Feds push use of eminent domain to force people out of flood-prone homes

The federal government is giving local officials nationwide an ultimatum: Either use eminent domain to force people out of flood-prone homes, or forfeit the chance for federal money to combat climate change, according to the New York Times.

This move is an effort by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect people from disasters. Officials from the Florida Keys to the New Jersey coast, including Miami, Charleston, S.C., and Selma, Ala., are facing this choice.

Local governments seeking federal money to help people leave flood zones must first agree to oust people who refuse to move. Some local governments have told the Corps they will do so if necessary, while others have yet to decide.

The Corps protects Americans from flooding and coastal storms by building sea walls, levees and other protective structures, and by elevating homes. The Corps typically pays two-thirds of the cost, with local government paying the rest.

Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.

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Norshield Products Fortify Critical NYC Infrastructure

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.

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