Should homes be built in flood zones?

Answer 1

No.

I would like to get technical for just a minute. Everything is in a flood zone. There are different category ratings by FEMA, A,B, and C. The letters represent how often these zones will likely flood. One zone is for 100 years. One zone means it is likely to flood often. In the Delta of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana it is so flat, the water can't runoff quickly. It can stand for days. Mortgage companies will require flood insurance in certain areas payed only by the owner. These are not calculated into the general home owner insurance costs. It is separate from your regular home owners insurance. If an owner wants to put their property at risk then maybe it can be argued they are free to do what they want. The problem becomes when society is asked to pick up the bill rather than just telling people that certain land cannot be built on. It is common to see golf courses in flood plains. There is little hard down if the course gets flooded and the land is relatively cheap because it makes no sense to build structures there. Any home on a beach could be subject to flooding or storm surge. If the home owners want to self-insure then letting them build might be OK. Rebuilding New Orleans does not make sense if the structures are not raised or otherwise made safe by raising them above the level of predicted floods.