America - The Official Thread
- Thread starter ///M-Spec
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- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/h...wer-outage-weather-deaths-today-live-updates/
That's just horrifying...
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
I was following the storm as it made landfall and was watching Brett Adair's livestream as it happened. He ended up getting caught in the eyewall and he and his chase partner had to abandon their car, which was carried off by the storm surge with the livestream still running. It sounds like the storm caught a lot of people off guard and we're lucky no chasers were killed, that we know of. The damage is jaw dropping, it looks more like EF3/EF4 tornado damage except it goes on for miles. This thing was a monster, the third most intense landfalling storm in US history and it shows.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,432
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
I guess I'm curious how it caught people off guard? Wasn't it predicted for like a week to make landfall somewhere in the panhandle? It seems like the loss of life with a hurricane is one of the most preventable when it comes to natural disasters. There's almost always advanced warning unlike tornados or earthquakes.
Still, even if people got out, it does nothing to keep their property safe which is pretty sad.
Still, even if people got out, it does nothing to keep their property safe which is pretty sad.
- 5,051
- Netherlands
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/h...wer-outage-weather-deaths-today-live-updates/
That's just horrifying...
Most be horrible to lose your home that way. Are people insured for disasters like these?
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
I'm sure the insurance companies will find a way to screw many of them, they always do. "but you didn't have hurricane or natural disaster insurance, claim denied".
Yes those pictures are truly horrifying, I fear the fatalities number will go up even more.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,432
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
Depends. You typically need hurricane or flood insurance to cover it, but most of the time if you have a mortgage on your property it's required anyway. If for some reason you don't have it, you're pretty much out of luck. Also, some insurance policies cover it without an additional rider, while others do not. There's also the case of if your home isn't initially damaged by the hurricane or flood and say catches fire, then has a tiny amount of flood water touch it, you can get denied too.
Florida has a weird market for insurance though, so it could be different there. I think it's mostly made up of small insurance companies instead of big ones like Allstate or Farmers.
Some insurance companies are better than others too. Cheap insurance typically sucks while more expensive policies tend to deny claims at a lesser rate. It's all pretty confusing though. When I had a house, I just let the person insuring our cars, my wife's wedding ring, and some other expensive things handle the house stuff and then rolled it into the mortgage. Thankfully, I didn't need flood insurance.
Here in Utah, I do have an earthquake rider on my renter's policy since our townhouse sits pretty much on top of a fault line.
- 5,051
- Netherlands
It litterally looks like a bomb dropped on there. Insurance should be mandatory in regions that have high hurricanerisks. How is that handled in the USA?
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
I have no idea, I haven't lived in an area that is prone to Tornados or Hurricanes. Here in the PNW we get the occasional wind storm and lower areas, near rivers are prone to flooding, then there is the risk of earthquakes but that doesn't happen very often. I don't live in a flood risk area so I wouldn't qualify for Flood insurance. I'm not sure if we are covered for earthquakes or even if that coverage is available, I suppose that is worth looking into.
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
So you don't have nor pay the premium for the coverage of a particular risk but the insurance companies are screwing you by not paying for that uncovered risk??
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
You are assuming the premium insurance is even offered in the first place, in many cases it is not. There are areas in our state that do not offer flood insurance, even though many of those areas are prone to flooding. But like I said, I have no idea how it works down there in gulf states, maybe they all have hurricane insurance, maybe its' mandatory.
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
The main reason it caught people off guard is that it underwent rapid intensification right before landfall; it didn't become a major hurricane until less than 24 hours before landfall and continued its rapid intensification right up until coming ashore. Because of that and its high forward speed it was able to maintain its strength far inland. A lot of storm chasers (and local residents) were expecting a high end cat 2 at most and figured they could ride it out easily, but by the time a lot of people realised how strong it would really be it was too late to make alternate plans.
At the moment one of the biggest points of contention among chasers is whether it will be upgraded to cat 5 in post analysis given the violent nature of the damage.
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
I'm not assuming anything actually. If insurance is not offered then you can't get ripped off and you? If you pay for insurance against a risk and they don't pay you, that's the only time you could say you got ripped off.
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
What about when you pay for flood insurance an you still get screwed though?
One such example:
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/...n-87000-and-she-has-flood-insurance/411014695
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Surely they're exactly the areas where you'd be least likely to be able to get flood insurance?
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
I'm sure it happens but your original claim was about not having insurance to begin with being an example of getting ripped off.
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
"I'm sure it happens" is an understatement, it happens a lot more than you think.
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
And your original claim was that not having insurance at all means you're getting ripped off. I'm sure that happens all the time.
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
That is not what I said. I said not having a specific type of coverage can be a reason for denial but there are many reason they can give to deny your coverage even if you do have specific coverage. Have I offended you? Do you work for an insurance company?
- 1,971
- Seattle, WA
Some light reading, it's actually even worse than I thought:
https://www.channel3000.com/news/na...d-businesses-has-now-hit-11-figures/803948819
$18.5 billion
As in Katrina, most homes and businesses devastated by Florence's floodwaters were not insured for damage from rising water. Those homes account for more than two-thirds of the total estimated uninsured flood loss, CoreLogic's estimate shows.
That compares with some $40 billion in uninsured losses sustained last year when Hurricane Harvey slammed the Texas Gulf Coast, then drenched the Houston area for days.
Most private insurance policies don't protect against damage from floods caused by storm surge, rain or overflowing rivers. For that, the National Flood Insurance Program, known as NFIP and run by FEMA, provides coverage; in fact, it's required for federally backed mortgages in areas judged to be at risk of flooding.
But many homes that sustain flood damage every year nationwide lie outside designated flood zones -- often because federal flood maps don't accurately reflect the risk of flooding.
"The flood zone delineations are just wrong," Chuck Watson, an analyst with the disaster research group Enki Research, told CNN as Florence churned toward shore. "But communities don't like expansion flood zone, because it makes development more expensive and difficult. So the flood zones really don't reflect the risk."
https://www.channel3000.com/news/na...d-businesses-has-now-hit-11-figures/803948819
$18.5 billion
As in Katrina, most homes and businesses devastated by Florence's floodwaters were not insured for damage from rising water. Those homes account for more than two-thirds of the total estimated uninsured flood loss, CoreLogic's estimate shows.
That compares with some $40 billion in uninsured losses sustained last year when Hurricane Harvey slammed the Texas Gulf Coast, then drenched the Houston area for days.
Most private insurance policies don't protect against damage from floods caused by storm surge, rain or overflowing rivers. For that, the National Flood Insurance Program, known as NFIP and run by FEMA, provides coverage; in fact, it's required for federally backed mortgages in areas judged to be at risk of flooding.
But many homes that sustain flood damage every year nationwide lie outside designated flood zones -- often because federal flood maps don't accurately reflect the risk of flooding.
"The flood zone delineations are just wrong," Chuck Watson, an analyst with the disaster research group Enki Research, told CNN as Florence churned toward shore. "But communities don't like expansion flood zone, because it makes development more expensive and difficult. So the flood zones really don't reflect the risk."
- 3,308
- Kentucky
- Chrunch_Houston
The midterms are coming.
American politicians might be a little different from European politicians.
Here is an ad from a Texas candidate for the US senate from Texas. Listen closely and tell me what his platform is.
He is a Democrat, but doesn't mention that or any stance.
Leftist in many parts of the United States hide their real intentions.
Ted Cruz (Republican) ads:
If Beto won't talk about himself, I guess Cruz will.
I think there are probably more Cruz "attack" ads, you can check his channel yourself.
Here is the second Beto ad. He responds to Cruz "attack ads" .
Still he says nothing.
American politicians might be a little different from European politicians.
Here is an ad from a Texas candidate for the US senate from Texas. Listen closely and tell me what his platform is.
He is a Democrat, but doesn't mention that or any stance.
Leftist in many parts of the United States hide their real intentions.
Ted Cruz (Republican) ads:
If Beto won't talk about himself, I guess Cruz will.
I think there are probably more Cruz "attack" ads, you can check his channel yourself.
Here is the second Beto ad. He responds to Cruz "attack ads" .
Still he says nothing.
- 174
- Milwaukee
- 5,051
- Netherlands
To be fair that happens on both sides. Ads like just seem so childish to me. Your campaign should focus on your own policies and strengts and not on how bad the competition is.
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
Your words.
Don't go the "are you offended" route.
Last I read Beta is getting trounced in the polls.
- 3,308
- Kentucky
- Chrunch_Houston
- 4,464
- Azle, TX
- supermanfromazle
- SanjiHimura
Well, Cruz is up 7 points in the Real Clear Politics Average.
