Hurricane Irma has knocked out power to at least 6.4 million customers, paralyzed tanker traffic and shuttered gasoline stations.

Hurricane Irmas westward shift will probably inflict heightened damage on people and businesses unable to adjust to its new path in time, while the storm fuels floods that many insurance policies dont cover.

According to the author, the U.S. has had decades of well-intentioned, but deeply flawed, federal flood and disaster relief programs.