Consider the plight of Mark and Regina Hopper, who bought a home in Wilmington, N.C., in 1994. But when Hurricane Floyd hit last fall, the waterway flooded, and the house was swept off its foundation. The higher risk of losses prompted the property and casualty insurance industry in 1998 to set deductibles much higher. The tab will only get higher as the migration to the coast continues. Yet, the risks don't seem to dampen the human urge to live near the beach.
People go into heat when they see the ocean .
They've got to live right on the beach no matter what the threats.