Is America's housing market prepared for the next natural catastrophe? : hearing before the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, second session, June 28, 2006.

Following the devastating hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, there were indications of dramatic changes in the market for commercial property insurance in the Gulf States, including skyrocketing insurance prices and difficulty finding adequate coverage. These changes had and continue to have crucial ramifications for the region2s economic recovery and ongoing economic vitality, which is why it is essential that the insurance system for commercial wind risk be assessed to see how it performed following Hurricane Katrina and to determine whether government programs and regulations related to wind risk insurance need to be changed. The authors provide an overview of the 2005 hurricane season2s impact on the commercial property insurance market in the Gulf States and the outlook for the future. They also propose three basic goals for a wind risk insurance system and examine some of the challenges involved in achieving these goals. Additionally, they recommend that the debate over any needed changes to government programs and policies include all stakeholders and be informed by further research and analysis in specific areas.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

This work combines research and empirical evidence on the economic costs of disasters with theoretical approaches. It provides new insights on how to assess and manage the costs and impacts of disaster prevention, mitigation, recovery and adaption, and much more.

There is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster is the first comprehensive critical book on the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. The disaster will go down on record as one of the worst in American history, not least because of the government’s inept and cavalier response. But it is also a huge story for other reasons; the impact of the hurricane was uneven, and race and class were deeply implicated in the unevenness. Hartman and. Squires assemble two dozen critical scholars and activists who present a multifaceted portrait of the social implications of the disaster. The book covers the response to the disaster and the roles that race and class played, its impact on housing and redevelopment, the historical context of urban disasters in America and the future of economic development in the region. It offers strategic guidance for key actors - government agencies, financial institutions, neighbourhood organizations - in efforts to rebuild shattered communities.