DISASTERS: Sharing the Cost

In mid-August, the greatest flood in the history of the northeastern U.S. took almost 100 lives in the state of Connecticut, and caused about $200 million worth of damage. Six hundred and sixty-eight homes were destroyed and 7,673 were damaged, at a cost of $27.2 million; 1,943 business establishments and 922 farms suffered losses of $136,400,000. Last month a second flood ravaged Connecticut, taking 17 lives and causing about $30 million worth of damage. Last week a 20-man Flood Recovery Committee recommended to Governor Abraham Ribicoff that the state's share of the bill—about $35 million—should be spread by a...