One difference between the Atlantic Seaboard and the flood-plains of the Midwest - a Million Dollar View. Ain't nobody gonna stop the upper middle class and the wealthy from enjoying that.

And devastating hurricanes don't hit places every 5 - 10 years. Andrew (1992) his Miami squarely - something that hadn't happened since the 60s. Charley (and now Frances) hitOrlando - the first time since Donna in 1960 that there was this type of damage. The Keys haven't been damaged horribly since the 1960s Before that the 1920s.

The damage Hugo wrought to S. Carolina (89) is not likely to be repeated for another 20 years or so.

Add to that that, for the most part, the damage is quite scattered. Even with Andrew, less than 20% of homes in the Miami area were destroyed. About 30% of the homes on Florida's barrier islands are single family dwellings. The others are large, strong condo towers. I don't like them, but they are structurally designed to withstand the impact of a major hurricane. Some units get trashed, while the one next to it might be completely spared.

I have lived in South and Central Florida for 38 years - I've only been through 3 hurricanes - All without any damage to home or myself.

It's hard to say all that about flood plains.