Business of Disaster (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Who profits when disaster strikes? FRONTLINE & NPR investigates how much insurance companies profit after a natural disaster. (Aired 2016) This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: ​. When Superstorm Sandy made landfall in October of 2012, the historic natural disaster killed more than 100 people and caused catastrophic damage along the Eastern seaboard. “Business of Disaster” puts two key parts of the disaster recovery system under scrutiny: the special housing aid Congress gives to local governments after major disasters, and the National Flood Insurance Program that’s run by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Major insurance companies declined to be interviewed, but FRONTLINE and NPR spent months working to track their profit numbers down. With storms expected to grow in frequency and intensity, this joint investigation raises troubling questions about disaster relief in America.