Resource Center

Exclusive Beach Towns Rely on Government Dollars to Rebuild

Number 21380
Subject Disasters
Source Philadelphia Inquirer
State PA
Year 2000
Publication Date May 1, 2000
Summary The ever-expanding definition of federal emergencies and the legacy of risky building along the coast have made disasters into a growing industry. Beach towns and resorts benefit from disasters by using tax-payer relief funds as a form of insurance for their municipal property. These resorts and towns carry very little insurance themselves, because they know that they can rely on federal funds to cover storm damage. The average number of federal disasters has tripled since the 1950s; since then, federal agencies have spent $140 billion. Factors such as loose criteria, lax financial standards and golf course subsidies add to the expense.
Category General
Pages 6
Keywords FEMA;hurricane;tropical storm;natural disaster;victim-relief;Federal Emergency Management Agency
Related Links
Related Video
Ordering info Want to place an order? Email us or call us at 573-882-3364 (Stories are only available to members of IRE. For membership information, please refer to our membership page)