The Puerto Rican government is taking a hard line on rebuilding properties decimated by last year’s Hurricane Maria, offering homeowners federal financial assistance only if they move out of flood-prone areas, the Wall Street Journal reported. Government officials say that they don’t want to rebuild communities on land that is vulnerable to soil erosion, chronic flooding and destruction from future storms. “We need to move families to a safe place,” said Luis Burdiel Agudo, president of the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico, a government-owned bank that is helping oversee the recovery. Whether to rebuild homes in areas that are likely to flood again is a major issue for communities in places like Texas and Florida, especially as the costs of insuring these homes soar and rising sea levels mean more frequent flooding. The federal government has tried to step up purchases of frequently flooded houses from their owners instead of repeatedly paying out money from the financially troubled federal flood-insurance program.
