The Chehalis River reach experienced a 100 year flood back in '96. Our house got 6" of water inside, requiring extensive remodelling and such. The previous owner ended up getting the house raised 3.5', all the interior remodels and a new roof at taxpayer expense. The FEMA guys apparently were throwing checks around the valley like it was election day in Mayor Daly's Chicago. This is a flood plain, but it's also highly productive farm country, with lots of organic cash crops contributing greatly to the local economy. I think it's grossly inefficient the way FEMA's currently setup with a one-size-fits-all approach, but there are cases where it does provide a benefit. Helping folks to move, or at least mitigate the problem (raising houses, etc.) seems to make the most sense. NOLA is a disaster waiting to happen, much like the travesty in Galveston Texas.