Bryan Norcross book and discussion

[Recurve]

Saw Bryan Norcross on a hurricane panel in Tavernier on Monday. Here's the article in the local paper:

http://keysreporter.com/articles/2007/09/28/keys_life/life01.txt

Anyone interested in storms, forecasting and preparedness should read his book. He includes a lot of interesting and provocative opinions and specific recommendations for changes in forecast language, abolishing the 5-day cone, establishing a national catastrophe fund and enforcing stronger building standards.

--DH

[Category 5]

I own that book. I also recommend it for ANYBODY on this board.

[Honeyko]

...establishing a national catastrophe fund...

Giving the people who run FEMA an even bigger blank check won't fix anything.

[Recurve]

I think you are misinterpreting my summary. Norcross' proposal -- which you should read if you haven't -- says nothing about a "blank check" or about FEMA administering a national catastrophe insurance fund. Interstingly, the New York Times had a magazine article about insuring against catastrophes a few weeks back, and they said basically the same thing -- insurance companies can't handle disasters that can't be predicted. They know how many people are going to have car accidents and how much it is going to cost each year. Same with life insurance, health insurance, and so on. But hurricane risk is unmanageable, and now that companies are catching on, they will all exit the hurricane insurance business.

Sorry for going off on storm insurance. I started the thread only to let people knnow about the book and some of the topics it covers.

[Derek Ortt]

I wouldn't give FEMA any jurisdiction over hurricane relief (or any disaster for that matter)

I'd give it to the DOD, as it is in most every other country.

[Honeyko]

But hurricane risk is unmanageable, and now that companies are catching on, they will all exit the hurricane insurance business.

Why should people bother buying insurance (or well-built houses, for that matter) if the government will always build them a new house? That alone is enough to kill "the hurricane insurance business".

[MGC]

Can't give it to DOD. That would be unconstituional. That is why the Coast Guard is part of the Commerce Dept.....MGC