Natural and Unnatural Disasters

Natural and Unnatural Disasters and International Real Estate

In the USA and most of Western Europe we see natural disasters like the fires in California and we sympathize with the victims. They’ve lost “everything”. We think about the irreplaceable items that went up in smoke, blew away with the wind or washed away in the flood.

Most of these people at least have insurance. When the events such as earthquakes and many floods are outside the bounds of insurance they get help from federal and state governments. What happens in a place like Bangladesh where there is no insurance and the government doesn’t offer much if any help. The only assistance comes from international aid agencies.

The people don’t have much in the way of worldly goods anyway; but think how much harder it is for them to replace them. In many cases the disaster is political. A person who leaves their home for political reasons may either have to enter another society as an unwelcome guest or live in a refugee camp for years upon years. When they finally are able to return home, they may find their property occupied by someone else.


David Segrest is a REALTOR in Charlotte NC. His website is http:www.segrestrealty.com .