Everyone in Natomas will soon be required to buy Flood Insurance.
In the post Katrina era we all have a much better understanding of how devastating a major flood can be to both individuals and a community. When Katrina hit, the levees in place to protect the city failed and what resulted was one of the worst disasters in American history. Unfortunately, most people are not well informed about the dangers of floods and what they can do to protect themselves from financial devastation in the event of a flood. In fact when most people think about floods, they only consider catastrophic disasters like Katrina and they forget that even an inch of water can cause several thousand dollars of damage to both structures and personal property.
In recent years since Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Government has been the focus of substantial pressure and scrutiny about the way the disaster in New Orleans was handled. Some serious questions have arisen about the strength of the levies protecting the city and why the majority of residents did not have flood insurance given that they were living in a basin with a great potential for flooding. As a result of these experiences the US Federal Government has become much more aware of the devastation that flooding can cause and the importance of preparing and educating communities that could be the victims of a flood.