I'd say it's more likely for a sea-baring storm to high the east coast than an earthquake.
Actually we had an earthquake summer before this one North of DC. swaying buildings here in NYC and damaging the Washington Monument etc.
Another point on the Richter scale would have been interesting.
tessaeasque said:
It's more likely for a blizzard to hit the northern east coast than a dust storm. You see what I'm saying, right? If your area has been hit in the last 100 years with a major natural disaster, you insure against it. Haven't you heard about 100 year flood plains? It's the same premise. Your argument that people shouldn't have to insure against something that doesn't happen incredibly often is idiotic. Insurance is designed to protect against the unexpected, not the everyday events of life. That's the point of insurance. If you fail to utilize it correctly it isn't the tax payers' responsibility to replace your ****.
The last time water came near this high, but Not as high, was the Hurricane of 1821.
Other storms not close enough to do the flooding damages of this one - and No storm in recorded history (I don't think) this Wide in significant damage.
That 1821 Hurricane which was the closest to this in severity, if Not area, was 10 years after the New Madrid earthquake, which monumentally destroyed a good part of the Mississippi River valley. Should they be buying Earthquake insurance or screw em?
**Generally I am Not for Federal help in what are by your own correct (IMO) standards are common problems.**
As I said earlier, there are truly grievous cases, such as below-sea-level AND Hurricane prone New Orleans which get both FEMA and rebuild aid, when they should only get Relocation aid... once.
Not to mention the whole Gulf and Southern Atlantic coast where Hurricanes are common.. along with FEMA et al.
Helping the Uncommonly hit heavily populated corridor from Washington to NY to Boston get back on it's feet I think is not only proper but beneficial the country as a whole.
It is, after all, a significant percent of the country by population alone.
Bottom
Line: I feel if we are going to have ANY Federal disaster aid.. this easily/necessarily qualifies.