Under pressure to control housing costs, Republican lawmakers rejected standards meant to protect against disasters, experts say.

Chris Millis, director of regulatory affairs for the North Carolina Home Builders Association,... said statewide rules are unnecessary because local governments have rules about building on hillsides."
...
"The legislature passed a law that blocked the state from adopting new building codes until 2031."
...
"The new law has made it harder for North Carolina to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to fund climate-resilient construction projects, which prioritize states with up-to-date building codes. The governor’s office has estimated that North Carolina has lost $70 million in grants because of the 2023 law."

JD Vance said in the recent debate, "And we're not going to stop it by listening to experts. We're going to stop it by listening to common sense wisdom, which is what Donald Trump governed on."

It goes on and on. We don't need any stinking rules, experts, or science. Until, of course, you do.

bizgrrl's picture

When we lived in Central

When we lived in Central Florida there was a low lying area behind our yard. We mowed it and used it as a place to throw frisbee. After about 5 years a big storm came through and the low lying area filled with water. It was then a wetland, i.e. swamp. The water never went away. The 100 year flood plain flooded while we lived there.

Treehouse's picture

Well said

Until, of course, you do.

fischbobber's picture

Old age and Bad backs.

I've been in a disagreement with a neighbor up at the cabin over a tree he wants cut down so he can get satellite TV. It's in a Drainage floodplain area almost at the top of a mountain that I have been managing with river gravel, as a silt trap for thirty years. My back is shot from this and other thingas, but the lot has held and as far as I know, with the exception of possibly brook trout, I haven't lost any species I had due to mismanagement. We'll see.

jbr's picture

Flood insurance coverage lowest in counties hit hardest by Helen

Only about 2% of residences in the 100 counties hit hardest by Hurricane Helene-related power outages were protected by flood insurance, according to an NBC News analysis of Census Bureau data, PowerOutage.us data and National Flood Insurance Program policy data that the insurance company Neptune Flood collected.

While many coastal counties have larger shares of residences with flood insurance, coverage in inland counties is rare. Less than 1% of the North Carolina counties hardest hit by Helene were covered — and in South Carolina, it was even less, 0.3%.

Flood insurance coverage lowest in counties hit hardest by Helene

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