Townspeople are warned of a powerful hurricane heading towards Springfield. The Simpsons take refuge in the storm cellar as gale force winds whip through the city. The high winds eventually diminish, and the family returns above ground. Luckily, their home sustained only minor storm damage. The Flanders, however, are not so lucky. Their house was completely destroyed. Later, Maude admits that Ned did not believe in buying home insurance as he likened it to gambling.

The Flanders move into a Red Cross shelter at their church. More bad luck follows when a new report reveals that looters destroyed Ned’s “Leftorium” store. The enormity of the loss causes Ned to fall into a spiritual crisis. But the following morning, the Flanders discover that their home was completely rebuilt by well-meaning friends and neighbors. At first, Ned likens his fortune to a miracle. Upon closer inspection, however, Ned realizes the entire house is poorly constructed. Exasperated, Ned loses control and angrily berates everyone who helped build the house. At his wit’s end, Ned has himself committed to a mental institution.

Dr. Foster, a psychiatrist who treated Ned as a child, pays a visit to the asylum. In flashback, Flanders recalls how his beatnik parents sought out Dr. Foster when they were unable to control their unruly child. When Foster realized Mr. and Mrs. Flanders did not believe in disciplining their son, he took it upon himself to spank Ned whenever he misbehaved. But the treatment worked too well, causing young Ned to suppress feelings of anger. The flashback ends, and Foster concludes that Ned’s rage was held back for so long it finally erupted in a massive public explosion. Homer is brought to the clinic for an experiment. He is instructed to read from a prepared text in hopes of eliciting more of Ned’s anger in healthy doses. The experiment fails until Homer strays from the text—sending Flanders into another rage. Foster is pleased with the results and Ned is released.