In their cogent analysis of three coastal communities devastated by hurricanes, Hegenbarth and Brower detail the obstacles and consequences of development management planning in disaster-prone areas. The summary of findings presented in this article offers surprising insight into the disincentives for "preemptive storm planning". Notably, severe storms can provide unique opportunities for developers and public recreation offices in cases where land has been "naturally cleared" and thereby made available for new uses. These case studies also illustrate the organizational problems which face many communities in their post-disaster response efforts.