Some situations can only be understood by standing right in the middle of them. When a building “floods” it can be difficult to really understand the extent of the damage without being right there. In some areas, a foot of water may not cause issues but in others, even non-visible amounts may be too much.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words but it is equally as true that a picture can lie as easily as words. Do you really know what is just out of frame?
Knowing when to travel and when to handle things remotely is a valuable skillset. Budgets are not inexhaustible, the ability to manage costs is always important. However, the cost of getting it wrong can often exceed that small cost of getting there.