying areas. Every other household article, is 25-30 feet up in the trees. Four months later I tour gulf region again, out of curiosity, and I find 10-15 guys looking for work standing around outside the workforce services in Biloxi Miss. No work ? I say to these guys and they all throw up thier hands in frustration. Some one needs to lay down the insurance law here and get it busy down there…quick or Ill tell ya some one in high position is going to be voted out or impeached real quick. Our elected oficials need to get out of the pockets of insurance companys and humble themselves like the church has and serve somebody.Can I get an ..Amen? WE THE PEOPLE.You-all remenber us ? Something massive and fast needs to happen here besides simply slowly trucking debree away to the dump.The moldy ninth ward simply needs to be reclaimed by the state and bulldozed and made into a lake or park and those who remained need to be simply bought out and given better then they lost.The northern end of New Orleans needs people to return and every temporary emergency service should be in place there right now to encourage owners,back to thier homes and to work. Lets return the tax base to the areas.The Louisiana and Mississippi coast line should have a massive work force moving it in the proper direction for the coming hurricane season. I also noticed that destroyed homes nearest the casinos were demolished first in Biloxi.Witin weeks..Gee do you think the casinos and those local government boys have an agenda for that property ? You bet. The ruined bridge from gulfport to Biloxi hasnt even been started on. Tour groups have been seen in the area down the ruined bridge and along the coastline gauking at other peoples misfortunes.This is a very wrong and very sick. Praise God for the church and the interfaith groups.Its the best thing to hit the Gulf coast around menge road in the Gulfport area, and in waveland since September 3rd when our catering co. arrived {the first U.S. Forest catering co to respond} and relieved local families and the national guard from eating MRI meals.SO who is responsible for this ? All of us. Get busy America. Take pride in who you are and where your from and fight.. fight for it. America\’s worth it and so are your homes and lives as you knew it. Let me remined America right here and now. We are the example to the world and we need together to pull our boots up by the straps and pull together to do the right thing and reclaim that which has been lost. Insurance or no insurance.Remember these words ? Ask not what your country can do for you …but what you can do for your country.Do you love your neighbor like yourself ? Be brave and reclaim your lives and homes. Help and encourage your neighbors. Make life in the south rich again, something of real American pride and make an heroic individual effort to make America great.Despite our failures and our state leaders failures and corporate Americas failures.
This is really a question to be pondered upon, why nature is really much zealous to spare no efforts to kill as many as possible nowadays.
The reason is very simple to be understood ! We, Human Beings who were sent to this world to seek the real meaning of evolution and to evolve to Super Human Beings have forgotten this Divine Planning & unfortunately we\’re yet much busy with our other nonsensical works.
To save ourselves from wrath of Divine, we\’ll have to connect ourselves to the divine so that we may know ourselves and the meaning of our life. There\’s no other way to save you…..OUT AND OUT !!
And the way is SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. Sahaja Yoga is the ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD. This is the ONLY WAY TO EMANCIPATION, PROLIFIC WELFARE & PROTECTION OF ALL. Sahaja Yoga is the ONLY SOLUTION TO ALL THE PROBLEMS OF WORLD. Moreover, SAHAJA YOGA IS TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE & IS OPERATIONAL in MORE THAN 125 countries of World. You too can be blessed. Just visit http://WWW.SAHAJAYOGA.ORG and attain your Self Realization ONLINE. After this seek a Sahaja Yoga Center near you and visit there once a week. And EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY !!
Yours,
Dr. Nitin Khandelwal, Environmental Activist & Nature Enthusiast BUT ABOVE ALL THESE, A SAHAJA YOGEE.
Next hurricane season – stop paying the frieght for people who live in coastal areas where they occur. Taxpayers also should not be sent the bill when they live in Montana or Iowa. Granted natural disasters happen almost anywhere, but hurricanes, Florida and the Gulf Coast are a diaster waiting to happen, year after year. Comes a time when enough is enough. I watch HGTV House Hunters as clueless nits move from Arizona or New Mexico to be \”on the water\” or near the beach. A pox on them and their \”wants\” – I want a Ferrari, but common sense tells me that is not a practical vehicle for a woman of a certain age. Common sense ought to give a clue to the terminally foolish that you you don\’t build or buy a home in the hurricane belt in a period where there is a cylical uptic in tropical storm activity. Tough love is needed here by the powers-that-be, insurance companies and the taxpayers particularly since common sense appears in short supply for far too many people who insist on putting themselves in harms way. There ought to be a one – two at the most –deal, after that you are on your own or you plan ahead with hurricane savings accounts – better yet, don\’t build in areas that are getting hit every time there is a big storm.
Or is it that you could personally pick up everything you know and just leave? Hey, you want to pay for me to move to your neighborhood? No natural disasters, no crime, no fires, no extreme weather, nothing that could POSSIBLY result in any kind of claim you can\’t pay out of pocket? WOW.
How dare you insult people you know absolutely NOTHING about!
Finally someone with a solution that makes sense. That\’s the solution…don\’t build or live in hurricane prone areas. While we are at it, why don\’t we just ask everyone who lives in Florida to move, along with all of the other Gulf Coast residents.
We should also have everyone move out of CA because of the earthquakes.
Before you know it we could pack every American into one city in one state of the country.
Really now, instead of just pushing a simple bandaid of a thought (thoughtlessness)in telling people not to live where MILLIONS have chosen to, why don\’t we put some real efforts in finding a solution that will be in the best interest of homeowners and insurance companies.
Diane, are you saying that everyone who lives in FL and/or on the Gulf Coast should abandon their homes and move elsewhere? IF that is really what you think should happen, why don\’t you just abandon your home and move to Mars so you can be with you own kind.
I think everyone is missing Diane\’s point (however badly she put it). Stay where you are. Choose where you want to live. But accept the consequences of those choices and pay your own way. My tax money shouldn\’t have to subsidize your desire to live in an area subject to more frequent and severe catastrophe.
Keep in mind, this is coming from someone in TX, the state with the HIGHEST frequency of severe weather related losses in the country. I pay my high insurance premiums because I love where I live, but I\’m not getting yearly handouts from FEMA or complaining about how my rates are too high.
And for those unable to move…maybe FEMA can stop giving you money to re-build, and fund your relocation instead. After you\’ve turned down the offer to move multiple times, fend for yourself.
TX, the state with the HIGHEST frequency of severe weather related losses in the country.
What is this statement based on?
Texas may be the biggest in size, but this one has got me stumped. Florida had 8 named storms in 15 months. Texas has not had that in decades. Sure its hot there, but its because it is a concrete jungle.
However I am willing to allow you the honor of saying your have the highest frequency of severe weather related losses, if the reinsurers will look favorably on Florida.
We need more people to beef up their older homes to current building codes and give them an incentive to do so, skyhigh rates for older homes and substantial discounts for mitigation factors, we need to replace older mobile homes and not allow them to be repaired after they are heavily damaged from a storm, thousands of 35 year old mobile homes had 2 total loss pay outs in 2 years. It is cheaper to replace the unit. We need Condo associations to blow the lock off their wallet and properly insure their buildings, get apprasials and insure them for apprasied replacement value. We need an insurance commisioner that gets it and does not pander to political motives. We also need EVERY policy holder to read the policy and ask questions if they do not understand, There is an argument for a standardized policy form, there is to many variances from one company to another, and the Dept of Insurance is to blame for approving it. We need legislatures to accept the fact that insurance companies need higher rates or the state and federal government will be bailing out everyone. Legislators and regulators need to look to solutions that will keep companies here, not trying to keep voters happy by beating up on companies, and companies need to respond better, get more knowledgable adjustors on staff and train people before the day after the storm hits. People are paying for claims service and they have gotten a bad deal. 2004 was rough and companies did little to make things better in 2005, or they just failed to implement the changes. Companies also need to provide better claims and policy information to agents via web sites or other electronic means, this will eliminate 50% of the phone calls. Agents need to insist companies allow them better access & claim service to customers and hold them accountable, they owe it to the customers that bought the claims service. Agents need to do a better job of educating insureds, customers really do not know what they need and should not be allowed to simply buy the cheapest thing offered without understanding that they are not getting all the coverage they need. and consumers need to take responsibility for themselves, prepare for the storm and protect their homes and then protect it after the storm from any further damage that could happen, this clearly did not happen enough in 2005 with Wilma. Everyone has something they can do to make things better, pointing fingers at the guy next to you is getting nothing done. Somebody step up and take charge, PLEASE.
And NO Mr Gallagher I am not talking to you, in my opinion you have done enough for us.
You make some valid points. But are you suggesting the agent should involve himself in the claims process? Unless he foreswears all eating and sleeping, he can\’t possibly be the \”claims center\” for his clients, and take care of renewals, and take on new business, and attend to ordinary agency business.
I love New Orleans and I want to see it rebuilt, but not in the flood plain area.
It is ludicrous to allow anyone to build in an area that can flood whether the levees are rebuilt or not. There will be another Hurricane and Flooding to devastate the New Orleans area. What are the local officials thinking ? It is time for the Federal Government to put a stop to providing Flood Insurance to the New Orleans area. I am tired of paying for such stupity that is going on in New Orleans. It appears the local officials are just trying to rebuild their power base of voters.
LL,
I may not have made it clear in my first post, but here goes. The agent must be able to see claims info and have access to it, I do not mean that all claims are handled or taken by the agent. But ANY good agent will provide answers to their customers that have spent 3 weeks on the phone and only been able to determine that the voice mail system is inadequate. Most carriers now want the claims called in by the insured, and I am all for this, but agents must be able to answer questions when the client calls in frustration looking for nothing more than someone to say the adjustor has not turned in the report yet. If more companies beefed up their systems to allow agents the ability to look at the status of a claim it would reduce the calls to the company by half. It simply amazes me at how many companies are now saying that they will send the info to the customers and that they can take it to the agent, \”the agent has no right to the claims info\”. I believe that as the agent for the client, I not only have a right to see it, I have a duty to the client and the company to make sure everything is kosher. I handled thousands of cat claims in 2004 and 2005 and had adjustors that short changed folks and then I had customers throwing $50,000 back at us for overpayment (yes it really happens). As far as selling new business after a cat loss, a good agent will do what he can, but the current affected customers should be priority. So to answer your question, YES the agent should be involved in the claims process, not to become the claims center, but to help the customer 3 months after the loss when they have seen the adjustor but heard nothing. It is also critical that the agent be able to see claims data, when he is rewritting or moving business that is non renewed. The customer may have been paid out a total loss, but fixed the home for less than half of the payout, you must take precautions in situations like this or you are going to get a cancel notice from the new carrier when they run a clue report. As an agent I do not work for any company, I work for the customer and need to be able to answer the clients questions when the companies are to busy to. Remember we are selling claims service. If my agent told me that they could not help me with a claim, I end that relationship NOW and find another agent that works for me. It is unfortunate that some agents are only out for the sale, they will suffer when they do have a cat loss, and their customers will look for another agent if they are not taken care of.
Diane does have a point,albeit a rude one.
New Orleans was and WILL BE AGAIN tragically flooded.If nature wants N.O. to be a lake she is going to have New Orleans as a lake!! WHY wasn\’t it leveled and improved after Katrina? Because its too expensive!! One forsaken city.Whose next ?
If you live along the gulf coast ,and dont have an evacuation plan then you are gonna get whats comin to you and i wont be sending you water or toilet paper or whatever else people without forethought might need .Happy summer \’06.Good luck.
Alex I hope you never need a good samaritan to help you. I happen to agree that N.O. should be bull dozed and filled in before they rebuild, but your comments about those that have been affected are beginning to show your IQ. I can only assume that you would have no problem with the people in N.O. that were flooded out moving to your neighborhood, or would you not accept them because of some other issue like race, work ethic or economic scale. You too will need help someday, good luck
I am 47 yrs old, born n raised in southeastern part of Louisiana. This is and will always be MY HOME. By choice, like another person posted previously. There is some type of natural disaster all over this world. There is no way to get out of harms way…So, to the ones that say \”Why don\’t you move?\” or \”Why do you stay n rebuild in same area that we know is prone for hurricanes/tornadoes???\”…It is the way we were raised, Southern born n proud of it. Sure, alot of folks don\’t and can\’t afford insurance for their homes. There are alot of sick n worried people that are on \”pins n needles\” when hurricane season is approaching. Not only then, but when there is a sudden thunderstorm and a tornado is spun out of it…This is what you call a \”Natural tragedy\”…It doesn\’t matter where you live. You make the best of what you have and do the best you can. We can\’t foresee the future, but we can do something about today, the present. Let\’s get together and help one another. Enuff pointing fingers at this person/group and join together as humans/neighbors/families and rebuild our communities back. Sure there are those money-hungry people that are fraudulent n gained access to monies from a natural disaster but not all the people should suffer from this. We have a society of different religions, ethnic backgrounds, financial status, family origins, and lots of factors here in Louisiana, Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast. There are wealthy, some on medium scale of income bracket and then the lower income range of peoples here that we as citizens of the South need to take into account and realize what each can deal with and handle under such circumstances. I also feel any rebuilding done should be done with the utmost scale associated with strength of the structure and safetiness of the dwelling after completed. Following a better type of building code that is designed to withstand a major category tragedy. Sure the flooding can\’t be prevented in the lowlying areas. But have a plan made how to deal with this in case of emergency such as has been mentioned and also done during Katrina to get to higher grounds until help can get to you. Also, I feel that certain areas should be completely bulldozed off, from what I have seen on the footage showed of these areas and new buildings replacing older ones. As for as the levees in New Orleans, I feel it is not being constructed to withstand another hit from an act of nature such as another hurricane no matter the strength of it. The levee is being poorly \”patched up\”. I am no engineer and from what I have seen and heard, this is what I feel. There is going to be another CAtegory 3, 4, or 5 Hurricane that is going to affect our area again. And I pray that we are better prepared all the way around for the \”NEXT BIG ONE\”…And hopefully our public officials will have a better grip on getting HELP to the areas that need it the most sooner. And also THE PEOPLE BE MORE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PREPARED…God Bless all the individuals, groups, and organizations that extended their help out for the victims of all tragedies. And let us learn by Katrina just \”how we can better prepare ourselves\”…God Bless All…So, Let US, the citizens of the Southern States, make our goals to be better prepared for this coming hurricane season. Let me rephrase that, LET US BE PREPARED AT ALL TIMES WITHIN OUR MEANS FOR ANY DISASTER AT ALL TIMES…Because WE NEVER know what tomorrow is going to have in store for us…Take care all n God Bless !!!!
Half the problem claims would be easily settled, if more insureds read the part in the policy regarding their duties in case of a claim.
Swearing at the adjuster doesn\’t make the checks come faster.
Quick question then Biloxi….Why,OH why would your city ordinances put casinos over water and not land in an oceanside area at risk? What could the intelligent design possibly be? Isn\’t that just asking for trouble? Isn\’t it just plain stupid? Shouldnt everything in a hurricane prone area be nailed to the ground 100%.I have all the sympathy in the world for all affected by wicked weather,BUT Luck favors the prepared!! not towns where casinos and riverboats become projectiles,not where a city is in a crater next to the ocean!! Mayors and Governors are to blame.those without foresight.New Orleans will become a lake one day.The casinos in biloxi will rip themselves off their partial foundations and scrape down boulevards again.GUARANTEED!
Its just such a shame that so many resources are waiting to be wasted on an AVOIDABLE future.
What is wrong with you people?
If you don\’t want to help us, then don\’t. We don\’t want your taxes to go up because of us. We don\’t want your toilet rolls etc. All we want is what we have paid for, our insurance money, so that we can carry on with our lives.
I have never seen such heartless comments in all my life.
Yes we choose to live here, but as a previous post said, there are other areas within the United States that have other kinds of disasters too. What do you suggest next?
I happen to love it here in Biloxi Mississippi. This is the first major disaster since Hurricane Camille, which was 30 years ago. I am sure it won\’t be the last, but we pay our price to live here, so butt out.
Our churches help us, they know that God has to take us in various ways, but they don\’t condemn us for living where we want either.
You people have no idea why some do not evacuate. I personally had to work until 5AM the previous morning, by then the roads were jammed. Do you suggest we got on the road and get hit by the Hurricane while trying to flee?
You people know what they say right? What goes around, comes around. That means you nasty mouth people will get yours one day, and I really hope I\’m alive to see it.
Have good day.
I, for one, don\’t want to see another adjuster\’s report again. I spent 2 hours going through one with an insured, as he rummaged through a very large shoe box for supporting docs…
Alex,
The reason that the casinos originally had to build on the water, is because not all people wanted them here. The economy needed them, so the only way they were allowed to build, was on a barge.
Like I said previously, this is the first major hurricane we have had in 30 years, most of the casinos have withheld very well during that time, with the exception of one or two. It took Katrina to make people realise, they HAD to bring them in land, so now they are. The casinos bring in a lot of revenue for the coast, we need them.
Thank you to the other people that answered my letter with supporting comments, we all appreciate them.
John, I couldn\’t agree with you more. Claim info on company websites, it\’s amazing that damd fool agents like us can figure that out but not the companies. Ah the joy of waiting on hold forever to find out a claim was filed (thanks) or they have not recieved the adjusters report (no deadline as to when the company should get it), or \”we got the report and it will be a few weeks before it\’s processed\”…
I would love atleast basic info. That would be required to be input by the company as well as the adjuster
Date claim filed
Date assigned to adjuster
Name and phone number of adjusting company
Date adjuster saw home (Limitations on how long the adjuster has to complete the report)
Date adjusters report recieved by company
Date check cut with amount of check. Including a breakdaown as to what was paid for – Building, persoanl prop, ALE…
Copy of the adjusters report.
This would be a good start. And would save everybody time.
JR, you are 100% right. It is very easy for people to be self-righteous and judgemental towards those who have experienced hurricanes and other misfortunes. How do you prepare for your roof to blow off? You can stock up on bottled water but there are many things that happen during a storm that can\’t be prepared for. I went through 3 hurricanes in 2004 and it was a horrible experience. Each time we lost electricity for a week. I am moving out of FL but some people have job or family considerations and can\’t move. It is very interesting that those who have not suffered a catastrophic event think they know what those who have should do or not do. You can\’t fully understand it until you have been through it.
According to the statements made by Diane, I should pack up and move my family. I live in SW Oklahoma and we are currently under a high risk alert for wildfires. Thank goodness that I work in the household moving industry, the move will be free. While we\’re at it, all the residents from California to Texas should pack also.
There is no way to stop a natural disaster. Hence the word \”Natural\”. I have lived in Hurrican prone areas, tornado alley, wild fire haven and flood zones. There is a risk anywhere you live. Yes, some are more prone than others and by living there you are taking a risk.
We have many of the victims from Katrina living here in Oklahoma. I was more than happy to do what I was able to do for them. I am also grateful that they may get a VERY SMALL part of the tax money that I have paid in to help them get back on their feet. At least, it went to one good cause.
And as someone stated in an earlier post, \”Diane, got an extra room?\” Me, my husband and our six children would love to relocate to where Mother Nature never shows her ugliness.
So how do you like that stunt I pulled in the Northeast. Talk about a natural disaster, the snow shut down airports all over the country, even in sunny Florida.
There is no place that I can\’t spur a disaster, just try me. I think North Dakota is next on the list, I have not messed with them in a while, there is fixing to be a snow melt and resulting flood, just wait.
A few questions for you Diane,
Did you personally receive a bill for this? Did you realize that FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency? Did you just realize after all those years of paying taxes that some of that money is going to FEMA for disaster assistance? How\’s the job market in your area? Are there plenty of jobs and houses available in your community for the 20,376 People that applied for FEMA Assistance in Hancock County alone (gulfcoastnews.com civil defense update as of 2-9-2006)? If everybody moved away from the gulf coast what would happen to the shipbuilding industry, the seafood industry, the oil and gas industry, and the Shipping industry? Here are the major disaster declarations from the first 2 months of 2006 for you to think about.
1629 02/03 Nevada Severe Storms and Flooding
1628 02/03 California Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides
1627 01/26 Nebraska Severe Winter Storm
1626 1/26 Kansas Severe Winter Storm
1625 01/20 South Carolina Severe Ice Storm
1624 01/11 Texas Extreme Wildfire Threat
1623 01/10 Oklahoma Severe Wildfire Threat
1622 01/04 Minnesota Severe Winter Storm
1621 01/04 North Dakota Severe Winter Storm
Maybe you have room for these people too.
I am just one of thousands of Katrina and Rita disaster victims who received no more than a camper to stay in while we rebuilt our lives (and I was glad for that). I moved back into my house just this weekend so the camper I was using will be going back to FEMA to be reused in some future disaster. One day you just might be in that same camper. Rest assured if you are you will never hear me complain about my tax dollars going to work helping you rebuild.
I think that The Mississippi Gulf Coast is ahead of schedule in recovery efforts. I have seen first hand that the Mississippi Gulf Coast is getting the job done. When it comes to the FEMA response it sucks and they copmpletly FAILED. However, MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) was ahead of the game both before and after the storm. Hurricane Katrina taught us all a lesson. We will rebuild and it will be better than before. The only things that us Mississippians and new Orleanans must worry about is the 2006 Hurricane Season. I hate to say it, but i can feel it in my bones that the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans could face another storm at katrina\’s strength or more than katrina\’s strength. An from what i have saw as well is that Mississippi is ahead of Louisiana at recovery. im not saying its a race to recovery, but if they are getting most of the attention, why arent they ahead?
Give Diane a break. She was saying what a lot of people who don\’t live in disaster prone areas think… namely why should we subsidize people to live in high risk areas.
It\’s a valid thought, given that some areas of the country are routinely hit by natural disasters while others are not.
To the stupid guy named Alex, will you please SHUT UP. Nobody wants to hear your igorant comments. You are not head of the United States,FEMA,or any other important organization. I live in Biloxi and the reason why casinos were not built on land in the first place was not because of Biloxi\’s decision,but because of Mississippi state law. Plus there was not enough room on land for these enormous casinos. But they certainly know now to learn from their mistakes, so stop bashing Biloxi before I bash YOU!!
Michigan for one… Yes we have tornadoes that come through every year but as most they do a couple of million dollars in loss. They don\’t do hundreds of millions much less billions of dollars in loss.
Yes we have snow storms. Probably once or twice a year we get snow of 12+ inches. The snow storms actually don\’t do much damage.
Contrast that with Florida that gets hit ever year with hurricanes that do at least hundreds of millions of dollars of damage per year.
Crunch, as usual those who are ignorant end up picking on FL. FL is a very large state. Every part of FL does not get hit by hurricanes every year just like all of Michigan does not get hit by tornadoes every year. An individual homeowner\’s chance of getting hit by a tornado in Michigan may be low in a given year. An individual homeowner\’s chance of getting hit by hurricane in FL (or MS or LA or NC or SC)is not as low but is still low. The point is maybe you Midwesterners need to stop being so self-satisfied and realize that your fellow Americans have suffered damages through no fault of their own. Your tax money goes to support the armed services which protect ALL Americans. Disaster relief and mitigation would likewise help protect ALL American; even you if that tornado hits.
We floridians are still better at getting free generators from FEMA than anyone else! Free stuff, lower insurance rates, that\’s what we want. So there!
Thank you for your kind comments. United States of America is united. We are one people, no matter where you live in our country or how long your generations go back. Thank you for caring for us down here along the Gulf Coast. As it has been said before, \”The South will rise again.\” It may take some time, but we will be as big and beautiful as before Katrina.
I feel it in my bones, too. But what can we do? I\’m sure our ancestors went through worse times. If God wants to take us out, he will, storm or not. We can\’t live our lives worrying about this. We must continue on. If God didn\’t want us to build back, then it wouldn\’t be possible. Remember, God the One that created all, and he can certainly take away all, but HE didn\’t!!! We must rebuild and continue loving our communities and all that live in them.
You got an \”Amen\” from me!!! Just for clarification, the broken bridges are connectors from Bay St. Louis to Pass Christian and Biloxi to Ocean Springs. Thank God we got our Popps Ferry Bridge that connects the Biloxi pennisular to Biloxi North Bay. This was a big deal!!! All will be well. Have faith. You will have your critics, but free speech is part of our heritage. I love Biloxi!
So you are suggesting we throw a whole Major city (and port) in the toilet because what the heck, going to be underwater soon anyway!???
We need to learn from this, realize people are not going to leave because N.O. is their home! How heartless can you be!
I have a real problem with your cold attitude towards natural disaster victims. You are one cold hearted person. I wouldn\’t wish Katrina on anyone. You need to get right with God lady.
\”Homeowners in areas where previous hurricanes have damaged their property need to complete minor repairs before the next hurricane season,\” Mayfield explained. \”What seem like small items, a loose shingle for instance, will be weaknesses if another hurricane comes through, and could result in major damage if not repaired now.\”
100% of Hurricane Rita affected asphalt shingle roofing systems that we have inspected have been lifted, and are not reseating, in the Golden Triangle area, of southeast Texas.
Poor adjuster damage assessments are putting the insured property, and property owner, at risk for greater loss due to such claim settlement practices…
It\’s too bad that short term profiteering could lead to short / long tail financial implications…
For all of my neighbors on the MS Gulf Coast as well as my Metairie childhood friends: I pray that God will spare us from a disaster like Katrina ever again. Even though a lot of blessings have occurred due to the storm, I still can\’t help but cry every day for the hurt that still is amongst us. I love my Metairie and Biloxi and will spend the remainder of my life in Biloxi. We are special and loving people down here.
I am a member of a DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) and was deployed in New Orleans for several weeks. I live in PA, a pretty safe place weather wise, but I believe in the US and ALL her people. I feel we\’re all in this together. Any sugestion of not pulling together and helping each other is unthinkable. Where is that good old American atttude that we will rebuild better than ever? If that was my home, I wouldn\’t leave either. I pray this never happens to our proud gulf coast again, but if it does, I\’ll be there to help, as will all my fellow team members.
Hummmmm Diane, Sounds like you didn\’t put much thought into this (idiot). For hundreds of years people have lived in the gulf coast areas. Yes every so often we have to get hit with a hurricane. I also lived in Kansas and was hit by a tornado, In New York people are under the risk of terrorist and blizzards in the north. But these are our homes, a small price to pay to live in the area where our families and friends lives, our work, are churchs and everything we know and love lives. New Orleans and the rest of the gulf coast has been hit by unusally high and strong hurricane season for the passed couple of years. We have insurance and we pray. FEMA\’s biggest mistake was to help in bailing us out to began with. It isn\’t the goverenments job to bail us out. We are paying 2800.00 a years for insurance for our home and yet are insurnace company is not paying for the claims as they should. This is a major problem with the insurance companies. NOT the goverenment,
i have a very hard time believeing that the insurance companies are hurting as bad as they said. My home is a 2800 square foot home and 2800.00per year is how much i paid for insurance. Now for 9 years never had a claim nor did any major storms hit in nine years. Now you multi. that with the number of people who also never file a single claim in nine years and the money they collected there is a huge amount of money. Not to mention the insurance companies collect interest on the monies they charged over the years and invest that as well. IT doesn\’t seem that this should be a money problem.
The other point is, I PAID for coverage of my home for complete rebuild if needed. Those monies and funds should be set aside for my home and every other insured home out there.
A girl friend of mine was told by one adjuster that her home wasn\’t as bad as others. To be happy with what she got.
Hummmmmmm every room was flooded and there is black mold growing in her home now, and the walls still have not been repaired as yet and her now has no carpet, her brick fireplace has a crack in it so large you can see the outside throught it. Her roof is so damaged that rain is still coming in and reflooding everything. Not to mention the personal items she lost in the storm (beds, Chairs, ect.) How much is the cost to repair $23,000 for her home alone. How much did her insurance company pay her 4,500.00. How much does she paid in insurance 3200.00. She would have been better off to invest the money in a bank account than to pay them.
Instead of everyone pointing the finger at the goverment and looking at faults lets look at the families that are hurt and need help.
Solution:
It pisses me off to hear the goverenment complain about not having any money to help. Even though it isn\’t their problem. But let not say they can\’t help when the goverenment sends billions of dollars to counties that burn our flags and yell hateful chants in the streets.
If they hate us WHY sent them money to use against us. I think we would have a lot more respect if for everytime we see a flag burned in a nation that nation has $1,000,000.00 of U.S foreign aid pulled out of that county. Every time a mosque peaches hate… Good-bye funds. I think we as Americans can help ourselves a bit better with the money than support those who, no matter what we do for them they still hate us and will do us harm.
We have pain and suffering in are own boarders why then do we need to look outside of our nation to help those that will harm us.
Sorry but lets be real we need to help ourselves before we can help those who want to harm us. Beside think of how fast we will start getting world respect if they are taught to stop hating us and thank us for the things we do. For now lets help ourselves. Victim of RITA and of Katerine.
Cherie,
I am sorry for your loss and pain, I have been there and KNOW what you are talking about, I live in Florida and suffered the storms here, we suffered moderate damage. I did go to N.O. and Mississippi and helped out, Floridians have no idea how much worse Mississippi was affected than Florida in any of the storms we had. I know a lot of help is flowing in but it is going to take years to get halfway back to normal. You did not indicate in your post what type of insurance you had or what your damage was. If you had flood insurance that is actually the federal government that backs and runs the flood program. If you did not have flood insurance you probably suffered damage that was not covered by your homeowners insurance because it was excluded. I know it does not make you feel any better, but everyone learned from this freak of nature storm period. It is safe to say that legislation will be pushed to change the insurance forms and coverages, this will come at a great cost and likely will not give the proper coverage that we all need. Companies will make a profit or they will go sell widgets instead of insurance. The fact is that we have never had a catastrophic storm season like this before and it has never tested the industry before. Basically I think the system failed and it has not been fixed yet. One thing is for sure, we will all be paying more for insurance and we will all be reading the policies from now on, or shame on us for being stupid.
First let me say this… I am a resident of Mobile Alabama and have never witnessed such destruction before like I have with hurricanes Rita and Katrina. As I sat here wondering what I can do to help, I realized there was a whole world out there who knew nothing about what has REALLY happened here.
So I turned to my friends on Sportfishermen.com to help, and help they have!! We have worked together as a team and have gotten the attention from the John Boy and Billy show \”the BIG SHOW\” and sent emails out to CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, and many more!
Now my sportfishing family have gotten together and have decided to do more.. they have started a \”stuff a camper\” champaign to help people out in the devestated areas.
If you have been affected by these hurricanes please tell your story on Sportfishermen.com and it will be made aware of to major news channels and agencies… and if you need help please post up and ask! We want to get to the most devestated areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, We are willing to help you if we know where you are! but YOU have to let it be known to us… Because no one else seems to care about you unless you live in New Orleans… we do not EVER hear of other areas that were hit way harder!
Please visit http://www.Sportfishermen.com and go to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita forum and post your story and requests then we will help you!!!! I promise!!! tell them Surfergirl sent you…
Well I am a resident of Biloxi and a victim of Katrina. Your questions about the casinos…onshore gambling is illegal, which is why the casinos are on barges. I don\’t think you understand that dealing with mother nature it doesn\’t matter what is \”nailed to the ground\” My Brick apartment on a concrete slab was destroyed…Barges as big and heavy as you can imagine were simply tossed across the highway. I appreciate everyones prayers and help, but to the people who want to look at the negative instead of moving forward can simply go to hell.
I have to agree with most who responded to your message. I live in the North/Central Alabama and was the victim of a hurricane in 2004. No, it was not damage from a spawned tornado, rather high winds during the hurricane. The damage to my brand new vehicle was over $6,000. Now, where should I go to escape mother nature? Someone suggested Mars? I don\’t think so. I\’ll stay right here in Sweet Home Alabama, where my job of 30 years, my 82 y/o father and 5 of my 6 siblings live (oh, and my husband, children and grandchildren are Alabamamians also). Yes, one lives in Florida. Why, you may ask. Because her husband is a military officer who was assigned there. Which brings me to…where would we have our military, police and firefighters live….those who protect and serve? Wouldn\’t be prudent to send all of them away from the coast, now would it?
I would rather my tax dollars be spent on those who were victims of mother nature than victims of themselves. Not that all who receive government aid are self made victims, but I do know that some are.
I have always believed in \’live and let live\’. Not that I have to like or agree with everyone\’s opinion, lifestyle or beliefs. But, I also believe that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that He is the only one who can rightfully judge.
Well I have read my comments, but for you Diane, I have lived in Louisiana all my life. My job is here, my home is here. I am 56 years old and lived here since the day I was born in Southwest Louisiana. It seems to me that no matter where you live there are natural disasters, floods, fires, storms, earthquakes, tornados and yes even terrorist so to suggest that people pack up their lives and move is just not realistic. Think you better re-think you outlook on this, no matter where you are, things happen. I pay my taxes and my insurance premiums and believe me it shocked me to realize just what they would pay after all was over. So maybe as an American you need to have compassion for we are all not just here because we want a free ride, these are our homes and our loved ones who share them with us. I pray nothing bad ever happens to you.
I\’ve read a few of the responses to this original. Some of them emotional, but none of them factual.
The problem we see is that the insurance companies mis-calculated… it is difficult to calculate where natural disasters will hit and with what intensity. It\’s easier to see the mis-calculation after the fact. The people that got hit with storms in 2005 were (in effect) UNDERPAYING on their insurance, probably for years. So the notion that they just want their money back is ridiculous. Had they been paying the correct amount all along, the funds would be available to re-pay. Given 2005 season, insurance rates will certainly go up, probably to the point where it becomes too costly to live in a costal area, at least for the free-loaders; one needn\’t worry that anyone is going to get a free ride in the future. This all basic Economics 101; You get what you pay for, nothing more, nothing less. Flood insurance was available to most everyone, but it was too expensive, or people made their own decisions not to buy it. In any area that it was not available, it was not available for good reason; the calculated risk was too great and no insurance company (even perhaps the Federal Government) wanted to be involved. It should be a clear indication that perhaps if I own a certain piece of property that is in a flood zone, maybe I should not build on it. Common sense applies.
I had to go to Mississippi on Monday of this week and I took my kids to the Hwy 90 bridge that was washed out … I could not believe my eyes.
The storm took WHOLE sections of the bridge and stacked them like dominos.. and as I looked across the bay I saw buildings that has sunk on one side, as my kids and I walked along the shore I saw a large suit case that was full of sand, and a childs stuffed animal toy sitting next to the suit case… One of my children made the comment that they wished they knew who that toy belonged to because that child is probably missing their toy… it made me sad.
And it makes me sad that some people refuse to even conceive the idea of the magnatude of the situation our fine neighbors in Mississippi,Louisiana and Texas are facing right now. They have had homes that have been around for hundreds of years washed away in one day..years of memories and heirlooms gone, in just a day.
My heart and prayers go out to all of my neighbors, if you need help please see my other post, my friends are ready to start their trip down and if you need anything please contact us.
for godsake had\’t you ever heard of naturel disaster it happens and no one can stop it and when it does we all have to put our head together and help how about the katrina disater so much people put in and thats what we all should do at any diaster that happens unless you don\’t want this country to recover from its crisi then how are we going to rebuild it might take us years to rebuild New orleans and lousiana and other hard hit areas but hey it always good to help even a penny will make the diffrence
I have lived in Beauregard Parish for almost all my life which is nearly 40 years. My mother has lived here all here life for over 60 years. One hurricane she remembers hit that impacted this area of Louisiana until Hurricane Rita- One Hurricane that was NOTHING COMPARED to Rita. I have seen one hurricane in my life… in almost 40 years…Rita. We were not asked to evacuate or told to evacuate even though we should have been told to…we could not get out even if when we tried as the roads were congested from the places that were under a madatory evacuating below us and gas stations for miles were empty of gas…
We have never forgotten that storm and are already preparing for the next Hurricane season!
However you say we are idiots because we live here.
You don\’t just pick up and move to another state or higher land that easy.
No, we are not idiots.
You will be noticing weather changes all over the United States trust me on that and one day YOUR state will need help during a Natural Disaster and we will call you idiots for living there! Such an idiot for commenting on a situation for which you know little about.
Sincerely,
Lisa
I WONDER HOW COULD SOMEONE BE SO IGNORANT AS TO SAY WE GET FREE GENERATORS FROM FEMA.
I WENTO THROUGH ANDREW AND IT WAS NO GAME, NOR RITA, OR WILMA . I PRAY TO GOD DAILY NOT ONLY THAT FLORIDA DOESN\’T GET HIT BYE OTHER HURRICANES, BUT NO ONE ELSE EITHER. FL. YOU ARE SHAME TO HUMANITY, PROBABLY A FREELOADER THAT ONLY THINKS OF FREE MATERIAL THINGS AND NOT AT THE HUMAN SUFFERING OR LIFES LOST IN HURRICANES, I HOPE GOD WILL TOUCH YOU HEART AND YOU RETRACT FROM SUCH AN IDIOTIC COMMENT. I RATHER PAY FOR MY INSURANCE AND NOT HAVE TO USE IT DUE TO A HURRICANE. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT
Diane Alden; May God have mercy on you! I hope you NEVER have to go through what we have been through. I have lived in Pensacola, FL all my life. I was born here. My entire family is here. We were hit HARD with Hurricane Ivan. The roof was peeled off my home, the ceiling collapased and my personal belongings were ruined. I had and still have Allstate Insurance. They paid me $6500.00. There was no way this would ever pay for my damages. My husband and myself are hard working people. We proudly pay our taxes every year and NEVER complain about it. Now let me tell you what FEMA did for me. Because I have insurance (HA HA) they allowed me a one time cash assistance of $450.00 because we were displaced from our home. I am soooo sorry if that offends you. Never mind that I or We paid taxes too Diane. However, we were able to take out an SBA LOAN and rebuild. We are greatful for that and have begun our mortgage payments to REPAY the loan. Therefore, I would like to thank every other hard working American who realizes that stuff happens to even good people and do not begrudge us for a LOAN. We do not live in a flood area. We live in the highest point of NW Florida. It was the high wind that took our roof. So tell me Diane….How much did you pay in taxes this year? Did you receive EARNED INCOME CREDIT? I didn\’t. I paid, then paid again. I don\’t begrudge you, why should you begrudge me. It\’s hard not to take it personally when people judge so harshly.
isnt this a country where everyone no matter if they live in iowa or in a state where a hurricane hits quite often have the same rights i mean why complain about people that live in hurricane states when a person in iowa or the midwest states deal with tornadoes year round i ask you what would you say if your house is destroyed by a midwest tornado i never hear about people in hurricane states complain about people having their lives displaced by tornadoes my point is everyone is entitled to to help no matter the circumstances
Diane, you are a heartless shrew! Only one devoid of compassion would utter such vitriolic criticism. Fortunately, you have been spared unparalleled destruction, pain, and sorrow from a natural calamity; however, one day you may be cursed (\”poxed\”) because Almighty God does exact vengeance — \”PRIDE goeth before destruction, and a HAUGHTY spirit before a fall.\”
You say, \”…stop paying the frieght for people who live in coastal areas where they occur. Taxpayers also should not be sent the bill when they live in Montana or Iowa.\” How asinine! Using your illogical reasoning, then neither should the Gulf Coast\’s tax dollars be funneled into your state\’s coffers to maintain its infrastructure; never mind the myriad of federal \”entitlements\” that you benefit from in one way or another. Moreover, if it wasn\’t for the Gulf Coast\’s petroleum industry you, my dear, would be reading by candlelight, heating your home with dung or peat, and walking. Petroleum and ALL its byproducts doesn\’t jump out of the Earth; it requires humans LIVING in hurricane prone areas to maintain YOUR comfortable lifestyle.
To paraphrase John Donne: \”No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, America is the less…any man\’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind….\”
How heartless could someone possibly be for people from their own country. I find it funny that people criticize us for living on the Gulf Coast and think we should \”fend for ourselves\” when disaster strikes. But when people in other countries have a disaster everyone bans together to help as much as possible. So Diane, and those who agree with her, get out of your bubble & join the real world.
Kudos to you \”mother nature\”! Let the northerners know how it feels to be without power, food, water even gas for a while! Make sure you hit \”La La Land\” where Diane Aldean lives too. She needs a little taste of reality!
Your an idiot…plain and simple. If no one knew it before they read your comments than I can assure you they do now.
I could write an essay on how stupid your statements are but to be honest, it wouldn\’t even be worth my time because you more than likely wouldn\’t understand or comprehend any of it. It irritates me that people like you own a computer to make stupid comments for the world to see.
I do really enjoy what I\’ve read, but some people really need to take a breath and chill out! Every people here are expressing their opinions, they are not facts, and they are not personal attacks. But some people just over react.
Like here is one of my opinions, I love living in Iowa. I\’ve lived here for almost my whole life and really wouldn\’t move out of this state. I don\’t like everything that happens in Iowa, and I\’m sure people think it is really boring here, but I don\’t so.
I think you have to remember not all natural disasters are the same. We just had a Tornado touch down in Iowa City on 04/13. I work in a town just west of Iowa City. That day when my husband and I came to work it was nice and sunny, white fluffy clouds, blue skies. That was at 2:30 pm. At about 7:30 pm we were off of the phones and hiding under our desks. We spent 2 hours waiting for the storm to pass. Yes, tornadoes do not last as long as a hurricane, but they are a lot harder to predict.
So, speaking of Natural Disasters and FEMA. I do support FEMA; they are there to help, even though they did drop the ball after Katrina and Rita. I do have one beef, and that is people who think that FEMA is just there to bail them out. And I\’m not just talking about in the gulf coast. It happens up here is Iowa. About 6 years ago the Chicago Tribune did an article about the number of people the live on the Mississippi River in Illinois and Iowa who do not have flood insurance after the Floods in \’93. I was alarmed by how many of these people said, \”Well, it\’s too expensive, so if another flood happens we will just get money from FEMA again.\” WHAT?!? I\’m sorry, I think that is ridiculous! I think that it should be a one shot deal, ok; oops you didn\’t know that you did have insurance for . But ten years down there road and they same thing happens again, FEMA shouldn\’t bail you out a second time. I know, I\’m being harsh, but people need to take personal responsibility. I have my whole life!
One other thing that really bothered me about a lot of post here are the religious people who want to put a curse/pox on Diane Alden for expressing her opinion. Geez, aren\’t we being nice, thoughtful and good Christians. Please, practice what you preach!
Final point, if you are going to call someone else an idiot, check your spelling! You look like the idiot when you are belittling someone opinion and misspelling easy words! I\’m Dyslexic, and my spelling is HORRIBLE. Two words… spell check!
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most horrible hurricanes to ever hit the United States. People have lost their lives. Lost their homes. Lost everything.
So, after experiencing this, and knowing that more hurricanes are going to hit New Orleans JUST like Hurricane Katrina, might I ask what the point in rebuilding it is?
You can preserve culture anywhere else in the world. A safer place. Somewhere that doesn\’t have to worry about massive weather events such as this one. Of course it won\’t be the same… but… you have to balance this out. Your culture moving somewhere else, or, your life ceasing to exist.
Personally, I didn\’t know about the risk of hurricanes hitting New Orleans and causing this type of damage. I think, actually, a lot of people didn\’t know. But now that everyone in America does, everyone in the world does, let\’s change this. Let\’s get the hell away from there… and any other place that has such a big risk of lost lives.
California is another example of this. Everybody knows that the San Andreas fault runs directly down the middle of the state of California. Everyone knows that there\’s going to be a massive earthquake there. Everyone knows that it\’s going to happen very soon, especially basing this off what we\’ve seen with the recent spur of tsnuamis. Yet, I haven\’t seen anybody move. Nobody cares. Nobody cares until all of a sudden, one day, Los Angeles is a steaming pile of rubble. Millions are dead. Millions are injured and homeless. And then, when the world sees it, everyone gathers around and says,\” Why did God do this to us?\”
God did this to you? No. God had nothing to do with it. You chose to live there so you suffer the consequences.
Granted, just about anywhere in your world has its downsides. For example, moving to the North Eastern section of America. It\’s very cold there during the Winters. But, are there Hurricanes like Katrina? No. Is there the posibility of an Earthquake occuring that will split New York in half? Not really. The odds of tornados are extremely low.
So, there you go. A perfect place to move to. New York. Again, balance it out. Cold weather or no life.
I don\’t find any of this to be harsh. I\’m sure i\’ll get plenty of great feedback saying what a moron I am for saying things like this.
But now, there are no excuses. There are no reasons. If it happens again, it\’s nobodys fault but the people who chose to live there, or anywhere else like this. So, the choice is yours.
And when the next major hurricane is cascading up off the shores of Mexico towards New Orleans AGAIN, I\’ll be sitting in my home, in New York, cold… but safe.
Jon, I have 2 things to say. September 11th happened in New York, and the pure cost of living in New York makes it , well, Dumb. and do you think that everyone in California or Louisiana could really move to New York as you propose? It seems that New York has all it can handle.
Wanna try again?
Thank you JR, I couldn\’t have said it better myself.
Jon… Are you a complete moron? Oh! hold on, you and that other idiot Diane must be related.
OK people, get up and move away from the disaster zone, Jon has plenty of room for you ALL. I guess maybe we should ALL pile into one area of the country, yep Jon, that makes a lot of sense to me!!!! MORON.
Did you guys realize that there is a higher strike probability for New York this season than there is for the gulf states? That would be terrible but they have predicted that there is a higher strike probability along the eastern coast than in the gulf.
As far as rebuilding New Orleans, I am on the same page as a lot of people here in Louisiana. We don\’t see the point of rebuilding parts of New Orleans only to have it possible washed away again. Now that is not my home so I can\’t speak for those who live there. I am sure that there hearts live there as mine lives here. So, it is up to them, the state of La. and the feds to decide how and what to do.
Now we face another season of what is predicted to be many years of strong hurricanes. Do I pack my family up, quit my job, try to sell my house and high tale it out of town??? No! At least not unless my part of Louisiana becomes unlivable due to a natural or unatural disaster. Are we prepared to evacuate and maintain ourselves without any help? You bet we are! We found out the hard way that you only have yourself to rely upon during times of disaster for at least a period of time.
So for you in New York and IA, get off you high horses. When the time comes when you need help from a natural or unatural disaster, will you be prepared? Would you like the help from your government? Your insurance companies? Your fellow man? That is all you need to be concerned about. Quit dumping on the gulf states for just living there and having been in a disaster. We don\’t say that of people who live in Indonesia and Pakistan when horrors have stuck them? Imagine us saying, \”Well, they just should not have lived there!\” What a stupid, insensitive thing that would be to say or think! Or what if we said, \”No, we are not going to help those poor people who just everything they had because that should have none better than to live there! Why should we have to pay to help them…geez…I mean I don\’t live there!\” People who say these things are people who are self-centered, uncompassionate, ignorant people who I hope live to see just a fraction of what what it feels like to struggle through what we in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama suffered and still suffer through! People, your fellow Americans, don\’t deserve such hateful responses…they have suffered enough.
But then again… maybe not. The horrible news about hurricanes this season is that there is no horrible news.
What about all this snow in October is it — \”Global Warming\”? No, its \”Climate Change\”. Can\’t lose with that description since there was no snow last October.
I think people in hurricane areas should be forced to have the proper hurricane coverage. How many times do us taxpayers have to help pay to rebuild the same damn house??? You want to stay in hurricane zones? Fine. Rebuild your own house next time. Mabey everyone should get help once. Then after that you\’re on your own. Hurricanes are not freaks of nature nor are they something that happens once every 50 years. How dumb do you have to be to rebuild in a hurricane zone and then not be prepared for another hurricane???
The definition of insanity:
Doing the same thing over and over and over again, but expecting diferent results.
Sean, I only hope you are never faced with the same devastation that some of these hurricane victims were faced with.
You clearly are an unhappy person that really does not enjoy life. If you think for one minute that you are exempt from tragedy of this magnitude you are a fool.
Fire could take your home tonight or a tornado could send it into another county. In America you do not FORCE anyone to have insurance just because of where they live, If they choose not to because of cost, they live with that chance. No one died and left you king so dont act like you have all the answers. Where do you propose that 170 million people in the nations coastal areas should live? Denver sure is not safe today, in fact most of the midwest that is far inland is several feet under snow today, this will create deadly results for those that must or choose to drive on the roads that are unsafe, it will create isolated flooding when it all melts, many will have slip and fall injuries. So Sean exactly what safe area do you live in that all residents of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, etc can move to in order to get away from hurricanes?
JR. For one I\’m a very happy person. You must be a pretty smart guy to tell that I\’m unhappy from the short paragraph I wrote.
But I guess in one way you are right. I\’m a little unhappy. Once again the taxpayers of this country had to bail the people of hurricane alley out from the predicament they KNEW would eventualy happen, yet time and time again failed to prepare for.
And yes, a fire or tornado could take my home. WHICH IS WHY I DO HAVE INSURANCE. I figured the cost of homeowners insurance into my budget when I built my home. It\’s part of the cost of owning a home. It\’s not a luxury like satellite t.v. I could crash my car tommorrow. Which is why I have insurance on that. If I lived in a flood plane I would definately have flood insurance. If I couldnt afford it I might think twice about living there.
And yes if people choose not to buy insurance because of cost they should live with their decision and deal with it instead of putting their hands out. And no i dont live in a 100% safe region. But large snowfalls sure dont compare to a hurricane now do they? And I really dont care if you stay in the hurricane zones or not. But at least have the common courtesy to protect yourselves and your homes (with insurance for starters) so that the rest of the country wont have to take care of you time and time again. Must be nice not to have to buy hurricane insurance knowing that the taxpayers will always be there. Thankyou for saving the rest of us a little money. It\’s one thing to help someone out once. It\’s completely another thing to have to help the same person over and over again with the same problem. If I borrowed you my car and you crashed it, I would fix the car. But you would never borrow it again.
Wise up people.
Sean, Some of us are confused about why you think all the people in hurricane areas do not have insurance and are somehow being bailed out by the federal government, because this is just not the real world and you have said you do not live here, so explain how you are so knowledgable about things that you are probably not close to. First things first, the south, meaning primarily Louisiana and Mississippi is notorious for low cost of living and low wages this is what has attracted and kept a certain class of society in this area, they are mostly in rental situations or in homes that have been in their families for 100 years this in itself makes it difficult to insure in most cases. So would you rather the feds come in and build large housing projects ?
People live where they live for a reason, probably a different reason than you choose, it could be, to be near family sometimes thats all they have, why should they move? it could be disabilites, God knows the states mentioned above have a very high percentage of handicaped and disabled persons, because the cost of living is cheaper and while they still can not afford it, they get by better. I to am tired of our government wasting tax dollars, but I am more pissed about us sending money over to other countries including those that want us infidels to die. Sorry for the starving in Darfor and every other african country but we should also take care of our own before we save the world. Fraud is the biggest issue with FEMA and it should be stopped but like you I do not have a viable answers as to how we fix it. One thing is for sure our government will not let people die in the streets becasue they have no shelter and no civil human would suggest the poor should not be given aid in time of need.
Are there any plans to set up vendors (GC\’s or fire and water damage restoration companies )to be ready to execute the rebuilds on any damages that might result in catastrophy situation?
After Catering to the US forestry, state troopers, Feme, and conservation workers in the Gauiter Mississippi camps, and also in the Van Cleave Mississippi camp and visiting the Gulf coast devistation both then, and even more so four month later, I am appalled at the lack of progress on the coast of Mississippi and the empty evacuated barenness of miles of Northern Louisiana, from the business district to Slidell and I-10. Im appalled with insurance companys dragging thier feet and holding big meetings in Orland and sitting around to discuss next years hurricane forcasts.. making silly arguements over wind and water.Flood and hurricane. \”You have to serve somebody\” Rememeber that song? The church,especially the methodist church,is doing more to serve people on the coast, than insurance companies and the elected mayors and govenors and Feme officials in the convention hall in Biloxi and in the French quater of Louisiana. People who still live in those areas who want work ..cant get it, because the govenors of those states still havent got plans to submit to the government to rebuild and release the 86 billion federal dollars.Seventy miles of the ignored and unpublizid, destroyed, coast line of mississippi is completely ruined, shattered, right down to the pad for three hundred yards inland from the shore, to a mile and a half of deep flooding in some lower lying areas. Every other household article, is 25-30 feet up in the trees. Four months later I tour gulf region again, out of curiosity, and I find 10-15 guys looking for work standing around outside the workforce services in Biloxi Miss. No work ? I say to these guys and they all throw up thier hands in frustration. Some one needs to lay down the insurance law here and get it busy down there…quick or Ill tell ya some one in high position is going to be voted out or impeached real quick. Our elected oficials need to get out of the pockets of insurance companys and humble themselves like the church has and serve somebody.Can I get an ..Amen? WE THE PEOPLE.You-all remenber us ? Something massive and fast needs to happen here besides simply slowly trucking debree away to the dump.The moldy ninth ward simply needs to be reclaimed by the state and bulldozed and made into a lake or park and those who remained need to be simply bought out and given better then they lost.The northern end of New Orleans needs people to return and every temporary emergency service should be in place there right now to encourage owners,back to thier homes and to work. Lets return the tax base to the areas.The Louisiana and Mississippi coast line should have a massive work force moving it in the proper direction for the coming hurricane season. I also noticed that destroyed homes nearest the casinos were demolished first in Biloxi.Witin weeks..Gee do you think the casinos and those local government boys have an agenda for that property ? You bet. The ruined bridge from gulfport to Biloxi hasnt even been started on. Tour groups have been seen in the area down the ruined bridge and along the coastline gauking at other peoples misfortunes.This is a very wrong and very sick. Praise God for the church and the interfaith groups.Its the best thing to hit the Gulf coast around menge road in the Gulfport area, and in waveland since September 3rd when our catering co. arrived {the first U.S. Forest catering co to respond} and relieved local families and the national guard from eating MRI meals.SO who is responsible for this ? All of us. Get busy America. Take pride in who you are and where your from and fight.. fight for it. America\’s worth it and so are your homes and lives as you knew it. Let me remined America right here and now. We are the example to the world and we need together to pull our boots up by the straps and pull together to do the right thing and reclaim that which has been lost. Insurance or no insurance.Remember these words ? Ask not what your country can do for you …but what you can do for your country.Do you love your neighbor like yourself ? Be brave and reclaim your lives and homes. Help and encourage your neighbors. Make life in the south rich again, something of real American pride and make an heroic individual effort to make America great.Despite our failures and our state leaders failures and corporate Americas failures.
Dear Scientists & Nature Enthusiasts,
This is really a question to be pondered upon, why nature is really much zealous to spare no efforts to kill as many as possible nowadays.
The reason is very simple to be understood ! We, Human Beings who were sent to this world to seek the real meaning of evolution and to evolve to Super Human Beings have forgotten this Divine Planning & unfortunately we\’re yet much busy with our other nonsensical works.
To save ourselves from wrath of Divine, we\’ll have to connect ourselves to the divine so that we may know ourselves and the meaning of our life. There\’s no other way to save you…..OUT AND OUT !!
And the way is SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. Sahaja Yoga is the ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD. This is the ONLY WAY TO EMANCIPATION, PROLIFIC WELFARE & PROTECTION OF ALL. Sahaja Yoga is the ONLY SOLUTION TO ALL THE PROBLEMS OF WORLD. Moreover, SAHAJA YOGA IS TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE & IS OPERATIONAL in MORE THAN 125 countries of World. You too can be blessed. Just visit http://WWW.SAHAJAYOGA.ORG and attain your Self Realization ONLINE. After this seek a Sahaja Yoga Center near you and visit there once a week. And EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY !!
Yours,
Dr. Nitin Khandelwal, Environmental Activist & Nature Enthusiast BUT ABOVE ALL THESE, A SAHAJA YOGEE.
Next hurricane season – stop paying the frieght for people who live in coastal areas where they occur. Taxpayers also should not be sent the bill when they live in Montana or Iowa. Granted natural disasters happen almost anywhere, but hurricanes, Florida and the Gulf Coast are a diaster waiting to happen, year after year. Comes a time when enough is enough. I watch HGTV House Hunters as clueless nits move from Arizona or New Mexico to be \”on the water\” or near the beach. A pox on them and their \”wants\” – I want a Ferrari, but common sense tells me that is not a practical vehicle for a woman of a certain age. Common sense ought to give a clue to the terminally foolish that you you don\’t build or buy a home in the hurricane belt in a period where there is a cylical uptic in tropical storm activity. Tough love is needed here by the powers-that-be, insurance companies and the taxpayers particularly since common sense appears in short supply for far too many people who insist on putting themselves in harms way. There ought to be a one – two at the most –deal, after that you are on your own or you plan ahead with hurricane savings accounts – better yet, don\’t build in areas that are getting hit every time there is a big storm.
Wow. Must be nice to live in a glass house.
Or is it that you could personally pick up everything you know and just leave? Hey, you want to pay for me to move to your neighborhood? No natural disasters, no crime, no fires, no extreme weather, nothing that could POSSIBLY result in any kind of claim you can\’t pay out of pocket? WOW.
How dare you insult people you know absolutely NOTHING about!
Eureka!!!
Finally someone with a solution that makes sense. That\’s the solution…don\’t build or live in hurricane prone areas. While we are at it, why don\’t we just ask everyone who lives in Florida to move, along with all of the other Gulf Coast residents.
We should also have everyone move out of CA because of the earthquakes.
Before you know it we could pack every American into one city in one state of the country.
Really now, instead of just pushing a simple bandaid of a thought (thoughtlessness)in telling people not to live where MILLIONS have chosen to, why don\’t we put some real efforts in finding a solution that will be in the best interest of homeowners and insurance companies.
Hmmm….
Let\’s all live in \”safe utopia\”.
Where is it?
Hey Diane, have a spare room?
Diane, are you saying that everyone who lives in FL and/or on the Gulf Coast should abandon their homes and move elsewhere? IF that is really what you think should happen, why don\’t you just abandon your home and move to Mars so you can be with you own kind.
I think everyone is missing Diane\’s point (however badly she put it). Stay where you are. Choose where you want to live. But accept the consequences of those choices and pay your own way. My tax money shouldn\’t have to subsidize your desire to live in an area subject to more frequent and severe catastrophe.
Keep in mind, this is coming from someone in TX, the state with the HIGHEST frequency of severe weather related losses in the country. I pay my high insurance premiums because I love where I live, but I\’m not getting yearly handouts from FEMA or complaining about how my rates are too high.
And for those unable to move…maybe FEMA can stop giving you money to re-build, and fund your relocation instead. After you\’ve turned down the offer to move multiple times, fend for yourself.
TX, the state with the HIGHEST frequency of severe weather related losses in the country.
What is this statement based on?
Texas may be the biggest in size, but this one has got me stumped. Florida had 8 named storms in 15 months. Texas has not had that in decades. Sure its hot there, but its because it is a concrete jungle.
However I am willing to allow you the honor of saying your have the highest frequency of severe weather related losses, if the reinsurers will look favorably on Florida.
We need more people to beef up their older homes to current building codes and give them an incentive to do so, skyhigh rates for older homes and substantial discounts for mitigation factors, we need to replace older mobile homes and not allow them to be repaired after they are heavily damaged from a storm, thousands of 35 year old mobile homes had 2 total loss pay outs in 2 years. It is cheaper to replace the unit. We need Condo associations to blow the lock off their wallet and properly insure their buildings, get apprasials and insure them for apprasied replacement value. We need an insurance commisioner that gets it and does not pander to political motives. We also need EVERY policy holder to read the policy and ask questions if they do not understand, There is an argument for a standardized policy form, there is to many variances from one company to another, and the Dept of Insurance is to blame for approving it. We need legislatures to accept the fact that insurance companies need higher rates or the state and federal government will be bailing out everyone. Legislators and regulators need to look to solutions that will keep companies here, not trying to keep voters happy by beating up on companies, and companies need to respond better, get more knowledgable adjustors on staff and train people before the day after the storm hits. People are paying for claims service and they have gotten a bad deal. 2004 was rough and companies did little to make things better in 2005, or they just failed to implement the changes. Companies also need to provide better claims and policy information to agents via web sites or other electronic means, this will eliminate 50% of the phone calls. Agents need to insist companies allow them better access & claim service to customers and hold them accountable, they owe it to the customers that bought the claims service. Agents need to do a better job of educating insureds, customers really do not know what they need and should not be allowed to simply buy the cheapest thing offered without understanding that they are not getting all the coverage they need. and consumers need to take responsibility for themselves, prepare for the storm and protect their homes and then protect it after the storm from any further damage that could happen, this clearly did not happen enough in 2005 with Wilma. Everyone has something they can do to make things better, pointing fingers at the guy next to you is getting nothing done. Somebody step up and take charge, PLEASE.
And NO Mr Gallagher I am not talking to you, in my opinion you have done enough for us.
You make some valid points. But are you suggesting the agent should involve himself in the claims process? Unless he foreswears all eating and sleeping, he can\’t possibly be the \”claims center\” for his clients, and take care of renewals, and take on new business, and attend to ordinary agency business.
I love New Orleans and I want to see it rebuilt, but not in the flood plain area.
It is ludicrous to allow anyone to build in an area that can flood whether the levees are rebuilt or not. There will be another Hurricane and Flooding to devastate the New Orleans area. What are the local officials thinking ? It is time for the Federal Government to put a stop to providing Flood Insurance to the New Orleans area. I am tired of paying for such stupity that is going on in New Orleans. It appears the local officials are just trying to rebuild their power base of voters.
LL,
I may not have made it clear in my first post, but here goes. The agent must be able to see claims info and have access to it, I do not mean that all claims are handled or taken by the agent. But ANY good agent will provide answers to their customers that have spent 3 weeks on the phone and only been able to determine that the voice mail system is inadequate. Most carriers now want the claims called in by the insured, and I am all for this, but agents must be able to answer questions when the client calls in frustration looking for nothing more than someone to say the adjustor has not turned in the report yet. If more companies beefed up their systems to allow agents the ability to look at the status of a claim it would reduce the calls to the company by half. It simply amazes me at how many companies are now saying that they will send the info to the customers and that they can take it to the agent, \”the agent has no right to the claims info\”. I believe that as the agent for the client, I not only have a right to see it, I have a duty to the client and the company to make sure everything is kosher. I handled thousands of cat claims in 2004 and 2005 and had adjustors that short changed folks and then I had customers throwing $50,000 back at us for overpayment (yes it really happens). As far as selling new business after a cat loss, a good agent will do what he can, but the current affected customers should be priority. So to answer your question, YES the agent should be involved in the claims process, not to become the claims center, but to help the customer 3 months after the loss when they have seen the adjustor but heard nothing. It is also critical that the agent be able to see claims data, when he is rewritting or moving business that is non renewed. The customer may have been paid out a total loss, but fixed the home for less than half of the payout, you must take precautions in situations like this or you are going to get a cancel notice from the new carrier when they run a clue report. As an agent I do not work for any company, I work for the customer and need to be able to answer the clients questions when the companies are to busy to. Remember we are selling claims service. If my agent told me that they could not help me with a claim, I end that relationship NOW and find another agent that works for me. It is unfortunate that some agents are only out for the sale, they will suffer when they do have a cat loss, and their customers will look for another agent if they are not taken care of.
Diane does have a point,albeit a rude one.
New Orleans was and WILL BE AGAIN tragically flooded.If nature wants N.O. to be a lake she is going to have New Orleans as a lake!! WHY wasn\’t it leveled and improved after Katrina? Because its too expensive!! One forsaken city.Whose next ?
If you live along the gulf coast ,and dont have an evacuation plan then you are gonna get whats comin to you and i wont be sending you water or toilet paper or whatever else people without forethought might need .Happy summer \’06.Good luck.
Alex I hope you never need a good samaritan to help you. I happen to agree that N.O. should be bull dozed and filled in before they rebuild, but your comments about those that have been affected are beginning to show your IQ. I can only assume that you would have no problem with the people in N.O. that were flooded out moving to your neighborhood, or would you not accept them because of some other issue like race, work ethic or economic scale. You too will need help someday, good luck
Thank you!
Jr,
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease go somewhere else.
Thanks.
I am 47 yrs old, born n raised in southeastern part of Louisiana. This is and will always be MY HOME. By choice, like another person posted previously. There is some type of natural disaster all over this world. There is no way to get out of harms way…So, to the ones that say \”Why don\’t you move?\” or \”Why do you stay n rebuild in same area that we know is prone for hurricanes/tornadoes???\”…It is the way we were raised, Southern born n proud of it. Sure, alot of folks don\’t and can\’t afford insurance for their homes. There are alot of sick n worried people that are on \”pins n needles\” when hurricane season is approaching. Not only then, but when there is a sudden thunderstorm and a tornado is spun out of it…This is what you call a \”Natural tragedy\”…It doesn\’t matter where you live. You make the best of what you have and do the best you can. We can\’t foresee the future, but we can do something about today, the present. Let\’s get together and help one another. Enuff pointing fingers at this person/group and join together as humans/neighbors/families and rebuild our communities back. Sure there are those money-hungry people that are fraudulent n gained access to monies from a natural disaster but not all the people should suffer from this. We have a society of different religions, ethnic backgrounds, financial status, family origins, and lots of factors here in Louisiana, Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast. There are wealthy, some on medium scale of income bracket and then the lower income range of peoples here that we as citizens of the South need to take into account and realize what each can deal with and handle under such circumstances. I also feel any rebuilding done should be done with the utmost scale associated with strength of the structure and safetiness of the dwelling after completed. Following a better type of building code that is designed to withstand a major category tragedy. Sure the flooding can\’t be prevented in the lowlying areas. But have a plan made how to deal with this in case of emergency such as has been mentioned and also done during Katrina to get to higher grounds until help can get to you. Also, I feel that certain areas should be completely bulldozed off, from what I have seen on the footage showed of these areas and new buildings replacing older ones. As for as the levees in New Orleans, I feel it is not being constructed to withstand another hit from an act of nature such as another hurricane no matter the strength of it. The levee is being poorly \”patched up\”. I am no engineer and from what I have seen and heard, this is what I feel. There is going to be another CAtegory 3, 4, or 5 Hurricane that is going to affect our area again. And I pray that we are better prepared all the way around for the \”NEXT BIG ONE\”…And hopefully our public officials will have a better grip on getting HELP to the areas that need it the most sooner. And also THE PEOPLE BE MORE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PREPARED…God Bless all the individuals, groups, and organizations that extended their help out for the victims of all tragedies. And let us learn by Katrina just \”how we can better prepare ourselves\”…God Bless All…So, Let US, the citizens of the Southern States, make our goals to be better prepared for this coming hurricane season. Let me rephrase that, LET US BE PREPARED AT ALL TIMES WITHIN OUR MEANS FOR ANY DISASTER AT ALL TIMES…Because WE NEVER know what tomorrow is going to have in store for us…Take care all n God Bless !!!!
your not a Gomer, your a Goober
Half the problem claims would be easily settled, if more insureds read the part in the policy regarding their duties in case of a claim.
Swearing at the adjuster doesn\’t make the checks come faster.
Quick question then Biloxi….Why,OH why would your city ordinances put casinos over water and not land in an oceanside area at risk? What could the intelligent design possibly be? Isn\’t that just asking for trouble? Isn\’t it just plain stupid? Shouldnt everything in a hurricane prone area be nailed to the ground 100%.I have all the sympathy in the world for all affected by wicked weather,BUT Luck favors the prepared!! not towns where casinos and riverboats become projectiles,not where a city is in a crater next to the ocean!! Mayors and Governors are to blame.those without foresight.New Orleans will become a lake one day.The casinos in biloxi will rip themselves off their partial foundations and scrape down boulevards again.GUARANTEED!
Its just such a shame that so many resources are waiting to be wasted on an AVOIDABLE future.
What is wrong with you people?
If you don\’t want to help us, then don\’t. We don\’t want your taxes to go up because of us. We don\’t want your toilet rolls etc. All we want is what we have paid for, our insurance money, so that we can carry on with our lives.
I have never seen such heartless comments in all my life.
Yes we choose to live here, but as a previous post said, there are other areas within the United States that have other kinds of disasters too. What do you suggest next?
I happen to love it here in Biloxi Mississippi. This is the first major disaster since Hurricane Camille, which was 30 years ago. I am sure it won\’t be the last, but we pay our price to live here, so butt out.
Our churches help us, they know that God has to take us in various ways, but they don\’t condemn us for living where we want either.
You people have no idea why some do not evacuate. I personally had to work until 5AM the previous morning, by then the roads were jammed. Do you suggest we got on the road and get hit by the Hurricane while trying to flee?
You people know what they say right? What goes around, comes around. That means you nasty mouth people will get yours one day, and I really hope I\’m alive to see it.
Have good day.
I, for one, don\’t want to see another adjuster\’s report again. I spent 2 hours going through one with an insured, as he rummaged through a very large shoe box for supporting docs…
Alex,
The reason that the casinos originally had to build on the water, is because not all people wanted them here. The economy needed them, so the only way they were allowed to build, was on a barge.
Like I said previously, this is the first major hurricane we have had in 30 years, most of the casinos have withheld very well during that time, with the exception of one or two. It took Katrina to make people realise, they HAD to bring them in land, so now they are. The casinos bring in a lot of revenue for the coast, we need them.
Thank you to the other people that answered my letter with supporting comments, we all appreciate them.
John, I couldn\’t agree with you more. Claim info on company websites, it\’s amazing that damd fool agents like us can figure that out but not the companies. Ah the joy of waiting on hold forever to find out a claim was filed (thanks) or they have not recieved the adjusters report (no deadline as to when the company should get it), or \”we got the report and it will be a few weeks before it\’s processed\”…
I would love atleast basic info. That would be required to be input by the company as well as the adjuster
Date claim filed
Date assigned to adjuster
Name and phone number of adjusting company
Date adjuster saw home (Limitations on how long the adjuster has to complete the report)
Date adjusters report recieved by company
Date check cut with amount of check. Including a breakdaown as to what was paid for – Building, persoanl prop, ALE…
Copy of the adjusters report.
This would be a good start. And would save everybody time.
JR, you are 100% right. It is very easy for people to be self-righteous and judgemental towards those who have experienced hurricanes and other misfortunes. How do you prepare for your roof to blow off? You can stock up on bottled water but there are many things that happen during a storm that can\’t be prepared for. I went through 3 hurricanes in 2004 and it was a horrible experience. Each time we lost electricity for a week. I am moving out of FL but some people have job or family considerations and can\’t move. It is very interesting that those who have not suffered a catastrophic event think they know what those who have should do or not do. You can\’t fully understand it until you have been through it.
According to the statements made by Diane, I should pack up and move my family. I live in SW Oklahoma and we are currently under a high risk alert for wildfires. Thank goodness that I work in the household moving industry, the move will be free. While we\’re at it, all the residents from California to Texas should pack also.
There is no way to stop a natural disaster. Hence the word \”Natural\”. I have lived in Hurrican prone areas, tornado alley, wild fire haven and flood zones. There is a risk anywhere you live. Yes, some are more prone than others and by living there you are taking a risk.
We have many of the victims from Katrina living here in Oklahoma. I was more than happy to do what I was able to do for them. I am also grateful that they may get a VERY SMALL part of the tax money that I have paid in to help them get back on their feet. At least, it went to one good cause.
And as someone stated in an earlier post, \”Diane, got an extra room?\” Me, my husband and our six children would love to relocate to where Mother Nature never shows her ugliness.
So how do you like that stunt I pulled in the Northeast. Talk about a natural disaster, the snow shut down airports all over the country, even in sunny Florida.
There is no place that I can\’t spur a disaster, just try me. I think North Dakota is next on the list, I have not messed with them in a while, there is fixing to be a snow melt and resulting flood, just wait.
i just want to say that everybody in here is correct according to themselves
every head is a world
A few questions for you Diane,
Did you personally receive a bill for this? Did you realize that FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency? Did you just realize after all those years of paying taxes that some of that money is going to FEMA for disaster assistance? How\’s the job market in your area? Are there plenty of jobs and houses available in your community for the 20,376 People that applied for FEMA Assistance in Hancock County alone (gulfcoastnews.com civil defense update as of 2-9-2006)? If everybody moved away from the gulf coast what would happen to the shipbuilding industry, the seafood industry, the oil and gas industry, and the Shipping industry? Here are the major disaster declarations from the first 2 months of 2006 for you to think about.
1629 02/03 Nevada Severe Storms and Flooding
1628 02/03 California Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides
1627 01/26 Nebraska Severe Winter Storm
1626 1/26 Kansas Severe Winter Storm
1625 01/20 South Carolina Severe Ice Storm
1624 01/11 Texas Extreme Wildfire Threat
1623 01/10 Oklahoma Severe Wildfire Threat
1622 01/04 Minnesota Severe Winter Storm
1621 01/04 North Dakota Severe Winter Storm
Maybe you have room for these people too.
I am just one of thousands of Katrina and Rita disaster victims who received no more than a camper to stay in while we rebuilt our lives (and I was glad for that). I moved back into my house just this weekend so the camper I was using will be going back to FEMA to be reused in some future disaster. One day you just might be in that same camper. Rest assured if you are you will never hear me complain about my tax dollars going to work helping you rebuild.
I think that The Mississippi Gulf Coast is ahead of schedule in recovery efforts. I have seen first hand that the Mississippi Gulf Coast is getting the job done. When it comes to the FEMA response it sucks and they copmpletly FAILED. However, MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) was ahead of the game both before and after the storm. Hurricane Katrina taught us all a lesson. We will rebuild and it will be better than before. The only things that us Mississippians and new Orleanans must worry about is the 2006 Hurricane Season. I hate to say it, but i can feel it in my bones that the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans could face another storm at katrina\’s strength or more than katrina\’s strength. An from what i have saw as well is that Mississippi is ahead of Louisiana at recovery. im not saying its a race to recovery, but if they are getting most of the attention, why arent they ahead?
Give Diane a break. She was saying what a lot of people who don\’t live in disaster prone areas think… namely why should we subsidize people to live in high risk areas.
It\’s a valid thought, given that some areas of the country are routinely hit by natural disasters while others are not.
Which areas of the country are not routinely hit by natural disasters?
To the stupid guy named Alex, will you please SHUT UP. Nobody wants to hear your igorant comments. You are not head of the United States,FEMA,or any other important organization. I live in Biloxi and the reason why casinos were not built on land in the first place was not because of Biloxi\’s decision,but because of Mississippi state law. Plus there was not enough room on land for these enormous casinos. But they certainly know now to learn from their mistakes, so stop bashing Biloxi before I bash YOU!!
O.K. Then. Which areas of the country are LESS PRONE to natural disasters?
Michigan for one… Yes we have tornadoes that come through every year but as most they do a couple of million dollars in loss. They don\’t do hundreds of millions much less billions of dollars in loss.
Yes we have snow storms. Probably once or twice a year we get snow of 12+ inches. The snow storms actually don\’t do much damage.
Contrast that with Florida that gets hit ever year with hurricanes that do at least hundreds of millions of dollars of damage per year.
Crunch, as usual those who are ignorant end up picking on FL. FL is a very large state. Every part of FL does not get hit by hurricanes every year just like all of Michigan does not get hit by tornadoes every year. An individual homeowner\’s chance of getting hit by a tornado in Michigan may be low in a given year. An individual homeowner\’s chance of getting hit by hurricane in FL (or MS or LA or NC or SC)is not as low but is still low. The point is maybe you Midwesterners need to stop being so self-satisfied and realize that your fellow Americans have suffered damages through no fault of their own. Your tax money goes to support the armed services which protect ALL Americans. Disaster relief and mitigation would likewise help protect ALL American; even you if that tornado hits.
We floridians are still better at getting free generators from FEMA than anyone else! Free stuff, lower insurance rates, that\’s what we want. So there!
Quote: Bay St. Louis, Ms
\”Which areas of the country are not routinely hit by natural disasters?\”
Who said there was an area of the country that didn\’t have natural disasters?
I think it\’s clear, or at least it should be that some areas are MORE PRONE to disasters than others.
Thank you for your kind comments. United States of America is united. We are one people, no matter where you live in our country or how long your generations go back. Thank you for caring for us down here along the Gulf Coast. As it has been said before, \”The South will rise again.\” It may take some time, but we will be as big and beautiful as before Katrina.
I feel it in my bones, too. But what can we do? I\’m sure our ancestors went through worse times. If God wants to take us out, he will, storm or not. We can\’t live our lives worrying about this. We must continue on. If God didn\’t want us to build back, then it wouldn\’t be possible. Remember, God the One that created all, and he can certainly take away all, but HE didn\’t!!! We must rebuild and continue loving our communities and all that live in them.
You got an \”Amen\” from me!!! Just for clarification, the broken bridges are connectors from Bay St. Louis to Pass Christian and Biloxi to Ocean Springs. Thank God we got our Popps Ferry Bridge that connects the Biloxi pennisular to Biloxi North Bay. This was a big deal!!! All will be well. Have faith. You will have your critics, but free speech is part of our heritage. I love Biloxi!
So you are suggesting we throw a whole Major city (and port) in the toilet because what the heck, going to be underwater soon anyway!???
We need to learn from this, realize people are not going to leave because N.O. is their home! How heartless can you be!
I have a real problem with your cold attitude towards natural disaster victims. You are one cold hearted person. I wouldn\’t wish Katrina on anyone. You need to get right with God lady.
Hats off to you! Couldn\’t have said it better! She has no idea what we\’ve been through!!
\”Homeowners in areas where previous hurricanes have damaged their property need to complete minor repairs before the next hurricane season,\” Mayfield explained. \”What seem like small items, a loose shingle for instance, will be weaknesses if another hurricane comes through, and could result in major damage if not repaired now.\”
100% of Hurricane Rita affected asphalt shingle roofing systems that we have inspected have been lifted, and are not reseating, in the Golden Triangle area, of southeast Texas.
Poor adjuster damage assessments are putting the insured property, and property owner, at risk for greater loss due to such claim settlement practices…
It\’s too bad that short term profiteering could lead to short / long tail financial implications…
Too bad indeed.
For all of my neighbors on the MS Gulf Coast as well as my Metairie childhood friends: I pray that God will spare us from a disaster like Katrina ever again. Even though a lot of blessings have occurred due to the storm, I still can\’t help but cry every day for the hurt that still is amongst us. I love my Metairie and Biloxi and will spend the remainder of my life in Biloxi. We are special and loving people down here.
I am a member of a DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) and was deployed in New Orleans for several weeks. I live in PA, a pretty safe place weather wise, but I believe in the US and ALL her people. I feel we\’re all in this together. Any sugestion of not pulling together and helping each other is unthinkable. Where is that good old American atttude that we will rebuild better than ever? If that was my home, I wouldn\’t leave either. I pray this never happens to our proud gulf coast again, but if it does, I\’ll be there to help, as will all my fellow team members.
Hummmmm Diane, Sounds like you didn\’t put much thought into this (idiot). For hundreds of years people have lived in the gulf coast areas. Yes every so often we have to get hit with a hurricane. I also lived in Kansas and was hit by a tornado, In New York people are under the risk of terrorist and blizzards in the north. But these are our homes, a small price to pay to live in the area where our families and friends lives, our work, are churchs and everything we know and love lives. New Orleans and the rest of the gulf coast has been hit by unusally high and strong hurricane season for the passed couple of years. We have insurance and we pray. FEMA\’s biggest mistake was to help in bailing us out to began with. It isn\’t the goverenments job to bail us out. We are paying 2800.00 a years for insurance for our home and yet are insurnace company is not paying for the claims as they should. This is a major problem with the insurance companies. NOT the goverenment,
i have a very hard time believeing that the insurance companies are hurting as bad as they said. My home is a 2800 square foot home and 2800.00per year is how much i paid for insurance. Now for 9 years never had a claim nor did any major storms hit in nine years. Now you multi. that with the number of people who also never file a single claim in nine years and the money they collected there is a huge amount of money. Not to mention the insurance companies collect interest on the monies they charged over the years and invest that as well. IT doesn\’t seem that this should be a money problem.
The other point is, I PAID for coverage of my home for complete rebuild if needed. Those monies and funds should be set aside for my home and every other insured home out there.
A girl friend of mine was told by one adjuster that her home wasn\’t as bad as others. To be happy with what she got.
Hummmmmmm every room was flooded and there is black mold growing in her home now, and the walls still have not been repaired as yet and her now has no carpet, her brick fireplace has a crack in it so large you can see the outside throught it. Her roof is so damaged that rain is still coming in and reflooding everything. Not to mention the personal items she lost in the storm (beds, Chairs, ect.) How much is the cost to repair $23,000 for her home alone. How much did her insurance company pay her 4,500.00. How much does she paid in insurance 3200.00. She would have been better off to invest the money in a bank account than to pay them.
Instead of everyone pointing the finger at the goverment and looking at faults lets look at the families that are hurt and need help.
Solution:
It pisses me off to hear the goverenment complain about not having any money to help. Even though it isn\’t their problem. But let not say they can\’t help when the goverenment sends billions of dollars to counties that burn our flags and yell hateful chants in the streets.
If they hate us WHY sent them money to use against us. I think we would have a lot more respect if for everytime we see a flag burned in a nation that nation has $1,000,000.00 of U.S foreign aid pulled out of that county. Every time a mosque peaches hate… Good-bye funds. I think we as Americans can help ourselves a bit better with the money than support those who, no matter what we do for them they still hate us and will do us harm.
We have pain and suffering in are own boarders why then do we need to look outside of our nation to help those that will harm us.
Sorry but lets be real we need to help ourselves before we can help those who want to harm us. Beside think of how fast we will start getting world respect if they are taught to stop hating us and thank us for the things we do. For now lets help ourselves. Victim of RITA and of Katerine.
Cherie,
I am sorry for your loss and pain, I have been there and KNOW what you are talking about, I live in Florida and suffered the storms here, we suffered moderate damage. I did go to N.O. and Mississippi and helped out, Floridians have no idea how much worse Mississippi was affected than Florida in any of the storms we had. I know a lot of help is flowing in but it is going to take years to get halfway back to normal. You did not indicate in your post what type of insurance you had or what your damage was. If you had flood insurance that is actually the federal government that backs and runs the flood program. If you did not have flood insurance you probably suffered damage that was not covered by your homeowners insurance because it was excluded. I know it does not make you feel any better, but everyone learned from this freak of nature storm period. It is safe to say that legislation will be pushed to change the insurance forms and coverages, this will come at a great cost and likely will not give the proper coverage that we all need. Companies will make a profit or they will go sell widgets instead of insurance. The fact is that we have never had a catastrophic storm season like this before and it has never tested the industry before. Basically I think the system failed and it has not been fixed yet. One thing is for sure, we will all be paying more for insurance and we will all be reading the policies from now on, or shame on us for being stupid.
First let me say this… I am a resident of Mobile Alabama and have never witnessed such destruction before like I have with hurricanes Rita and Katrina. As I sat here wondering what I can do to help, I realized there was a whole world out there who knew nothing about what has REALLY happened here.
So I turned to my friends on Sportfishermen.com to help, and help they have!! We have worked together as a team and have gotten the attention from the John Boy and Billy show \”the BIG SHOW\” and sent emails out to CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, and many more!
Now my sportfishing family have gotten together and have decided to do more.. they have started a \”stuff a camper\” champaign to help people out in the devestated areas.
If you have been affected by these hurricanes please tell your story on Sportfishermen.com and it will be made aware of to major news channels and agencies… and if you need help please post up and ask! We want to get to the most devestated areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, We are willing to help you if we know where you are! but YOU have to let it be known to us… Because no one else seems to care about you unless you live in New Orleans… we do not EVER hear of other areas that were hit way harder!
Please visit http://www.Sportfishermen.com and go to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita forum and post your story and requests then we will help you!!!! I promise!!! tell them Surfergirl sent you…
Love and God Bless,
Diane
AKA.. Surfergirl2967
Well I am a resident of Biloxi and a victim of Katrina. Your questions about the casinos…onshore gambling is illegal, which is why the casinos are on barges. I don\’t think you understand that dealing with mother nature it doesn\’t matter what is \”nailed to the ground\” My Brick apartment on a concrete slab was destroyed…Barges as big and heavy as you can imagine were simply tossed across the highway. I appreciate everyones prayers and help, but to the people who want to look at the negative instead of moving forward can simply go to hell.
I have to agree with most who responded to your message. I live in the North/Central Alabama and was the victim of a hurricane in 2004. No, it was not damage from a spawned tornado, rather high winds during the hurricane. The damage to my brand new vehicle was over $6,000. Now, where should I go to escape mother nature? Someone suggested Mars? I don\’t think so. I\’ll stay right here in Sweet Home Alabama, where my job of 30 years, my 82 y/o father and 5 of my 6 siblings live (oh, and my husband, children and grandchildren are Alabamamians also). Yes, one lives in Florida. Why, you may ask. Because her husband is a military officer who was assigned there. Which brings me to…where would we have our military, police and firefighters live….those who protect and serve? Wouldn\’t be prudent to send all of them away from the coast, now would it?
I would rather my tax dollars be spent on those who were victims of mother nature than victims of themselves. Not that all who receive government aid are self made victims, but I do know that some are.
I have always believed in \’live and let live\’. Not that I have to like or agree with everyone\’s opinion, lifestyle or beliefs. But, I also believe that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that He is the only one who can rightfully judge.
Well I have read my comments, but for you Diane, I have lived in Louisiana all my life. My job is here, my home is here. I am 56 years old and lived here since the day I was born in Southwest Louisiana. It seems to me that no matter where you live there are natural disasters, floods, fires, storms, earthquakes, tornados and yes even terrorist so to suggest that people pack up their lives and move is just not realistic. Think you better re-think you outlook on this, no matter where you are, things happen. I pay my taxes and my insurance premiums and believe me it shocked me to realize just what they would pay after all was over. So maybe as an American you need to have compassion for we are all not just here because we want a free ride, these are our homes and our loved ones who share them with us. I pray nothing bad ever happens to you.
I\’ve read a few of the responses to this original. Some of them emotional, but none of them factual.
The problem we see is that the insurance companies mis-calculated… it is difficult to calculate where natural disasters will hit and with what intensity. It\’s easier to see the mis-calculation after the fact. The people that got hit with storms in 2005 were (in effect) UNDERPAYING on their insurance, probably for years. So the notion that they just want their money back is ridiculous. Had they been paying the correct amount all along, the funds would be available to re-pay. Given 2005 season, insurance rates will certainly go up, probably to the point where it becomes too costly to live in a costal area, at least for the free-loaders; one needn\’t worry that anyone is going to get a free ride in the future. This all basic Economics 101; You get what you pay for, nothing more, nothing less. Flood insurance was available to most everyone, but it was too expensive, or people made their own decisions not to buy it. In any area that it was not available, it was not available for good reason; the calculated risk was too great and no insurance company (even perhaps the Federal Government) wanted to be involved. It should be a clear indication that perhaps if I own a certain piece of property that is in a flood zone, maybe I should not build on it. Common sense applies.
I had to go to Mississippi on Monday of this week and I took my kids to the Hwy 90 bridge that was washed out … I could not believe my eyes.
The storm took WHOLE sections of the bridge and stacked them like dominos.. and as I looked across the bay I saw buildings that has sunk on one side, as my kids and I walked along the shore I saw a large suit case that was full of sand, and a childs stuffed animal toy sitting next to the suit case… One of my children made the comment that they wished they knew who that toy belonged to because that child is probably missing their toy… it made me sad.
And it makes me sad that some people refuse to even conceive the idea of the magnatude of the situation our fine neighbors in Mississippi,Louisiana and Texas are facing right now. They have had homes that have been around for hundreds of years washed away in one day..years of memories and heirlooms gone, in just a day.
My heart and prayers go out to all of my neighbors, if you need help please see my other post, my friends are ready to start their trip down and if you need anything please contact us.
Sincerely,
Diane
for godsake had\’t you ever heard of naturel disaster it happens and no one can stop it and when it does we all have to put our head together and help how about the katrina disater so much people put in and thats what we all should do at any diaster that happens unless you don\’t want this country to recover from its crisi then how are we going to rebuild it might take us years to rebuild New orleans and lousiana and other hard hit areas but hey it always good to help even a penny will make the diffrence
I have lived in Beauregard Parish for almost all my life which is nearly 40 years. My mother has lived here all here life for over 60 years. One hurricane she remembers hit that impacted this area of Louisiana until Hurricane Rita- One Hurricane that was NOTHING COMPARED to Rita. I have seen one hurricane in my life… in almost 40 years…Rita. We were not asked to evacuate or told to evacuate even though we should have been told to…we could not get out even if when we tried as the roads were congested from the places that were under a madatory evacuating below us and gas stations for miles were empty of gas…
We have never forgotten that storm and are already preparing for the next Hurricane season!
However you say we are idiots because we live here.
You don\’t just pick up and move to another state or higher land that easy.
No, we are not idiots.
You will be noticing weather changes all over the United States trust me on that and one day YOUR state will need help during a Natural Disaster and we will call you idiots for living there! Such an idiot for commenting on a situation for which you know little about.
Sincerely,
Lisa
I WONDER HOW COULD SOMEONE BE SO IGNORANT AS TO SAY WE GET FREE GENERATORS FROM FEMA.
I WENTO THROUGH ANDREW AND IT WAS NO GAME, NOR RITA, OR WILMA . I PRAY TO GOD DAILY NOT ONLY THAT FLORIDA DOESN\’T GET HIT BYE OTHER HURRICANES, BUT NO ONE ELSE EITHER. FL. YOU ARE SHAME TO HUMANITY, PROBABLY A FREELOADER THAT ONLY THINKS OF FREE MATERIAL THINGS AND NOT AT THE HUMAN SUFFERING OR LIFES LOST IN HURRICANES, I HOPE GOD WILL TOUCH YOU HEART AND YOU RETRACT FROM SUCH AN IDIOTIC COMMENT. I RATHER PAY FOR MY INSURANCE AND NOT HAVE TO USE IT DUE TO A HURRICANE. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT
Diane Alden; May God have mercy on you! I hope you NEVER have to go through what we have been through. I have lived in Pensacola, FL all my life. I was born here. My entire family is here. We were hit HARD with Hurricane Ivan. The roof was peeled off my home, the ceiling collapased and my personal belongings were ruined. I had and still have Allstate Insurance. They paid me $6500.00. There was no way this would ever pay for my damages. My husband and myself are hard working people. We proudly pay our taxes every year and NEVER complain about it. Now let me tell you what FEMA did for me. Because I have insurance (HA HA) they allowed me a one time cash assistance of $450.00 because we were displaced from our home. I am soooo sorry if that offends you. Never mind that I or We paid taxes too Diane. However, we were able to take out an SBA LOAN and rebuild. We are greatful for that and have begun our mortgage payments to REPAY the loan. Therefore, I would like to thank every other hard working American who realizes that stuff happens to even good people and do not begrudge us for a LOAN. We do not live in a flood area. We live in the highest point of NW Florida. It was the high wind that took our roof. So tell me Diane….How much did you pay in taxes this year? Did you receive EARNED INCOME CREDIT? I didn\’t. I paid, then paid again. I don\’t begrudge you, why should you begrudge me. It\’s hard not to take it personally when people judge so harshly.
isnt this a country where everyone no matter if they live in iowa or in a state where a hurricane hits quite often have the same rights i mean why complain about people that live in hurricane states when a person in iowa or the midwest states deal with tornadoes year round i ask you what would you say if your house is destroyed by a midwest tornado i never hear about people in hurricane states complain about people having their lives displaced by tornadoes my point is everyone is entitled to to help no matter the circumstances
Diane, you are a heartless shrew! Only one devoid of compassion would utter such vitriolic criticism. Fortunately, you have been spared unparalleled destruction, pain, and sorrow from a natural calamity; however, one day you may be cursed (\”poxed\”) because Almighty God does exact vengeance — \”PRIDE goeth before destruction, and a HAUGHTY spirit before a fall.\”
You say, \”…stop paying the frieght for people who live in coastal areas where they occur. Taxpayers also should not be sent the bill when they live in Montana or Iowa.\” How asinine! Using your illogical reasoning, then neither should the Gulf Coast\’s tax dollars be funneled into your state\’s coffers to maintain its infrastructure; never mind the myriad of federal \”entitlements\” that you benefit from in one way or another. Moreover, if it wasn\’t for the Gulf Coast\’s petroleum industry you, my dear, would be reading by candlelight, heating your home with dung or peat, and walking. Petroleum and ALL its byproducts doesn\’t jump out of the Earth; it requires humans LIVING in hurricane prone areas to maintain YOUR comfortable lifestyle.
To paraphrase John Donne: \”No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, America is the less…any man\’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind….\”
If you\’re capable, WISE up, woman!
.NAMED STORMS: 20 .HURRICANES: 9 .MAJOR HURRICANES: 6
How heartless could someone possibly be for people from their own country. I find it funny that people criticize us for living on the Gulf Coast and think we should \”fend for ourselves\” when disaster strikes. But when people in other countries have a disaster everyone bans together to help as much as possible. So Diane, and those who agree with her, get out of your bubble & join the real world.
Kudos to you \”mother nature\”! Let the northerners know how it feels to be without power, food, water even gas for a while! Make sure you hit \”La La Land\” where Diane Aldean lives too. She needs a little taste of reality!
Your an idiot…plain and simple. If no one knew it before they read your comments than I can assure you they do now.
I could write an essay on how stupid your statements are but to be honest, it wouldn\’t even be worth my time because you more than likely wouldn\’t understand or comprehend any of it. It irritates me that people like you own a computer to make stupid comments for the world to see.
Well, Isn\’t this news just lovely! Shocking, not. I have been watching the weird weather happening all over the world…now we have to be afraid again!
Lisa in Louisiana
I do really enjoy what I\’ve read, but some people really need to take a breath and chill out! Every people here are expressing their opinions, they are not facts, and they are not personal attacks. But some people just over react.
Like here is one of my opinions, I love living in Iowa. I\’ve lived here for almost my whole life and really wouldn\’t move out of this state. I don\’t like everything that happens in Iowa, and I\’m sure people think it is really boring here, but I don\’t so.
I think you have to remember not all natural disasters are the same. We just had a Tornado touch down in Iowa City on 04/13. I work in a town just west of Iowa City. That day when my husband and I came to work it was nice and sunny, white fluffy clouds, blue skies. That was at 2:30 pm. At about 7:30 pm we were off of the phones and hiding under our desks. We spent 2 hours waiting for the storm to pass. Yes, tornadoes do not last as long as a hurricane, but they are a lot harder to predict.
So, speaking of Natural Disasters and FEMA. I do support FEMA; they are there to help, even though they did drop the ball after Katrina and Rita. I do have one beef, and that is people who think that FEMA is just there to bail them out. And I\’m not just talking about in the gulf coast. It happens up here is Iowa. About 6 years ago the Chicago Tribune did an article about the number of people the live on the Mississippi River in Illinois and Iowa who do not have flood insurance after the Floods in \’93. I was alarmed by how many of these people said, \”Well, it\’s too expensive, so if another flood happens we will just get money from FEMA again.\” WHAT?!? I\’m sorry, I think that is ridiculous! I think that it should be a one shot deal, ok; oops you didn\’t know that you did have insurance for . But ten years down there road and they same thing happens again, FEMA shouldn\’t bail you out a second time. I know, I\’m being harsh, but people need to take personal responsibility. I have my whole life!
One other thing that really bothered me about a lot of post here are the religious people who want to put a curse/pox on Diane Alden for expressing her opinion. Geez, aren\’t we being nice, thoughtful and good Christians. Please, practice what you preach!
Final point, if you are going to call someone else an idiot, check your spelling! You look like the idiot when you are belittling someone opinion and misspelling easy words! I\’m Dyslexic, and my spelling is HORRIBLE. Two words… spell check!
Thank you for listening.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most horrible hurricanes to ever hit the United States. People have lost their lives. Lost their homes. Lost everything.
So, after experiencing this, and knowing that more hurricanes are going to hit New Orleans JUST like Hurricane Katrina, might I ask what the point in rebuilding it is?
You can preserve culture anywhere else in the world. A safer place. Somewhere that doesn\’t have to worry about massive weather events such as this one. Of course it won\’t be the same… but… you have to balance this out. Your culture moving somewhere else, or, your life ceasing to exist.
Personally, I didn\’t know about the risk of hurricanes hitting New Orleans and causing this type of damage. I think, actually, a lot of people didn\’t know. But now that everyone in America does, everyone in the world does, let\’s change this. Let\’s get the hell away from there… and any other place that has such a big risk of lost lives.
California is another example of this. Everybody knows that the San Andreas fault runs directly down the middle of the state of California. Everyone knows that there\’s going to be a massive earthquake there. Everyone knows that it\’s going to happen very soon, especially basing this off what we\’ve seen with the recent spur of tsnuamis. Yet, I haven\’t seen anybody move. Nobody cares. Nobody cares until all of a sudden, one day, Los Angeles is a steaming pile of rubble. Millions are dead. Millions are injured and homeless. And then, when the world sees it, everyone gathers around and says,\” Why did God do this to us?\”
God did this to you? No. God had nothing to do with it. You chose to live there so you suffer the consequences.
Granted, just about anywhere in your world has its downsides. For example, moving to the North Eastern section of America. It\’s very cold there during the Winters. But, are there Hurricanes like Katrina? No. Is there the posibility of an Earthquake occuring that will split New York in half? Not really. The odds of tornados are extremely low.
So, there you go. A perfect place to move to. New York. Again, balance it out. Cold weather or no life.
I don\’t find any of this to be harsh. I\’m sure i\’ll get plenty of great feedback saying what a moron I am for saying things like this.
But now, there are no excuses. There are no reasons. If it happens again, it\’s nobodys fault but the people who chose to live there, or anywhere else like this. So, the choice is yours.
And when the next major hurricane is cascading up off the shores of Mexico towards New Orleans AGAIN, I\’ll be sitting in my home, in New York, cold… but safe.
Jon, I have 2 things to say. September 11th happened in New York, and the pure cost of living in New York makes it , well, Dumb. and do you think that everyone in California or Louisiana could really move to New York as you propose? It seems that New York has all it can handle.
Wanna try again?
Thank you JR, I couldn\’t have said it better myself.
Jon… Are you a complete moron? Oh! hold on, you and that other idiot Diane must be related.
OK people, get up and move away from the disaster zone, Jon has plenty of room for you ALL. I guess maybe we should ALL pile into one area of the country, yep Jon, that makes a lot of sense to me!!!! MORON.
Did you guys realize that there is a higher strike probability for New York this season than there is for the gulf states? That would be terrible but they have predicted that there is a higher strike probability along the eastern coast than in the gulf.
As far as rebuilding New Orleans, I am on the same page as a lot of people here in Louisiana. We don\’t see the point of rebuilding parts of New Orleans only to have it possible washed away again. Now that is not my home so I can\’t speak for those who live there. I am sure that there hearts live there as mine lives here. So, it is up to them, the state of La. and the feds to decide how and what to do.
Now we face another season of what is predicted to be many years of strong hurricanes. Do I pack my family up, quit my job, try to sell my house and high tale it out of town??? No! At least not unless my part of Louisiana becomes unlivable due to a natural or unatural disaster. Are we prepared to evacuate and maintain ourselves without any help? You bet we are! We found out the hard way that you only have yourself to rely upon during times of disaster for at least a period of time.
So for you in New York and IA, get off you high horses. When the time comes when you need help from a natural or unatural disaster, will you be prepared? Would you like the help from your government? Your insurance companies? Your fellow man? That is all you need to be concerned about. Quit dumping on the gulf states for just living there and having been in a disaster. We don\’t say that of people who live in Indonesia and Pakistan when horrors have stuck them? Imagine us saying, \”Well, they just should not have lived there!\” What a stupid, insensitive thing that would be to say or think! Or what if we said, \”No, we are not going to help those poor people who just everything they had because that should have none better than to live there! Why should we have to pay to help them…geez…I mean I don\’t live there!\” People who say these things are people who are self-centered, uncompassionate, ignorant people who I hope live to see just a fraction of what what it feels like to struggle through what we in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama suffered and still suffer through! People, your fellow Americans, don\’t deserve such hateful responses…they have suffered enough.
But then again… maybe not. The horrible news about hurricanes this season is that there is no horrible news.
What about all this snow in October is it — \”Global Warming\”? No, its \”Climate Change\”. Can\’t lose with that description since there was no snow last October.
I think people in hurricane areas should be forced to have the proper hurricane coverage. How many times do us taxpayers have to help pay to rebuild the same damn house??? You want to stay in hurricane zones? Fine. Rebuild your own house next time. Mabey everyone should get help once. Then after that you\’re on your own. Hurricanes are not freaks of nature nor are they something that happens once every 50 years. How dumb do you have to be to rebuild in a hurricane zone and then not be prepared for another hurricane???
The definition of insanity:
Doing the same thing over and over and over again, but expecting diferent results.
Sean, I only hope you are never faced with the same devastation that some of these hurricane victims were faced with.
You clearly are an unhappy person that really does not enjoy life. If you think for one minute that you are exempt from tragedy of this magnitude you are a fool.
Fire could take your home tonight or a tornado could send it into another county. In America you do not FORCE anyone to have insurance just because of where they live, If they choose not to because of cost, they live with that chance. No one died and left you king so dont act like you have all the answers. Where do you propose that 170 million people in the nations coastal areas should live? Denver sure is not safe today, in fact most of the midwest that is far inland is several feet under snow today, this will create deadly results for those that must or choose to drive on the roads that are unsafe, it will create isolated flooding when it all melts, many will have slip and fall injuries. So Sean exactly what safe area do you live in that all residents of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, etc can move to in order to get away from hurricanes?
JR. For one I\’m a very happy person. You must be a pretty smart guy to tell that I\’m unhappy from the short paragraph I wrote.
But I guess in one way you are right. I\’m a little unhappy. Once again the taxpayers of this country had to bail the people of hurricane alley out from the predicament they KNEW would eventualy happen, yet time and time again failed to prepare for.
And yes, a fire or tornado could take my home. WHICH IS WHY I DO HAVE INSURANCE. I figured the cost of homeowners insurance into my budget when I built my home. It\’s part of the cost of owning a home. It\’s not a luxury like satellite t.v. I could crash my car tommorrow. Which is why I have insurance on that. If I lived in a flood plane I would definately have flood insurance. If I couldnt afford it I might think twice about living there.
And yes if people choose not to buy insurance because of cost they should live with their decision and deal with it instead of putting their hands out. And no i dont live in a 100% safe region. But large snowfalls sure dont compare to a hurricane now do they? And I really dont care if you stay in the hurricane zones or not. But at least have the common courtesy to protect yourselves and your homes (with insurance for starters) so that the rest of the country wont have to take care of you time and time again. Must be nice not to have to buy hurricane insurance knowing that the taxpayers will always be there. Thankyou for saving the rest of us a little money. It\’s one thing to help someone out once. It\’s completely another thing to have to help the same person over and over again with the same problem. If I borrowed you my car and you crashed it, I would fix the car. But you would never borrow it again.
Wise up people.
Sean, Some of us are confused about why you think all the people in hurricane areas do not have insurance and are somehow being bailed out by the federal government, because this is just not the real world and you have said you do not live here, so explain how you are so knowledgable about things that you are probably not close to. First things first, the south, meaning primarily Louisiana and Mississippi is notorious for low cost of living and low wages this is what has attracted and kept a certain class of society in this area, they are mostly in rental situations or in homes that have been in their families for 100 years this in itself makes it difficult to insure in most cases. So would you rather the feds come in and build large housing projects ?
People live where they live for a reason, probably a different reason than you choose, it could be, to be near family sometimes thats all they have, why should they move? it could be disabilites, God knows the states mentioned above have a very high percentage of handicaped and disabled persons, because the cost of living is cheaper and while they still can not afford it, they get by better. I to am tired of our government wasting tax dollars, but I am more pissed about us sending money over to other countries including those that want us infidels to die. Sorry for the starving in Darfor and every other african country but we should also take care of our own before we save the world. Fraud is the biggest issue with FEMA and it should be stopped but like you I do not have a viable answers as to how we fix it. One thing is for sure our government will not let people die in the streets becasue they have no shelter and no civil human would suggest the poor should not be given aid in time of need.