Thousands turn out for Ember Stomp festival in North Bay to celebrate wildfire safety, preparedness
Thousands turn out for Ember Stomp festival in North Bay to celebrate wildfire safety, preparedness

As we head into prime wildfire season, thousands came out for a festival like no other in the North Bay on Saturday. Ember Stomp is a wildfire safety and prevention event, helping homeowners prepare for the very real possibility of a wildfire emergency. Freshly cut…
Santa Rosa fire to host wildfire preparedness resource fair
Santa Rosa fire to host wildfire preparedness resource fair

The fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Finley Park Community Center. The Santa Rosa Fire Department and other fire experts will provide free tools and advice for wildfire preparation this weekend during a resource fair. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.…
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program

I noticed my neighbor had just replaced her windows and not only did they look nice, but also strong.  To my surprise she told me she had been motivated to make the changes due to a State Program that reimbursed her for two thirds of…
5 questions with Tahoe Truckee Community Organizations Active in Disaster
5 questions with Tahoe Truckee Community Organizations Active in Disaster

Even this week, with the Royal Fire, we’ve seen an example of the risk Tahoe faces when it comes to disasters. Nonprofits and community-based organizations are a key partner to the county when disaster strikes, often supporting vulnerable residents with disabilities or other challenges. This…
Strategies for staying protected
Strategies for staying protected

In the past, insurance companies were insuring homes, regardless of their age and condition. That has changed dramatically thanks in part to new technologies that pinpoint risk factors. Many Americans today, particularly those with older homes, are having the unpleasant experience of getting turned down…
How to stay in the know?
How to stay in the know?

Ask any person who’s survived a disaster and they’ll give you solid preparedness advice. UP’s consumer guidance draws heavily on those insights.  And while survivors won’t all agree on what to have in your “go bag,” everyone agrees on the value of timely emergency alerts.…
GUEST BLOG: Replacement Cost Estimates: A Crucial Aspect of Home Insurance
GUEST BLOG: Replacement Cost Estimates: A Crucial Aspect of Home Insurance

This guest blog was written by Matt Everson, co-owner of BW Builder and a United Policyholders’ professional volunteer.  Has your application at the California Fair Plan stalled? Are you finding it hard to figure out why? It might be because Fair Plan requires a Replacement…
City of Scotts Valley hosts wildfire preparedness, homeowners insurance workshop Tuesday
City of Scotts Valley hosts wildfire preparedness, homeowners insurance workshop Tuesday

City of Scotts Valley is hosting a free community Wildfire Preparedness and Homeowners Insurance Workshop on Tuesday, May 14, from 6-8pm at the Scotts Valley Cultural and Performing Arts Center, 251 Kings Village Road. This event is dedicated to educating the public on crucial measures…
Guest Column | Fifth District May Highlights: Community Events, Progress on Key Issues and Budget Talks
Guest Column | Fifth District May Highlights: Community Events, Progress on Key Issues and Budget Talks

May is shaping up to be busy in the Fifth District with several great community events and notable progress on important issues. On May 11, the 27th annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards will be at Scotts Valley High School. This is a special opportunity for…
Catch UP on Insurance for Repairing Flood Damage with David Maurstad
Catch UP on Insurance for Repairing Flood Damage with David Maurstad

In this Catch UP segment, Amy Bach talks to David Maurstad about Flood Insurance. David Maurstad is FEMA’s Assistant Administrator of Federal Insurance Directorate and Senior Executive of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Pet Insurance 101
Pet Insurance 101

If you have a fur baby or pet of any kind, pet insurance will help you avoid getting stuck with a shocking vet bill after an accident, illness or having to put your pet down because you can’t afford treatment. Buying it when your pet…
Is the lack of flood insurance coverage the next coverage crisis for California?
Is the lack of flood insurance coverage the next coverage crisis for California?

Thousands of homes may be at risk of flooding, but few are covered against this type of catastrophe. Though we tend to think of wildfires as the main risk to property owners in California, climate change and a majority of homes without flood insurance could…
Could flooding fuel CA’s next insurance crisis? What data shows for thousands of Bay Area homes
Could flooding fuel CA’s next insurance crisis? What data shows for thousands of Bay Area homes

Climate change is predicted to drive increasing sea level rise across the country in the coming decades — and thousands of families in the Bay Area are unprepared for the flooding impacts. The ABC7 data journalism team analyzed data from the First Street Foundation, a…
Flooding and water resources for Southern California
Flooding and water resources for Southern California

Want to know what the flood risk is in your area or how to protect your home during a storm? Check out the resources below. Want to know what the flood risk is in your area? What about how to protect your home and family…
Mitigation Matters
Mitigation Matters

No matter where you live, if you’re a homeowner today, you need to do your best to maintain your property and take steps to avoid it being damaged or destroyed in a severe weather event. Why? 1) No place on earth is immune from risk…
County hosts webinar on homeowners insurance
County hosts webinar on homeowners insurance

The current crisis of property insurance affordability and availability that’s impacting homeowners, as well as options for keeping homes protected, are the subjects of a county-wide public webinar. Read more.
How Your Insurance Rates are Set in California
How Your Insurance Rates are Set in California

The following was written by Joel Laucher, a former regulator and United Policyholders’ staff member whose work is focused on wildfire risk reduction and appropriate insurance rewards for mitigation. Prior to joining Team UP, Joel rose through the ranks at the California Department of Insurance…
Americans Are Bailing on Their Home Insurance
Americans Are Bailing on Their Home Insurance

Homeowners are increasingly forgoing home insurance, gambling that the likelihood of a disaster isn’t high enough to justify the cost of a policy Some skipping insurance say they are doing so because they can no longer afford the rising premiums. The national average for home…