Private firefighters and five-star hotels: how the rich sit out wildfires
Private firefighters and five-star hotels: how the rich sit out wildfires

With record-breaking wildfires carving up the American west this summer, firefighters have become the rarest of civil servants: the kind almost universally lauded as heroes. Reinforcements dropped into California’s firefight from as far away as Australia and American Samoa to bolster strained state and federal…
Footing The Bill For Climate Change: ‘By The End Of The Day, Someone Has To Pay’
Footing The Bill For Climate Change: ‘By The End Of The Day, Someone Has To Pay’

By all accounts, Florence was a massive, wet monster of a storm — and an expensive one, too. Its historic deluge swelled inland rivers and wrecked homes across the Carolinas, racking up costs that early estimates set as high as $22 billion. When the floodwaters…
Carr Fire debris removal service limitations
Carr Fire debris removal service limitations

REDDING, Calif. — Debris removal from the Carr Fire is under way in Shasta County, but before the crews clear your land, there’s some last-minute information you should know. Janelle Galbraith Management Assistant to the City Manager, with the Redding city planner’s office says once…
Green Mountain Falls homes hit with mudslides, little help available
Green Mountain Falls homes hit with mudslides, little help available

Cascading hail accumulated on Lamar Mathews’ windshield as she made her way up the back road to Green Mountain Falls, through Chipita Park. She’d been stuck in traffic on U.S. 24 going west from Colorado Springs for quite some time before managing to get on…
Hurricane Florence’s next challenge: Dealing with insurers
Hurricane Florence’s next challenge: Dealing with insurers

Soon after the still-rising flood waters from Hurricane Florence begin to recede, the rebuilding process in devastated parts of North and South Carolina will get underway. Insurers will have to write an estimated $10 billion check for that, said the Consumer Federation of America CFA).…
No flood insurance? You can still get help
No flood insurance? You can still get help

More than a million people in North and South Carolina have suffered from the flood waters driven ashore by Hurricane Florence. Nearly 750,000 of them were forced to evacuate, while others were trapped by a deluge of more than 30 inches of rain. Even when…
Hurricane Florence storm surge damage may not be covered
Hurricane Florence storm surge damage may not be covered

As Hurricane Florence makes landfall, homeowners along the North and South Carolina coasts could face up to 14 feet of storm surge — tidal water driven by high winds. But many of them could discover that their insurance doesn’t cover damage from that common hurricane…
Homeowner Advocate Seeks Wildfire Victims for Insurance Survey
Homeowner Advocate Seeks Wildfire Victims for Insurance Survey

As the anniversary of the October 2017 North Bay wildfires approaches, a San Francisco group is interested in hearing from Californians whose homes were damaged or destroyed. United Policyholders, a non-profit that has held several workshops to help fire victims tackle insurance issues, is conducting…
Press Release: Wildfire-impacted households face emotions, decisions at the one-year mark: Help is available, survey underway
Press Release: Wildfire-impacted households face emotions, decisions at the one-year mark: Help is available, survey underway

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 6, 2018 – United Policyholders (UP), a nonprofit insurance consumer organization, will offer guidance to wildfire-impacted households on navigating deadlines, decisions and emotions at the one-year anniversary of their devastating losses at a free workshop. UP is also asking all…
California Legislature enacts homeowners insurance reforms regarding wildfires
California Legislature enacts homeowners insurance reforms regarding wildfires

Victims of the fires that destroyed thousands of homes in 2017 will not benefit from the changes. The California Legislature has approved homeowners insurance reforms designed to boost consumer protections. This is particularly important as Californians battle with wildfire risks for yet another year. Devastating…
Legislature enacts home insurance reforms without relief for 2017 wildfire victims
Legislature enacts home insurance reforms without relief for 2017 wildfire victims

The state Legislature has approved additional consumer protections for homeowner insurance to help Californians in the future as they grapple with greater statewide wildfire risks. The package of bills passed both chambers prior to summer adjournment on Saturday, despite resistance from the politically powerful property…
Is Your Financial Plan Future-Proof? 4 Quick Ways To Plan For The Unexpected
Is Your Financial Plan Future-Proof? 4 Quick Ways To Plan For The Unexpected

September is National Preparedness Month, making now the perfect time to update your disaster-preparedness kit and family plan or visit Ready.gov to learn how to put one together. It’s also a great time to revisit your financial plan, with special consideration to how prepared you…
California Wine Country Fires Leave Homeowners Struggling
California Wine Country Fires Leave Homeowners Struggling

SANTA ROSA, Calif. AP) – Nearly a year after California’s most destructive set of blazes in state history, only a fraction of nearly 2,700 single-family homes lost in Santa Rosa- the hardest-hit city – have been rebuilt. Santa Rosa City permitting data indicate only nine…
NJ flooding: With extreme rain more common, the appeal of flood insurance expands
NJ flooding: With extreme rain more common, the appeal of flood insurance expands

During a freakishly potent storm two weeks ago, rainwater three inches deep rushed into retiree Robert Ferris’s home in Brick’s Greenbriar senior living community. More than 200 homes in Brick were damaged, along with a couple dozen in Howell, by floodwaters that day. These kinds…
As Wildfire Costs Reach New Heights, Will Homeowners Get Socked on Insurance?
As Wildfire Costs Reach New Heights, Will Homeowners Get Socked on Insurance?

Last year’s California wildfires set benchmarks for costly destruction on a scale unheard of before, with the more than $12 billion in losses topping the combined tab for the state’s worst wildfires dating back decades. There are no estimates yet for losses from this year’s…
Lawmakers snuffing out aid to homeowners in wildfire country
Lawmakers snuffing out aid to homeowners in wildfire country

Jen Burt lives with her husband and two kids in the woods not far from Grass Valley, in a four-bedroom foothill house in a stand of black oak and cedar trees. Tucked away on a private road, the five-acre spread is a hallmark California dream…
As California Wildfires Rage, Insurance Policies Disappear
As California Wildfires Rage, Insurance Policies Disappear

Up to 1,000 homes are still at risk of being destroyed by the Mendocino Complex fire, which started in late July and has become the largest fire in California history. Now, experts warn that the increase in destructive wildfires may make it more difficult for…
As Fire Seasons Intensify, California Homeowners Struggle to Stay Insured
As Fire Seasons Intensify, California Homeowners Struggle to Stay Insured

A changing climate, increasingly destructive fires, and disappearing insurance policies have left homeowners wondering how much risk is too much. Sarah Fugate had already prepared a checklist for a moment like this one. Some of the items she grabbed were practical: a box of legal…