One reason why Hurricanes like Harvey and Irma cause so much damage is that people keep building and rebuilding in areas where floods are likely. They keep doing it, Matt Welch noted this week in the Los Angeles Times, because they are often being subsidized by the federal National Flood Insurance Program.

“There’s no compelling reason for South Dakota to bail out South Beach,” Welch wrote, reasonably enough. It’s not just because the program is an expensive money-loser for taxpayers. It’s also because the government’s treatment of insurance is actually inducing people to put more property and more lives at risk each time there’s a major storm.