"Hurricane Ian’s Toll Is Severe. Lack of Insurance Will Make It Worse."

"Most of the Florida homes in the path of Hurricane Ian lack flood insurance, posing a major challenge to rebuilding efforts, new data show.

In the counties whose residents were told to evacuate, just 18.5 percent of homes have coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program, according to Milliman, an actuarial firm that works with the program.

Within those counties, homes inside the government-designated floodplain, the area most exposed to flooding, 47.3 percent of homes have flood insurance, Milliman found. In areas outside the floodplain — many of which are still likely to have been damaged by rain or storm surge from Ian — only an estimated 9.4 percent of homes have flood coverage.

The small share of households with flood insurance demonstrates the challenges posed by the country’s approach to rebuilding after disasters — a mix of public and private funding that is under strain as climate change makes those disasters more frequent and severe."

Christopher Flavelle reports for the New York Times September 29, 2022.

SEE ALSO:

"Insuring Extreme Weather Disasters: Losing Money To Climate Change" (DW)

Source: NYTimes, 09/30/2022