After Hurricane Michael struck Florida in 2018, home sales rose significantly, allowing disaster investors to reap the rewards. This venture has the potential to be even more rewarding given the increasing frequency of natural disasters in the US. But federal disaster relief is painfully slow to respond and often doesn't cover most of the costs. And while moratoriums on damaged land sales aren't a long-term, legally tenable solution, there are ways state officials might be able to deter disaster investors. As the threat of natural disasters increases, so will disaster profiteers.

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Persons: Josh Green, Ian, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane, Joe Raedle, Hurricane Maria, Congress —, Hurricane Sandy, it's, Anthony DiMauro Organizations: Nashville Metro Council, FEMA, Hurricane, Centers for Environmental, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Emergency Managment Agency, Small Business Administration, Urban Institute, Office, Congress, of Housing, Urban, Bloomberg, Newsweek, L.A Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Hawaii's, Tennessee, Nashville, Florida, Wilsey, New Orleans, California, Puerto Rico, Lahaina, New York