Natural disasters affect human lives and can be devastating to local communities and economies.
My community has certainly experienced its share of natural disasters and I know firsthand the difficulties people encounter in rebuilding their homes and lives in the aftermath of such devastation. We should be sensitive and responsive to these human needs, and we should address them on an immediate basis. Residents in flood-prone areas should be protected and added steps can be taken to ensure the safety of people and their property in these areas. Response to the California flood disaster should not be used as an excuse to obliterate the law that gives lasting defense to the survival of threatened species on Earth. In an emergency threatening human lives the current law provides for the Endangered Species Act to be waived.