Business of Disaster (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

The Impact of Superstorm Sandy00:00:00

The documentary opens with personal accounts of families in Staten Island who suffered devastating losses during Superstorm Sandy. It highlights the gap between initial government promises of swift aid and the grim reality of a multi-year, stalled recovery process.

Broken Insurance Claims and Fraud00:14:44

The investigation explores the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), revealing allegations that private insurance companies systematically underpaid homeowners using tactics like forged engineering reports to blame damage on 'pre-existing conditions' rather than the storm.

Bureaucracy and the 'Build It Back' Program00:30:32

Focus shifts to New York City's 'Build It Back' housing program. Audits show that the program relied on unqualified consultants and was plagued by administrative incompetence, causing massive delays and exorbitant costs that left homeowners in limbo for years.

Profiting from Disaster00:47:11

Analysis reveals that private insurance companies generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profit from the NFIP even as victims struggled. The documentary concludes by questioning the lack of federal oversight and the absence of a national strategy for disaster resilience.