Coastal areas and flood insurance

After the super storm Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast which was not that much prepared for it despite warnings, it was only a matter of time that the issue of flood insurance and responsible coastal building came into the equation. Most of the people living in the devastated part of the Hurricane had either had no flood insurance or had very little which did not even cover a small part of their property. Although the politicians and the people hit hard are saying that they will build it again even better than before, but now there is chorus of voices stating that is it necessary to keep on building in places especially vulnerable to flooding. Although both sides are now using emotions but it is the truth that something has to be done to fix this issue of irresponsible building in coastal areas even when you are told that it is flood prone. But on the other hand how can you stop someone from not rebuilding even after the warning. Nobody said that we should not rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and nobody would object to saying that New York City or parts of Long Island and New Jersey should not be rebuilt to stronger standards. But what about the so called barrier islands, should the government stop people from building there despite the apparent risks. That is the question which is too complex since raw emotions are involved. How to create an environment that will make people realize that it is not safe to go back to normal in the flood prone areas.