The Point Fire came and went in days. A year later, some Sonoma County residents still waiting for answers
The Point Fire came and went in days. A year later, some Sonoma County residents still waiting for answers

The Point Fire burned for just over a week, but for some in Dry Creek Valley, recovery has dragged on with lingering damage, insurance hurdles, and no known cause. Read More 
California’s FAIR Plan facing legal action from State Insurance Commissioner for smoke damage claims
California’s FAIR Plan facing legal action from State Insurance Commissioner for smoke damage claims

SACRAMENTO, Calif — California insurance officials are taking legal action against the state’s last-resort wildfire insurance provider, accusing it of illegally denying or limiting smoke damage claims from homeowners. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced this week the California Department of Insurance filed an enforcement…
Crucial Insurance Deadline Approaches for Maui Wildfire Victims
Crucial Insurance Deadline Approaches for Maui Wildfire Victims

Two-Year Deadline Tied to 2023 Maui Wildfires The deadline coincides with the second anniversary of the disaster that devastated Lahaina and other Maui communities. Under most insurance policies, replacement cost claims for property and contents must be filed within two years of the loss. Some…
A Tiny Company Is Vouching for Risky Insurers
A Tiny Company Is Vouching for Risky Insurers

LaPlace, La., is the sort of town that is becoming a no-go zone for major insurance companies. Sandwiched between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain outside of New Orleans, it is only about 10 feet above sea level and has an alarming history of serious…
California to allow catastrophe modeling for insurance rates, raising concerns about premium hikes
California to allow catastrophe modeling for insurance rates, raising concerns about premium hikes

SAN DIEGO — California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has announced a new “Sustainable Insurance Strategy” that will allow insurance companies to use catastrophe modeling to determine wildfire risk and set rates. This move, aimed at stabilizing the insurance market in high-risk areas, could potentially lead…
Crucial Insurance Deadline Looms In Two Weeks For Maui Fire Victims
Crucial Insurance Deadline Looms In Two Weeks For Maui Fire Victims

The second anniversary of the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires that devastated Lahaina and damaged other communities on Maui is also a major deadline for insurance policyholders to file claims for replacement cost benefits, the primary coverage for property and contents damaged or lost in the…
The INSURE Act: Could a New Federal Backstop Stabilize Home Insurance and Make Homes Insurable Again?
The INSURE Act: Could a New Federal Backstop Stabilize Home Insurance and Make Homes Insurable Again?

Across the country, homeowners are facing a home insurance crisis. Not only are premiums on the rise, but the policies themselves are becoming harder—and in some places, nearly impossible—to find. In states vulnerable to natural disasters like California, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, major insurers are…
Schiff revives INSURE Act to create federal reinsurance program
Schiff revives INSURE Act to create federal reinsurance program

US Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has reintroduced the Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies (INSURE) Act, legislation aimed at addressing instability in the residential insurance market through the creation of a federal catastrophic reinsurance program. The bill proposes a federally backed reinsurance mechanism…
Kaibigan ng Lahaina and United Policyholders to host insurance policy review workshop
Kaibigan ng Lahaina and United Policyholders to host insurance policy review workshop

Kaibigan ng Lahaina, in partnership with United Policyholders, will host an insurance policy review workshop at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Office of Recovery within the Lahaina Gateway Center. The session will focus on navigating personal property claims and inventory. The workshop is free and…
Sen. Schiff Introduces Bill to Stabilize Insurance Market, Protect Homeowners from Increased Costs of Natural Disasters
Sen. Schiff Introduces Bill to Stabilize Insurance Market, Protect Homeowners from Increased Costs of Natural Disasters

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies (INSURE) Act, legislation to stabilize the home insurance market by creating a federal catastrophic reinsurance program. This bill will help keep insurance premiums affordable and provide…
Altadena fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds
Altadena fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds

Amelia McDonald couldn’t believe her ears. She had been navigating what she calls “a horrible experience” trying to get her claims paid by State Farm after the Eaton Fire burned down her Altadena home and ranch in January. She, along with her father, daughter and…
Advice on rebuilding after fires — from people who’ve lived it
Advice on rebuilding after fires — from people who’ve lived it

Full panel discussion from LAist article by Aiko Offner. Be realistic about timing and costs, join forces with your community and allow yourself some guilty pleasures. That’s the advice of fire survivors and rebuilding experts who participated in LAist’s discussion about the six-month anniversary of…
Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds
Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds

Amelia McDonald couldn’t believe her ears. She had been navigating what she calls “a horrible experience” trying to get her claims paid by State Farm after the Eaton Fire burned down her Altadena home and ranch in January. She, along with her father, daughter and…
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration

About six months after the Eaton Fire, a majority of lots with destroyed homes in Altadena have been cleared. But for homeowners hoping to rebuild, the hard work remains: slogging through insurance paperwork and government permits. On Len Silvernail and Diane Toomey’s cul-de-sac near Rubio…
Community Foundation of Sarasota County awards more than $1 million for hurricane recovery
Community Foundation of Sarasota County awards more than $1 million for hurricane recovery

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded $1,050,046 through its Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund to 17 nonprofits that support individuals who have faced hardship in the wake of Hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene and Milton. “Last year’s hurricane season left our community reeling – destroying…
What to Do if You’re Underinsured After a Wildfire
What to Do if You’re Underinsured After a Wildfire

After a wildfire, some homeowners experience a second shock when they open their policy and discover their insurance won’t cover the full cost to rebuild. If your policy limit is too low to restore your home, you’re considered underinsured, and it’s a problem that affects…
Think Your Homeowners Insurance Payout Is Too Low? Here’s How to Push Back
Think Your Homeowners Insurance Payout Is Too Low? Here’s How to Push Back

Many wildfire survivors in Los Angeles are running into the same frustrating pattern after filing their insurance claims. The payout falls short of what they need to rebuild, or the check might only cover part of the damage based on a computer-generated estimate that doesn’t…
Residents whose homes survived the wildfires are facing issues with their insurance claims
Residents whose homes survived the wildfires are facing issues with their insurance claims

People whose homes survived the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires are considered the lucky ones while they are surrounded by neighbors who lost everything. Those residents worry their homes may never be safe to live in again. Some very dangerous materials burned in the fires,…