The Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again
According to an analysis of data from the Small Business Administration, 90 percent of the total losses across the United States over the last 16 years occur in zip codes that contain less than 20 percent of the population. Louisiana was struck by six hurricanes, San Diego and the surrounding areas were hit by three deadly wildfire seasons, and eastern Kentucky was hit by at least nine severe storms requiring federal assistance. The federal government, through disaster relief programs and flood insurance, subsidizes the cost of rebuilding in areas hit repeatedly by storms, floods, and fires. Critics say that encourages too much development in those regions, wasting tens of billions of dollars in tax money and endangering lives. Christina DeConcini, director of government affairs at the World Resources Institute, said federal programs do not adequately emphasize adapting to the risks posed by climate change. She said that instead of just being responsive, the government should stress building for resilience against disasters.