Williamsburg Regional Library

The geography of risk, epic storms, rising seas, and the cost of America's coasts, Gilbert M. Gaul

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-271) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The geography of risk

bibliography

1082542432

Gilbert M. Gaul

epic storms, rising seas, and the cost of America's coasts

It is no accident that five of the most destructive hurricanes in the last hundred years have made landfall since 2005: Americans have built $3 trillion worth of property in some of the riskiest places on earth: barrier islands and coastal floodplains prone to hurricanes and epic floods. And they have been encouraged to do so by what Gaul reveals to be a confounding array of federal subsidies, tax breaks, low-interest loans, disaster recovery grants, and government flood insurance programs that shift risk at the beach from private investors to public taxpayers. -- adapted from jacket

Introduction: The old man and the sea -- Part I: Building the modern coast. Troubled waters ; 1. The deal of the century ; 2. Blue-collar houses ; 3. Manufacturing dirt ; 4. Five-high : the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 -- Part II: The political economy of water. 5. The Bantam mayor ; 6. A brief shining moment ; 7. The revolt at St. Francis ; 8. Tipping point -- Part III: Disaster capitalism : catastrophies, subsidies, and bailouts. Acts of God and man ; 9. Federalizing disasters ; 10. A flood of trouble ; 11. The secret history of sand ; 12. The unluckiest island in America -- Part IV: The coming storm : fat tails, rising water, and the nature of risk. 13. Building a better hurricane ; 14. A finger in the dike ; 15. Drowning fast and slow ; 16. The problem with the bays -- Epilogue: The future is now

adult