We had lost or badly damaged houses in previous hurricanes, but we always rebuilt, at our own expense because we KNEW we could lose it all in any hurricane.
After Carla, and because of beach errosion (which rarely happened before the "cut," explained below), we were forbidden to rebuild because the envior-nazis are afraid we would "damage the environment!" It didn't matter that those houses had stood on that property since the early 1920's, or that they were a major source of income for us. Or that we kept them in tip-top shape, or that we respected the beach and kept it clean for the people who rented from us.
We fought the idiots who wanted to cut a pass (cut or canal) less than two miles west from our property that connected the Gulf Of Mexico with East Bay which was supposedly going to help fishing in the area. We knew it would only cause beach errosion, but even in the 1940's the enviro-nazis had the power to ignore private property rights in the name of "saving" trash fish. They won, we lost, and in twenty years we had lost over 500 feet of our pristine beach.
Without that buffer, hurricane Carla had a direct path to the homes that fronted the Gulf and whipped them out. Not just our houses, but all the beach front houses for twenty miles or more to the east of us.
Today, appoximately 900 feet or more of our property is under water. The portion that is above the high water mark is deemed "protected," and we are forbidden to rebuild on it.
However, even though 85 to 90% of the land is under water, we are expected to pay taxes on all of it.
No, we, the property owners knew more about our land and the effects nature had on it than the little bureaucrats miles away, but they had the power to overide experience and common sense, thus the beachfront property owners lost everything.
The same thing happened in Kalmath Falls, now Florida, and along the Missouri River. In other words, to hell with common sense and experience. Screw the property owners who are supposed to have the rights to the land they own to do with as they wish, right or wrong. Save a trash fish or bug or bird that may be endangered!
There's the phrase: "MAY be endangered." The enviro-nazies always fail to mention that the fish, bug, bird or animal may NOT be endangered and may well be able to adapt.