‘It’s like a death:’ Leaving Flood Prone Communities

[pixy0stix]

‘It’s like a death:’ What it’s like to leave one flood-prone community (gift link) - wapo.st/3D5yt8R

(I altered the title to fit)

This goes along to our previous discussion of what is going to happen as places become inhabitable. It's heartbreaking, there are no good answers, but even the fucking Republicans have been urging people to move for years (see Graham's quote in the article).

[aprilsails]

What a poignant article. Thanks so much for the gifted link.

Quebec is doing up to $250,000 relocation buyouts in flood prone areas along the Ottawa river. It’s not near the value of the homes, but it helps. People are slowly relocating. Some houses the city would not let residents rebuild.

It’s been an interesting topic to me since I grew up on a small river locally and had to sandbag twice to protect the unfinished walk out basement when I was a kid. I imagine the people who bought it from us have had to do that far more often in the 20 years since we sold. While my region is not dealing with rising water levels, we are getting more rain and faster spring thaws which is causing major flooding each spring. Flooding is not an issue limited to the coasts.

[basilosaurus]

I don't know how frequently it happens across the country, but in FL at least certain structures were limited in their ability to rebuild and fix. Notably Stiltsville in Miami, but also iirc the Keys for similar structures.

It's FL so I have no doubt it's a terrible plan in practice, but maybe it encourages eventual moves? IDK. I highly doubt that it does, and that those most affected are not the residents of Fisher or Star islands! Jeb "please clap" Bush used to live on one of those. Maybe still does. Adding to sea rise in S FL is that so much is manmade from digging up and draining the glades, and it's been actively sinking for decades.

[pixy0stix]

Oct 25, 2022 22:24:02 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

Quebec is doing up to $250,000 relocation buyouts in flood prone areas along the Ottawa river. It’s not near the value of the homes, but it helps. People are slowly relocating. Some houses the city would not let residents rebuild.

I agree with you about this, because the homes aren't worth anything if they're continually flooded. I think that's where we, collectively, have to change our mindset. The houses and tracts of land shouldn't be sold or developed, thereby making where they sit worthless.

[aprilsails]

Oct 26, 2022 9:22:35 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Oct 25, 2022 22:24:02 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

Quebec is doing up to $250,000 relocation buyouts in flood prone areas along the Ottawa river. It’s not near the value of the homes, but it helps. People are slowly relocating. Some houses the city would not let residents rebuild.

I agree with you about this, because the homes aren't worth anything if they're continually flooded. I think that's where we, collectively, have to change our mindset. The houses and tracts of land shouldn't be sold or developed, thereby making where they sit worthless.

This is really complicated in my area because many of these houses have been there, without flooding issues, since the 60s. The upstream hydro electric dams have changed their management policies, and in order to limit flooding upriver and weight loading on the dams, they now let more water through more quickly which is resulting in this new issue of downriver flooding. However, the issue isn’t going to go away, so you are correct that these houses and lots are now effectively worthless.
The residents blame the province for not addressing the issue with major civil works, but damming up more water would just cause more upriver flooding. They have to minimize the damages and preserve the dams.

Water management is tough!

[msmerymac]

I heard something on NPR yesterday where they interviewed some people in real estate in Miami who say that future flooding isn't a concern for buyers.   But if you're buying millions in water front property in Miami, it pretty much means you're a billionaire and you don't care or something. Even though they currently have "flooding" on clear days and water seeps up through the limestone on which Miami is built.