Shirley Franklin: Put flood damage at $1 billion, not a paltry $250 million
Two days ago, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine put the cost of damage caused by the flooding of metro Atlanta at $250 million.
But I just finished talking with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who said she’s been telling members of the Obama Administration that the final tally will be at least four times that high – beyond $1 billion.
That’s a big difference, especially when one is asking for federal help.
In assessing the damage to the city, Franklin said authorities have counted nearly 475 homes hit by the flood. “We know that 60 were destroyed, and over 200 were severely damaged,” she said.
If the average home has three residents, that’s more than 1,200 displaced. The price tag on the destroyed homes is estimated at $100,000 each, for the sake of quick math.
The hardest hit was the Lincoln Homes/Proctor Creek area.
Repairing the R.M. Clayton sewage treatment plant on the banks of the Chattahoochee River will cost between $60 million and $100 million, she said. Maybe more.
“But here’s the deal. It was every plant along the [Chattahoochee] river that was probably flooded. So it’s not just R.M. Clayton. It’s the Cobb plant right across the river.
“So what I have been describing to members of the administration, I have said unlike the number that’s out there – this $250 million – I think the number is upwards of $1 billion,” Franklin said.
“If we had 400 structures [damaged], not counting any commercial, including 60 that were destroyed, clearly the region has even more than that. There’s no way that $250 million was ever the right number,” she said.
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86 comments Add your comment
Mike
September 24th, 2009
5:35 pm
Oxendine swagged it, nobody has a clue yet as to how much it will be. Given Franklin’s inability to count money in a budget, why is her guess any more reliable.
Jeffisonline
September 24th, 2009
5:39 pm
(In reality, we need to fund all those ‘do nothing’ administrators’ salaries…)
Adgurl
September 24th, 2009
5:48 pm
@Mike…why is a SWAG (silly wild ass guess) any better?! :-/
rastus
September 24th, 2009
5:56 pm
What’s a billion amongst friends??
Adgurl–technically a SWAG is scientific wild ass guess.
Rich
September 24th, 2009
6:00 pm
Surprising that Atlanta was not in the President’s National Disater area. Only Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding and Douglas. No Gwinnett either.
Bill
September 24th, 2009
6:02 pm
I guess the cost depends on what they can find that’s on sale. Plus, maybe they could look around for a few coupons.
Conservative Republican
September 24th, 2009
6:03 pm
Whatever happended to personal self-reliance and NOT reliance upon the Feds. Sam Olens, you disgust us with your whining and nitpicking! Show some individualism and roll up your sleeves! Who cares if the President or Vice-President show and when they show! We have Governor Perdue, Casey Cagle and Glenn Richardson!
outlaw
September 24th, 2009
6:04 pm
This is the same Ms. Franklin that did nothing for us while SHE laid off police officers and firefighters…no thanks keep your mouth shut bi*#@!$%^^&
Kevin
September 24th, 2009
6:09 pm
Anything for a hand out, huh Shirley.
The sooner you leave office and I am able to stop reading about your worthless, self-promoting government, the better I’ll be.
I can’t wait the mayoral election when I can vote for some real change I can believe in. Welcome, Mayor Norwood . . .
kemosabe
September 24th, 2009
6:18 pm
Actually it will be higher than 1 billion. Good luck dealing with Fema, they will make the experience much worse. And most of the insurance companies will not pay the valid claims either. State Farm? Good luck. Unlike their commercials, they will not be there. And they will fight the claims. Don’t believe me? Ask a Katrina victim. Insurance is the biggest scam going. And that azz clown Oxendine is a crook.
Jonathon
September 24th, 2009
6:25 pm
Shirley Frankin is as outdated as that cheezy big flower on her business suit. She dresses like somebodys grandma.
dkvb
September 24th, 2009
6:29 pm
John Oxendine represents the insurance industry. That’s the reason he can think about another political office, but he’ll never run.
John, please have your pollsters stop calling me about your chances for some political office.
larry ross
September 24th, 2009
6:30 pm
the gov. prayed for rain, ask him to pray to pay help.
just jim
September 24th, 2009
6:32 pm
No matter the cost The tax payers will have to pay it in the end.
Elizabeth
September 24th, 2009
6:37 pm
Say NO to federal aid. It’s just socialism pure and simple!
larry ross
September 24th, 2009
6:39 pm
why because your home is okay, #$%^&&
kemosabe
September 24th, 2009
6:47 pm
“Say NO to federal aid. It’s just socialism pure and simple!”
No twit, you are. Go back to Bookman’s you pos.
W
September 24th, 2009
6:47 pm
Why only 1 billion, Shirley? Why not go ahead and make it 10, hell even 100 billion. Just call the “savior” Obama and i’m sure he’ll be more than happy to print off some more fresh bills for everyone.
Andre
September 24th, 2009
6:48 pm
When I first heard those figures I really felt it was too low and I was shocked that Fulton County was not apart of the estimate. I just don’t understand how he was able to make an estimate that early. Don’t try to say Shirley is trying to put her hands in the cookie jar either, she’s not going to be around that long. And don’t blame her for the economic fall out in Atlanta because the GREAT state of Georgia has an economic fallout. The state Educators will agree. The next mayor will get their chance at being corrupt. Elizabeth, are you serious? I mean are you genuinely serious? Think of that road you drive on, or that sidewalk you walk on or the water you shower in. ALL OF THAT IS THANKS TO FEDERAL AID. I really hope you aren’t this stupid.
jd
September 24th, 2009
7:28 pm
Hey my Republican friends! I thought you guys were all about self reliance, anti-govt., pull yourself up by your bootstraps? What happened to that? Get out there and rebuild your homes and roads with your bare hands. Call Bush or Cheney. Maybe they’ll loan you a couple of bucks.
Hey, don’t get mad at me. I’m just throwing your rhetoric back in your face.
When other people are hurting, you Republicans don’t care. But when you hurt, oh brother, where is the govt. to take care of me (see all the Wall St. bankers as examples).
Compassion. Look up that word while you’re put on hold by your unregulated, zombie insurance company.
Barry
September 24th, 2009
7:38 pm
Another mayor trying to get the federal money. Hey we are not Louisiana with KAtrina. How can damages be that high. I guess this is what government officials do whe that get “presidential declarations”. This is their opportunity to get “bail out” money.
jd
September 24th, 2009
7:39 pm
Republicans, why are you looking for a govt. handout?
I say, let’s put Brownie, of Katrina fame, in charge of relief for every Republican household that was hit by the storm.
Hey, don’t say that was mean. If McCain/Palin were elected they would have closed FEMA as soon as they took office.
Jake's mom
September 24th, 2009
7:44 pm
I don’t get it. Why is helping the poor and downtrodden being a Christian on Sunday, and a Socialist the rest of the week??
4Uidiotz
September 24th, 2009
7:45 pm
Why does it matter? All the feds will do is offer LOANS, they will not be giving the money away. Whatever the total is, someone will be on the hook for it (and yes, the taxpayer would be on the hook for defaulted loans)
And of course Franklin is going to up the ante, she’s a fan of the welfare state and figures it times for her to get first in line at the taxpayer trough.
Why the AJC falls short
September 24th, 2009
7:53 pm
Given the Space Shuttle like flight from reality Shirley exhibited in her opinion piece this week, I don’t know at this point if we could trust her to even tell us how many cans there are in a six-pack of soda.
FMX
September 24th, 2009
8:09 pm
People I just got back from the Austell area. It is bad! Seeing it on the news and seeing it in person is two different things. I saw cars and houses that had been completelu underwater. i pray for those people.
earldaddy
September 24th, 2009
8:18 pm
What are you, a bunch of junior high schoolers? This article was about a very serious, adult subject and immediately many of you start talking about how people dress and socialism and attacking our President (quite “anti-American”, I’d say). What a bunch of sore-loser, racist, juvenile morons.
Adam
September 24th, 2009
8:18 pm
I never thought I’d think this…but I actually agree with Ox. 500 houses totaled at $100k, 2,000 houses damaged at $40k, 6,000 houses with $10k in damage (I’m just assuming some big time numbers here for the sake of the swag)….thats $190M. Assume another $100M in infrastructure damage (which I doubt is that high), we’re under $300M. A far cry from $1B. Franklin….stop begging.
earldaddy
September 24th, 2009
8:20 pm
By the way, Federal money is “our” money, so why fight against using it to help out our own citizens in times of need like this? Dumb, self-centered followers!
Muddy Waters
September 24th, 2009
8:22 pm
jd
September 24th, 2009
7:28 pm
Your crap is getting old quick. Just shut it.
Mr. WhatDoIKnow
September 24th, 2009
8:22 pm
One billion in damages . . . Was that from the flood or Shirly Girls eight years in office? Forgive me, I have sinned . . . If an elected official is Black it is inappropriate to be critical of them . . .
Adam
September 24th, 2009
8:23 pm
Actually, that federal money is really from “about 50% of us”. And of that 50%, about 5% of “us” (yep, in that group) provide the bulk of that money. So it isn’t really “our” money, probably not “your” money. Its mine. I worked for it. And I prefer to keep it.
KnightInATL
September 24th, 2009
8:27 pm
Pardon my ignorance here, but I thought that Shirley Franklin was mayor of the city of Atlanta, not Georgia’s Governor. Thusly, any concerns or happening outside of her city limits (i.e., the flooding), she should kindly shut her mouth and let our state elected officials do their jobs without impeding it.
rastus
September 24th, 2009
8:29 pm
Good Lord, what a bunch of hard hearted b@st@rds on this blog.
Washington has spewed trillions over the Wall St. fat cats this past year, and we can’t get a measley billion to help out our fellow Atlantans?
Drive through Austell and see it for yourself and then decide whether we need the money or not.
Adam
September 24th, 2009
8:30 pm
And nothing is wrong with a little compassion. But its wrong to force it. Helping the poor, compassion, etc is a personal choice and shouldn’t be regulated.
Why is it that individuals agree its wrong to take money from a person’s wallet, but its ok to get a bunch of individuals together, and ask the government to do it for them?
I remember something about “democracy in its purest form is really nothing more than Mob rule”.
“If you’re in your 20’s and not liberal, you have no heart. If you’re in your 30’s and not conservative, you have no brain”. I think Churchill muttered something along those lines.
LIVIN' MY LIFE
September 24th, 2009
8:31 pm
I cannot believe some of you on here. Just because your house(s) or land is ok does not mean that other are. Some of you people are selfish and unkind. Some of you are just out for youselves and this is very appauling. I just want to know why some of you are so selfish? I just do not understand. And Oxendine is a fool! Mayor Franklin sees reality unlike many of you idiots on here.
Muddy Waters
September 24th, 2009
8:32 pm
Adam, those houses were not 100k houses. I know we’re talking averages here but isn’t that a little low? I think there are things we haven’t even thought of. I do agree though… Shirley Girl’s estimates are not reliable.
csquared
September 24th, 2009
8:36 pm
You keep your money and let all your friends keep theirs too (as in why even PAY taxes?). I’m not so uncaring as to not let some of MINE (in the 5% too, pal), go to helping folks in need. It’s called Christianity and I don’t just practice it on Sundays. Somewhere along the line time to stop PRACTICING and get in the GAME. I’m sure you have a better use for your money, like putting it in some failed GA bank.
Adonis
September 24th, 2009
8:40 pm
Someone earlier said they were in the top 5% of income earners and they did not want their tax dollars going to help out flood vicitims.
I am in the top 1% and pay millions in taxes and I am very happy my taxes are going to help my fellow man when he needs a hand. I had much rather see my tax dollars spent in Atlanta rebuilding houses than in Afghanistan blowing up rocks.
AD
Trent
September 24th, 2009
8:44 pm
Well, I am in the top ..10% and I pay zillions in taxes. So there!
Voice of Reason #1
September 24th, 2009
8:45 pm
Adonis…are you a single, hetero male…?
LOL.
Trent
September 24th, 2009
8:45 pm
.10% that’s POINT ONE ZERO PERCENT.
csquared
September 24th, 2009
8:46 pm
as for a Billion dollars, that may be a little high, but you and I and OX himself knows that $250 mill aint it.
by the time you fix all those sewage treatment plants, pump stations, roads, bridges, etc, that’s $250 mil easy. Add in homes that were destroyed (none of those I saw was a $100k house, more like double that (remember the selling point WAS riverfront property!). You know you’re going to want the roads fixed quick as well as the water treatment plants (boiling and getting bottled get OLD really fast) probably splitting the difference and say HALF a billion. Or you could always just fix HALF your house. go back to ONE lane bridges, etc.
Adonis
September 24th, 2009
8:48 pm
VR #1–I loves the women folk—yes I do.
csquared
September 24th, 2009
8:49 pm
if you’re in the top .10% (that’s tenth of a percent) and you’re paying TAXES, you need to fire your accountant.
Son of Trent
September 24th, 2009
8:50 pm
Dad, you are not funny. You are embarrasing the me and sis.
You folks are suckas
September 24th, 2009
9:04 pm
The average flood insurance policy costs $300. How much money do you suppose the folks in the flooded homes have spent on the “stupid tax”, uh…I mean lottery? What are the chances their houses might flood vs. the chances of winning the lottery? I’d wager that, if you are in a “100 year flood plain”, you have a 1% chance of having your house flood each year. So…1% of lets call it an average damage of $50,000, thats $500. So you’re ahead $200 on that one.
Odds of winning mega millions: 1 in 175 MILLION. So… 0.00000000571 x ohhh….$50M or so after tax on average. $0.29. 29 cents. for a $1 ticket.
For poker players, thats bad pot odds.
larry ross
September 24th, 2009
9:05 pm
the gov. that you all voted for, ask for rain from god, rememeber
sedimenjerr
September 24th, 2009
9:33 pm
There are people who lost their homes and everything they owned.
They didn’t lose their jobs. They aren’t collecting umemployment benefits.
They need help. It’s one thing to be on welfare. It’s another thing to have a flood take everything you worked hard for away in a flash. They don’t want a handout. They don’t need a handout. They need a home. They need a place to start over. Most are fellow taxpayers who need help.
jack
September 24th, 2009
9:42 pm
A few years ago, we were a nation of Americans, not blind zealots with allegiance to political parties or political ideologies.
In case you’ve never read it, note that the Preamble to the Constitution has the line:
“… to promote the general welfare.”
Presidents from both parties have taken action when Americans have been harmed by natural disasters or by acts of terror.
Please keep in mind that the Glenn Becks, Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannity’s make millions of dollars stirring up anger with their distortions.
Read the anger in the posts and you will see that these people are not helping our country, they are enriching themselves at our nations expense.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Phinfan
September 24th, 2009
9:47 pm
Cobb citizens should not ask for hand outs from Feds Sam Olens. Please count me among those ashamed you are asking. I am truly ashamed of my representative in this matter. Be efficient and make a stand about what America should be. We are the strong and proud. Don’t forget that.
wingo
September 24th, 2009
10:22 pm
Jack—Preach on brother, amen.
Billy
September 24th, 2009
10:42 pm
If any tax dollars are used these people should be relocated to some of the surplus housing still “flooding” our local market and the areas that flooded should be returned to greenspace.
Chase Harrison
September 24th, 2009
10:47 pm
Hey Auther Blank,
If you really care about the Atlanta community open the doors of Home Depot and
start donating. I no you can afford it. Step up and be a community guy.
SF
September 24th, 2009
10:53 pm
Enter your comments here
This is the same Shirley Franklin that lead the city to respond to the floods in Vine City in 2002 and the tornedo in downtown last year. It’s certain the $250 million estimate is low if there is a calculation of the cost of repairing and replacing the damaged roads, bridges, water treatment plants and private homes and businesses. If nearly 500 Atlanta homeowners suffered damage, then people in Austell, Powder Springs, Lawrenceville and surrounding Counties were hit harder and the value of the damage is higher than originally estimated. To those who resent that I have an opinion, too bad. I intend to advocate for as much federal funding as Atlanta and metro homeowners, business owners and local governments are qualified to receive. In this economy and in a state with a record level of unemployment and job loss it will take that and more to recover from the disaster. Thanks, Jim, for taking my call and writing this blog.
John
September 24th, 2009
11:07 pm
Shirley Franklin has a better grasp of the total cost of the flooding than “Curly” Oxendine, and he is supposed to be the expert.
Old Vet
September 24th, 2009
11:15 pm
That 250 mil is probably the total that the insurance companies told Oxendine they were going to pay.
Jen in Athens
September 24th, 2009
11:42 pm
Do you people have no soul? No morals? No feelings? People have lost everything they owned overnight. When you have everything that you’ve worked hard for all your life ripped out from beneath you right before you go to bed, then you can know how these people feel. I have a friend off Thornton Rd who was evacuated and has spent the past week at her fiance’s parents’ house wondering how bad the damage was. They’ve lost just about everything. Did you not see the pictures of the flood waters covering homes? It is NOT cheap to live in some of the areas that were flooded.
I don’t care what party you like best, but this is a matter of your fellow Georgians needing help and you saying “No” without having a clue what it’s like to be in their shoes….if they were lucky enough to keep their shoes! I doubt that $250 million is enough to fix two or three small bridges over some of the creeks that overflowed. Just repairing the roads could be more than $250 mil, and that’s not even considering any aid that FEMA can give to the people who now have whatever they could carry and whatever could survive flood waters.
Be happy you have a roof over your head, a working internet connection and food in your tummy. People still don’t have power and clean drinking water. How rude can you be Atlanta?
JDSUCKS
September 25th, 2009
12:04 am
@JD…hey idiot, not all Wall St bankers/companies are republicans. The stupid handouts to the banks et al was wide ranging in terms of which stupid party they belong to. Go pay for your groceries with your liberal funded welfare check and worship the alter for that idiot Obama!
ken
September 25th, 2009
1:54 am
I say don’t give anything to these georgia crackers who are inbred, ignorant and uneducated. They really make the State of Georgia look bad and make me ashamed to be a white man with all of this ignorant bull they put out in the Universe. I am donating clothing, some furniture i have in storage and $1000.00 to the Red Cross, let all decent and competent people come together.
Chris Mathews is covered in his own leg tingleing spittle
September 25th, 2009
1:56 am
OFF TOPIC. Has anyone seen the footage of the violent protesters at the G20? Those right wingers are as violent as ever….wait….this just in…. strike that… those are leftist protesters rioting and raising all holy hel!. At least they aren’t making fun of, or protesting Obama. Otherwise we may be forced to call him racist.
TheEnd.
September 25th, 2009
2:05 am
What are John Oxendine’s responsibilities as our Insurance Commissioner?
Hint: Definitely not to assess the amount damages for bridges, treatment plants and infrastructure. Additionally, not to assess all claims as 100% damaged!
IE: If a $100K home is destroyed and must be rebuilt, how much is left in the lot on which the house was built? $0.00????
Sad.
Drew
September 25th, 2009
2:20 am
I wonder, if the Federal government helps all these people in the Republican counties without flood insurance get back on their feet, if the recipients of said assistance will turn around and deny the same help to other hard-working Americans who can’t get health insurance because they can’t afford it (laid off) or have a “pre-existing condition.”
Let’s put it another way. If it’s OK to keep the health-care status quo, in which people routinely go bankrupt fighting serious illness, then why isn’t it OK to let people go bankrupt because their house was damaged and they lost some trinkets in a flood?
Mark my words, we will catch some of our brilliant Georgia politicians in this double-standard in the coming weeks and months – begging for flood money, but trying their darnedest to derail health-care reform.
Dan Deacon
September 25th, 2009
6:58 am
Shirley Franklin is a disgusting bitty that has driven Atlanta to financial ruin. She should be talking with Gov. Perdue and not the Obama administration. She should follow the chain of command. Without Gov. Perdue, Atlanta will be left out of the money and I don’t blame our Governor if he was not consulted first about Atlanta’s losses. Franklin thinks she can bypass our Governor and she found out real quick…do it an get left out.
If you live in Atlanta, you should call Franklin and tell her you detest her not following the chain of command. She should have followed protocol and talked with the Governor before trying to be the bigshot she ain’t and calling the Obama administration – who probably laughed after they hung up talking with her.
Dan Deacon
September 25th, 2009
7:18 am
Drew….you have difficulty in separating life threatening disasters and choices. Healthcare is a choice (without Obama’s idiotic plan – then its mandated on citizens creating “NoCare”) thank God, floods are not a choice. Your correlations between these two show just how confused you Obama lovers are and how ignorant people can be to support a cause that if passed will be the downfall of our great nation harming its citizens beyond belief. Down with socialism of any kind…..helping flood victims is not socialism, that’s compassion. Apparently, you have none but most likely would want it if you lost everything you had to your name, had not food or clothing and became immediately homeless with no where to go. Why don’t you move to Venezuela and suck up to Chavez, another noncompassionate and caring individual.
oh-boy
September 25th, 2009
8:07 am
I’ll speak like a true southern religious zealot. Blame it on Sonny because he prayed for rain – he must have prayed too much. We all know this is true, ask Sonny. Ok in all reality now – God is trying to tell GA something? Not TN or AL or SC or NC just GA especially N-GA. Hmmm I bet it is because you can’t buy the Lord’s beverage on Sunday (wine). No maybe because Douglas Co voted down Sunday sales? No it must be the gays! couldn’t be they are only in midtown. Maybe God doesn’t like naw, I know, it is a lesson to overly religious bible thumpers trying to play God to not be judgemental. But I think it was just a weather pattern. Thank God! I would hate to see him show his wrath over us self-righteous peon Georgians.
dgroy
September 25th, 2009
8:21 am
Great idea here……anyone whose home was damaged/destroyed by the recent floods and who uses federal funds, albeit a loan to be repaid, should be required to purchase flood insurance. If they don’t they will be fined/taxed
$1,900 per year until they obtain coverage……there, I’ve said it.
Angela
September 25th, 2009
8:21 am
Politics aside: I live in Douglasville, and unwittingly toured the flood damage on Tuesday and Wednesday-with over 200 state, county, and city road closures, it was a labrynth to leave Douglas county and try to get to work. The damage out there is simply awesome. These weren’t all homes along a river, a creekbed, a trickle of a stream, places any logical person would carry flood insurance for “just in case”. People suffered damage MILES from the nearest body of water-just because the home happened to be in a little valley of the neighborhood and the water runoff simply collected there. Also, regarding cost of damages-submerge your home in just 12″-24″ of water for a day or two, and see how cheap it is to make sure its structurally sound again.
Stacy
September 25th, 2009
8:25 am
If Shirley Franklin was in charge of fixing everything it probably would cost a Billion
Lucas
September 25th, 2009
8:30 am
These numbers always go up as more damage is discovered. Whether or not you’re a fiscal conservative, if you’ve had your house hit by hurricanes as I have, federal aid sounds pretty appealing.
The Mighty Whitey
September 25th, 2009
8:39 am
Ask yourself if you would feel the same way if instead of Shirley Franklin, Sonny Perdue had provided the estimate of $1B in damages .
TMW
DouglasCoMan
September 25th, 2009
8:51 am
My house was damaged in the flood. I will gladly take FEMA aid, because I paid for it with my taxes, or I will repay a loan if it is offered. I don’t have all of the money necessary to make all the repairs right now. Very few people do. My family and I will do all of the work ourselves. We won’t wait on the government to send work crews to clean up or make repairs. Is that self-sufficient enough for you?
The banker
September 25th, 2009
8:52 am
What the heck – why shouldn’t the FEMA and FED “Bail” Atlanta out with a Billion or so ?
after all they “Bailed” out the Auto Manufacturers and they didn’t even have water damage.
Corey
September 25th, 2009
8:53 am
No matter what the topic, even if it is about people struggling to get their lives back on track after a natural disaster, we Georgians will fiand a way to attack each other’s politics, religion, and ethnicity on blogs. We are surely a hopeless bunch.
Jim Bob
September 25th, 2009
8:54 am
This was no Katrina and we are not the citizens of New Orleans, Self sufficient people of Georgia
can handle a few puddles. This was what we asked for after all.
The Mighty Whitey
September 25th, 2009
9:04 am
DC Man—hang in there bro—cooler heads will prevail—help is on the way—it will take a while–in the mean if you are pinched—seek out local assistance—churches, Red Cross, United Way, call you local city, county and state representatives for advice on getting help.
For each hard hearted sap on this blog, there are 10 people out there willing to help out.
TMW
Cat
September 25th, 2009
9:20 am
Oxendine shoud’ve been pushing flood insurance all along but didn’t because it’s a (gasp) government program. Private companies grudgingly administer it but it’s a (gasp) government program. No big profits for insurance companies = no advocacy from insurance commish who is in pocket of insurers.
WELL,WELL,WELL !!!!!
September 25th, 2009
10:55 am
What do we have here???? I’ve lived in The ATL 32yrs and this has to be one of the worst floods I have seen!!! Building in a flood plane area is ALWAYS cheaper, cooler (nearer to water), and in many cases more private! You know, for example if you have large pets or even horses! In other words you can get more BANG for your $$BUCK$$!!!
INSURANCE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Now that’t the problem!
Remember 1994 ?? ALBANY’s Flood. It washed out Bridges, Roards, Large Buildings, and most of all several hundred graves!!!! Some were very old and could not be identified. They were buried in mass graves with headstones that read “UNKNOWN”.
Many, many areas would not,and some could not be rebuilt, because they could not get INSURANCE on their property. Lesson Learned, its all about the FLOOD INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If, a FLOOD does one thing; that is its lets us know our limitations and it also cause the feel very sad for our fellow man and woman!!!!!! GOOD LUCK ALL AND GOD BLESS!!!
DouglasCoMan
September 25th, 2009
11:20 am
TMW,
Thank you. While we did have damage, there are others who lost much more. At least we have power and water. I didn’t live in a flood plain, still don’t. Anyone who wasn’t there can’t understand the massive amount of water that was involved. And if you did have damage, it isn’t political, it’s personal. So if all you are going to do is gripe about people using the government services that, God willing, you never have to use, move aside. We need help, not your “expert” advice.
leon
September 25th, 2009
2:13 pm
Enter your comments here
Does anyone think this may be punishment for overbuilding and urban sprawl.??
It's war
September 25th, 2009
5:28 pm
I say don’t fix the wastewater treatment plants. Let Alabama, Florida, and south Georgia suck on our poop for awhile. Then maybe they’ll stop trying to destroy our economy by messing with Lake Lanier.
thetruth
September 25th, 2009
6:01 pm
The damage estimate is at 250 million as most of the damaged homes and such were of working middle class Americans.
e. willingham
September 25th, 2009
8:06 pm
Enter your comments here I’ve never seen so many evil, hateful, uncaring people in my life. The ajc should not feed into this hatred, when people are out there needing help, or any other time. It should be a law against some of the things the ajc print, especially about our President. There is NO respect! The President is offering help and all you can print is negatives comments. We all need to be rolling up our sleeves and helping. Those unkind and hateful people are miserable. Why not just let them waller in their hate, because someday they will be needing help!
jerath
September 26th, 2009
5:24 am
Enter your comments here The federal Government is always the cash cow for these so called emergencies that politicians just cook up to fatten their pet projects. As usual if New Orleans is and guide, most of everything will be eaten up by the big buddy buddy good old boy contractors and the conservative republican hacks who run the state. Major Franklin on the other hand is trying her tricks for the city get as much Federal Aid as she can and not deal with the conservative republicans at the state level, who will divert much of the so called assistance money to the areas that where they bond why driving with their head lights on at high noon.
t
September 26th, 2009
11:54 am
I don’t think anybody hardest hit by the Georgia floods ever supported the current administration. Now, they’re crying to the feds for help. Maybe they couldn’t board up their homes in time to prevent the floodig because they were teabagging in DC on 9-12. I think Glenn & Rush & Fox have sufficient coin for your bailout. Also pray for sun. Nah, not really, I hope you do receive financial support – and then I pray that you begin to realize how very important it is for all of us to help each other in times of need. My son has cancer. We’re about to hit our “lifetime maximum benefit cap” under our insurance policy. Maybe now you can support healthcare reform so that my son doesn’t have to beg for medication when our insurance company dumps him.
Wade in the Water « Kind of Red
September 27th, 2009
11:26 pm
[...] to a U.S. Geological Survey, the flood were a “once in 500 years flood.” Georgia State Insurance Commissioner John Oxedine estimated the cost of the flood damage had reached $250 million,…. Regardless of the actual dollar figure lost to the city and surrounding area, one thing is [...]