By Bruce Hyde

It is generally accepted by climate scientists that New England will experience a trend of increasing intensity and frequency of storms resulting in an increase in flooding and coastal erosion. Recent storms have raised our collective awareness of the damage, both fiscal and physical, that these storms can cause. Consider that Sandy wasn’t even a hurricane when it hit Connecticut; it was a mere tropical storm. Yet federal funding for Sandy relief in Connecticut amounted to over $360 million. If you include New York and New Jersey, Congress approved over $60 billion in emergency disaster aid for Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy. That amounts to approximately $382 for every taxpayer (157 million taxpayers) in the country. If these types of storms become more frequent, it raises the question: Just how are we going to pay for it? Read more….