Here's why FEMA has spent about $4 billion to help destroy flood-prone homes

LTC Eugene Chu Good Idea!

You know this program isn't new? Being a river rat growing up around the Ohio River, and currently not far from the Kentucky River, I'm aware of how the program works. Generally, if your residence floods more than once in a certain period, your choices are raise the house above the 100 year flood mark, take the buyout, or live in an uninsured home. One of the unusual projects I have done was for a client that lived on the Kentucky River. It flooded during one of those 100 year events, FEMA and the local code people gave him the choice of either raising the house over 200' to get above the new 100 year mark, or take the buyout. Couldn't tear down the existing structure and build new, different codes and you couldn't build a new house on a flood plain. So he rebuild the existing home, including replacing all the structural floor and had a company lift it. My part was designing a handicap ramp for the house. The best I could 1.5/12 rise and that took the ramp around three sides and the outside of the deck.
It's the price you pay to live in Paradise.