You'd expect homeowners to save their stuff. Federal policy pays them to leave it

The National Flood Insurance Program, a federal initiative, charges premiums in coastal flood zones that are often lower than the actuarial risk would justify, according to NPR's reporting. This pricing structure means some homeowners pay less in annual insurance premiums than the actual cost of potential flood damage to their properties. As a result, certain property owners have reported that rebuilding after flood damage costs more than their insurance payouts, making abandonment economically rational compared to repeated repair cycles.

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