Why can't they all be this reasonable?

[quade 4]

Flood-prone Iowa town to disappear

Story

I'm -always- amazed that we have continuously rebuilt towns over and over in areas that are -prone- to natural disaster.

At least these people finally figured it out.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[billvon 3,120]

People like to live where they like to live. Heck, LA's overdue for a major earthquake - and look how many people live there.

[quade 4]

However, no matter what the size of the earthquake, it will not totally level the area.

If you look at, say for instance the 9th Ward in New Orleans, no matter what preparations are made, that area will ALWAYS be primed to be completely reflooded. It simply makes no sense whatsoever to rebuild it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[BillyVance 35]

Quote

However, no matter what the size of the earthquake, it will not totally level the area.

If you look at, say for instance the 9th Ward in New Orleans, no matter what preparations are made, that area will ALWAYS be primed to be completely reflooded. It simply makes no sense whatsoever to rebuild it.

Agreed... about the only thing they can do is convert the entire ward into a giant landfill taking in refuse from the entire state. In about 10 years, they'll have raised the elevation above Lake Pontchartrain. Add 10 feet of dirt on top and then you can rebuild!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[billvon 3,120]

>However, no matter what the size of the earthquake, it will not totally level the area.

I think perhaps you are underestimating earthquakes, or thinking about recent smaller ones. Strong earthquakes liquefy the ground; no structure can withstand that. People who live near faults (myself included) hope that any earthquake will be gentle enough for their structures to handle, but there's absolutely no guarantee of that.

Each region has its own way of explaining its disaster acceptance. "Sure, we might get hit by a hurricane, but at least we can evacuate! Earthquakes don't give you any warning." "You can always build bigger dams and increase the elevation." "Hey, I'd rather be shaken than drowned!" "I may live in a trailer in Oklahoma, but I have some tornado anchors, so I'm OK. At least I won't die in my sleep when the Big One hits!"

[quade 4]

No. You're missing my point altogether.

If you have a piece of land below a levy, bowl shaped that all surrounding water drains into -- it WILL flood within the next 50 or so years no matter what you attempt to do.

Massive earthquakes that would level the entire SoCal area are events in the 2000 year frequency range. Further, the epicenters are random and not yet predictable. It's not like a group of civil engineers can tell you -specifically- where the earthquake is going to hit. Whereas anyone with a topographical map can tell you -precisely- where the water is going to drain to.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[SpeedRacer 1]

Quote

Quote

However, no matter what the size of the earthquake, it will not totally level the area.

If you look at, say for instance the 9th Ward in New Orleans, no matter what preparations are made, that area will ALWAYS be primed to be completely reflooded. It simply makes no sense whatsoever to rebuild it.

Agreed... about the only thing they can do is convert the entire ward into a giant landfill taking in refuse from the entire state. In about 10 years, they'll have raised the elevation above Lake Pontchartrain. Add 10 feet of dirt on top and then you can rebuild!

That would work, actually. Much of downtown Boston is in fact landfill around the harbor .

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[dorbie 0]

Quote

However, no matter what the size of the earthquake, it will not totally level the area.

If you look at, say for instance the 9th Ward in New Orleans, no matter what preparations are made, that area will ALWAYS be primed to be completely reflooded. It simply makes no sense whatsoever to rebuild it.

What!!!!!! How dare you, Nagin's chocolate will be the wrong shade if you don't rebuild it!

[billvon 3,120]

>If you have a piece of land below a levy, bowl shaped that
>all surrounding water drains into -- it WILL flood within the next 50 or
>so years no matter what you attempt to do.

Right. And if you have a rickety old apartment building it WILL fall in the next earthquake.

But if your reinforce it (like many did after the Northridge Quake) you're probably going to be OK. And if you recontour that bowl-shaped land (like Galveston did after the 1900 hurricane that killed 10,000 people) you're probably going to be OK there too.

[jakee 1,596]

Quote

I'm -always- amazed that we have continuously rebuilt towns over and over in areas that are -prone- to natural disaster.

At least these people finally figured it out.

Way back when it used to make sense - the best natural harbours, fertile land on the side of Volcanoes etc. These days though it does seem to be sheer bloody mindedness that keeps some places going.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[nathaniel 0]

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I'm -always- amazed that we have continuously rebuilt towns over and over in areas that are -prone- to natural disaster.

It makes perfect sense. Our federal and state governments keep bailing them (and their insurers) out.

Pull away the subsidies and see who's willing to live in a $3 million home on a barrier island when the insurance runs to $750k per year.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[billvon 3,120]

>It makes perfect sense. Our federal and state governments
>keep bailing them (and their insurers) out.

To me, that's the big problem. Want to live in a safe area? Great. Want to live under Ye Olde Slumpy Damm? That's also fine - just don't ask for a handout when your house gets obliterated (which it probably will.)

Being free means being free to make stupid mistakes, like living in a floodplain, atop a fault or near a Northwest volcano. Just don't expect the government to bail you out when you are faced with the consequences of those decisions.

[mailin 0]

Reminds me of the town of Centralia, PA - which Hubby and I spent a few house scavaging through 2 years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia%2C_Pennsylvania

People still live there, even though the sulphur fumes could kill them, or they could fall into a sink hole 20 meters deep

But, people live where they want to live, and the remaining residents do have speculation regarding the eminent domain claim made by the state


Jen

Arianna Frances

[champu 1]

Quote

People like to live where they like to live. Heck, LA's overdue for a major earthquake - and look how many people live there.

Speaking of which... it's actually been quite a while since we've had anything close/strong enough for me to feel here.

...I know, I know, famous last words.

[kallend 2,150]

Well, the west coast is susceptible to earthquakes and (in the north) volcanos. The East and South are susceptible to hurricanes. The midwest is susceptible to tornados.

EVACUATE the entire USA!

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[jakee 1,596]

Quote

Well, the west coast is susceptible to earthquakes and (in the north) volcanos. The East and South are susceptible to hurricanes. The midwest is susceptible to tornados.

And unless cinema has taught us nothing, New York and Washington DC are susceptible to meteorite showers and alien invasion respectively.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?