Flooded homeowners near Houston are learning after Harvey left the area that so did their illusions about the need for flood insurance.
Because their lots were built as little as one inch above the standards for flood plains, and sometimes a couple of inches higher than the standards, the homeowners were not required by federal law to buy flood insurance.
In the case of at least one planned upscale suburban "community," these buyers "would never have bought here otherwise."
Not only was flood insurance not required, but the developer was not even required to notify the buyers of their risk so that the buyers had the option to purchase flood insurance.
They were on their own when the land was dry.
They are on their own now.
"Houston: the profound vulnerability of a metropolis with an ethos of untrammeled development built, essentially, on a swamp," in the words of John Schwartz, "Revised Flood Maps Paved Way for Homes Before Harvey Hit," published on Sunday, December 3, 2017 in the New York Times and republished by The Boston Globe on the same day.
With all due respect to Mr. Schwartz and the Times, this is a tale that is not told in Houston only. A representative of the current developer is quoted by Mr. Schwartz as emphasizing what developers everywhere like to emphasize, which is "'our strict adherence to standards and our commitment to our communities.'"
Please Read The Disclaimer. ©2017 by Dennis J. Wall. All Rights Reserved.
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