11-13-2012, 03:54 PM
Cbelt has it exactly right. Unscrupulous developers and politicians allowed development in inappropriate areas to obtain short term cash gains. The same thing happens in floodplains all along the Mississippi and other major US rivers. The last chapter of every Geology 101 textbook always has a discussion of this problem. Land that is completely worthless due to well understood major flood risk gets bought up by developers, political pressure is applied to allow development and obtain subsidies for flood insurance from the government (i.e. everybody else pays to subsidize developer profits), then homes that are doomed to destruction are built.
These kinds of events are completely forseeable. Same old, same old.
These kinds of events are completely forseeable. Same old, same old.