Hit by Disaster? How to Get What You Deserve From Insurers or FEMA
Hit by Disaster? How to Get What You Deserve From Insurers or FEMA

If your home was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene, the most daunting challenge may still be ahead: Getting your insurance company, or the federal government, to give you the money you’re entitled to receive. That process can be infuriating and baffling, and it comes…
Homeowners face threats to their property even after Hurricane Helene — how this disaster could cause insurance crisis for millions
Homeowners face threats to their property even after Hurricane Helene — how this disaster could cause insurance crisis for millions

“It’s a huge mess for everyone.” Even after it has subsided, Hurricane Helene continues to devastate homeowners throughout the Southeastern U.S. Beyond the billions of dollars in property damage and economic output, the record-breaking storm has further destabilized the insurance market. What’s happening? As The…
Hurricane Helene brought major damage, spotlighting lack of flood insurance
Hurricane Helene brought major damage, spotlighting lack of flood insurance

Kayla Ward was drinking coffee on her porch Friday afternoon when she noticed water from the nearby Nolichucky River rising fast. After nearly a year in the house in the Appalachian Mountains, Ward never thought to worry about flooding. But she and her husband had…
Tips for Consumers to Get Fair Insurance Treatment After Hurricane Helene
Tips for Consumers to Get Fair Insurance Treatment After Hurricane Helene

Insurance Regulators Must Make Sure Consumers Are Fairly Treated, Claims Are Paid Promptly and In Full Washington, D.C. — Today the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and United Policyholders shared resources and tips to help consumers get their wind and flood insurance claims paid quickly,…
Think flood insurance is pricey now? Premium hikes were coming long before Hurricane Helene.
Think flood insurance is pricey now? Premium hikes were coming long before Hurricane Helene.

Homeowners insurance typically does not cover flood damage – though too many people discover that after the fact, consumer advocates say Hurricane Helene inundated parts of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, and now the estimated billions of dollars in damage are bringing Americans’ receding…
Hurricane Helene brings more losses to struggling insurance market, but no major turmoil expected
Hurricane Helene brings more losses to struggling insurance market, but no major turmoil expected

Hurricane Helene caused the type of widespread destruction that has roiled the U.S. insurance market in recent years, pushing premiums for property insurance in the most vulnerable states, including Louisiana… Read more
How Hurricane Helene could have widespread consequences for homeowners
How Hurricane Helene could have widespread consequences for homeowners

When Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida on Thursday night, it made landfall in the state’s sparsely populated Big Bend, far from the glittering cities with expensive waterfront property to the south. But that didn’t stop Helene from becoming another multibillion-dollar superstorm. The hurricane’s massive size…
Home listings now come with their climate risks—and the results are terrifying
Home listings now come with their climate risks—and the results are terrifying
Many people don’t realize their home insurance doesn’t cover flooding
Many people don’t realize their home insurance doesn’t cover flooding

Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana Wednesday night and has been dropping huge amounts of rain across much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. It’s now a tropical depression and is headed north into Tennessee. Some 14 million people have been under flood watches from…
Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers
Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers

The application of AI to weather disaster coverage and claims is creating problems for mortgage lenders, not just claimants, according to policyholder advocates who addressed the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) at its summer conference August 12. Read more.
A “Flood” of Uncertainty; Massachusetts SJC Finds Policy Term Ambiguous
A “Flood” of Uncertainty; Massachusetts SJC Finds Policy Term Ambiguous

The highest court in Massachusetts recently held that term “Flood” and the associated phrase “surface waters,” as used in two all-risk insurance policies, is ambiguous in the context of water that accumulated on a parapet roof and rooftop courtyard, thereby negating the insurers’ attempt to…
Policyholder Attys Cheer Justices’ Ruling On ‘Surface Waters’
Policyholder Attys Cheer Justices’ Ruling On ‘Surface Waters’

Like a bridge over troubled water, Massachusetts’ highest court laid down a rejection of the term “surface waters,” finding insurers couldn’t rely on the phrase to limit coverage to a storm-damaged hospital… Read more.
Insurance – ‘Surface waters’ – Roof
Insurance – ‘Surface waters’ – Roof

Where the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has certified a question asking whether rainwater that landed on the roof of a hospital and subsequently inundated the interior of the building constituted “surface waters” under Massachusetts law, the definition of “surface waters” does not include…
Experts have guidance on getting repairs, filing claims, avoiding scams after storm damage
Experts have guidance on getting repairs, filing claims, avoiding scams after storm damage

With severe damage seen throughout the Chicago area as storms brought tornadoes both Sunday and Monday night, experts had some advice on filing insurance claims, and avoiding scams. As of Tuesday evening, a total of five tornadoes had been confirmed in the Chicago area from…
Iowans Face Financial Risks: The Urgency Of Flood Insurance Coverage
Iowans Face Financial Risks: The Urgency Of Flood Insurance Coverage

As parts of the region begin their recovery, many homeowners find themselves without flood insurance, which isn’t typically covered by standard homeowners insurance policies. According to federal data, only about 26,500 flood insurance policies have been issued across Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota combined.…
Few have flood insurance to help recover from devastating Midwest storms
Few have flood insurance to help recover from devastating Midwest storms

Many Midwestern homeowners hit by bad flooding this week do not have flood insurance Rick Satterwhite’s house backs up to the Missouri River, but flood insurance hadn’t really seemed necessary – until this week, when he had to pump water out of his basement after…
As homeowner’s insurance prices climb, more Americans ask: Is it worth it?
As homeowner’s insurance prices climb, more Americans ask: Is it worth it?

It was 2019 when Anjali Tierra decided that homeowners insurance wasn’t worth the price. The retired high school teacher, 58, took out a policy in late 2018 after purchasing a three-bedroom home nestled in the Tehachapi Mountains of southern California. She considered the insurance affordable…
States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes
States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes

Property insurance companies say they’re taking losses amid escalating disasters. In the coming years, climate change could force Americans from their homes, not just by raising sea levels, worsening wildfires and causing floods — but also by putting insurance coverage out of reach. In places…