# Aarrggh. Hurricane headed our way **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517 "2017-08-24T03:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/261 "2017-09-02T22:08:30Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > And the fire ant raft only has a few thousand of the things, whereas the army ant march numbers in the trillions… Not the brazillions? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/262 "2017-09-02T23:12:41Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Not the brazillions? Only in South America. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/263 "2017-09-04T01:07:14Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > See, now if only they could keep some of this water and pump it into a big lake or inland sea somewhere, they wouldn’t have water issues for decades to come! They already did. It’s called Houston. The hard part is moving all the buildings and stuff to a new drier location. 🙂 Too soon? ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/264 "2017-09-04T02:05:48Z")
As I understand it, there are a significant number of renters in the Houston area and there’s a fear rents will rise due to a shortage of habitable housing. It almost sounds as though there will be fewer areas that can even be rebuilt in after this. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/265 "2017-09-05T01:13:02Z")
Now Hurricane Irma is on its way to Florida with greater intensity. Hopefully, if it makes landfall, it will make a bullseye on Mar-a-Lago. That would save us taxpayers millions of dollars! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/266 "2017-09-05T01:25:19Z")
Probably not. He’ll get a FEMA low interest loan to rebuild, then he’ll skip out on repaying, it then he’ll pardon himself for being a deadbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/267 "2017-09-05T01:32:19Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > As I understand it, there are a significant number of renters in the Houston area and there’s a fear rents will rise due to a shortage of habitable housing. It almost sounds as though there will be fewer areas that can even be rebuilt in after this. According to [_The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/04/hurricane-harvey-landlords-demand-rent-for-flooded-homes?CMP=fb_gu): > [@](#): > > Displaced families say they are struggling to pay rent on damaged dwellings, as an acute housing crisis grips south-east Texas after Hurricane Harvey > > Rocio Fuentes weighed up the cost of getting some new sofas for her new apartment in Pasadena, Texas, and decided the family budget could just about stretch to it. Just one month after moving in, Hurricane Harvey swept through and the Fuenteses were left not only with the ruined furniture but also an ongoing rental demand for a dwelling they had to flee… > > nder Texas law, rent must still be paid on damaged dwellings, unless they are deemed completely uninhabitable. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/268 "2017-09-05T01:35:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > On the other hand, ants are socialist and individuals will sacrifice themselves for the colony. > Gators are only interested in their own needs. Gators would be ideal for Trump’s administration, then. The fact that they’re cold-blooded reptiles is a bonus – they’ll fit right in from Day 1. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/269 "2017-09-05T01:42:32Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > It’s hard work, but it can be done. You need a tiny sewing needle. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/270 "2017-09-05T02:04:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > According to [_The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/04/hurricane-harvey-landlords-demand-rent-for-flooded-homes?CMP=fb_gu): Yet, the homeowners in counties where a disaster was declared don’t have to pay their mortgage payments for a certain # of months; so in theory, they can collect rent w/o paying the mortgage on that property. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/271 "2017-09-05T03:12:39Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Yet, the homeowners in counties where a disaster was declared don’t have to pay their mortgage payments for a certain # of months; so in theory, they can collect rent w/o paying the mortgage on that property. AFAIU, the mortgage payments are not canceled for that certain # of months. They are offering forbearance for 3 months. Which means that borrowers don’t have to make their monthly payments, and no penalty fees would be charged. Interest will still accrue. So it is basically a postponement, not cancellation. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/272 "2017-09-05T04:38:04Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > AFAIU, the mortgage payments are not canceled for that certain # of months. They are offering forbearance for 3 months. Which means that borrowers don’t have to make their monthly payments, and no penalty fees would be charged. Interest will still accrue. So it is basically a postponement, not cancellation. Who said cancel? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/273 "2017-09-05T04:54:23Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Who said cancel? 😕 You made it sound as if the mortgage holders will be getting something for nothing (getting rent without paying mortgages). That’s incorrect. They may not be paying the monthly payments, but the total they owe is growing instead of being reduced. So in the end it’s the same, it’s just a temporary postponement. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/274 "2017-09-05T04:57:12Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Who said cancel? 😕 [HUD’s press release, for anyone interested.](https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2017/HUDNo_17-068) ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/275 "2017-09-05T05:09:47Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > You made it sound as if the mortgage holders will be getting something for nothing (getting rent without paying mortgages). That’s incorrect. They may not be paying the monthly payments, but the total they owe is growing instead of being reduced. So in the end it’s the same, it’s just a temporary postponement. Your interpretation of what you thought I meant is incorrect, yes. The payments can be postponed; in other words they do not need to be paid at this time. All the other terms of the mortgage stay in place, yes. Meanwhile, the rent collected on that property can be used to the homeowner’s benefit which may or may not necessarily be to the renter’s benefit; there’s no law regarding it. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/276 "2017-09-05T05:25:56Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Meanwhile, the rent collected on that property can be used to the homeowner’s benefit which may or may not necessarily be to the renter’s benefit; there’s no law regarding it. Yes, it can be used to the homeowner’s benefit - for example, to be put away to cover the increase in mortgage that resulted from the postponement of the monthly payments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517.md?page=13)