Many decisions made immediately after disaster strikes have long-term effects on the community. Land use planning can help ensure that the community recovers in the best way possible for both the economy and the overall environment. It's true that well-designed buildings can withstand the impact of some natural hazards. Construction practices in most communities, though, will not protect a building and its occupants from severe winds, intense earthquakes, widespread wildfires or raging floods. And in any case, the costs of building or retrofitting to resist severe events are high.
Affordable housing is an important social concern.
Consideration of extreme natural events while planning the location of new development can help eliminate or reduce the impact from even the most severe acts of nature. It can also help reduce the costs associated with having to make a building withstand high water, heavy winds or severe shaking. In some cases allowing people to build where they want can have effects on other people. For example, a new housing development built on the side of a mountain may strip away the natural habitat that formerly helped absorb stormwater runoff and periodic floodwaters. The area then becomes susceptible to frequent flooding, causing problems for those residing at the base of the mountain where no problem previously existed.