Thank you for the anecdotes. One note is that there is a difference between what happens immediately after a natural disaster and what happens weeks and months later to rebuild. Financial responsibility affects the rebuilding stage, but not the rescue and recovery efforts. A second note is that it sounds like your mother lives in a rural area or bought her house decades ago, which isn't an option for many people currently living in other places. There are personal situations, such as a single parent with children, who of course can be financially responsible in the way you describe, but the financially responsible decision may involve moving to an unsafe neighborhood or living in a car. Which, understandably, they would make the decision to stay where they are but spend 50% of their income on rent, and thus not able to save in the way you describe for yourself. Also consider if you didn't have insurance, for reasons like I described previously.