I never understood that either. I grew up on Long Island. And we got hit
many, many times with hurricanes. The people who had beach houses out in
the Hamptons and other towns on the ocean side of the island always got
hit hard. Many of those houses were built on stilts and they would just
crumble under heavy winds and rain. And we also had the Nor'easter snow
storms which also destroyed a lot of them. I never understood why anyone
would build a house in an area like that. But they did. We used to live
across the street from the harbor when I was a kid and I always remember
the water coming over the sea wall and making a mess. Since we were up
on a hill we were always safe.

Carole

That has always bugged me - I mean the way folks refuse to believe that THEIR
home will be demolished by a hurricane, or a hig tidal surge from anything,
when they build on a barrier island.  When I was a kid, the coastal homes in
Florida were what I call "Florida funky", i.e. the kind of place you build
when you KNOW it will blow away one day.  Now folks build pricy mansions and
complain about the damage.........  Even Cedar Key, which stayed for funky
for some time is starting to get some fancy condos now.  Those things WILL be
toast one day, Cedar Key gets hits once or twice per decade.

Of course it was even worse in Louisiana as the powers that be at all levels
have been forcing the Mississippi to remain in an artificial channel for many
years now.  historically all the area between the Mississippi and the
Atchafalaya was flood plain for the two rivers with their courses shifting
around.  The Mississippi has been trying to move westward for some time but
they had to keep the port of New Orleans going so wouldn't let the river do
its natural thing.  Mother Nature has a way of forcefully showing you why
things are the way they are.