The impending hurricane season is expected to be one of the most active in years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).While it is impossible to predetermine whether hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean will ever reach land, NOAA is advising residents of coastal areas to be prepared for the worst. The Insurance Information Institute recently released a statement regarding the importance of adequate property insurance, particularly for those living in Florida. According to the Institute, there are many things to consider when preparing for hurricanes. Florida has…
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Officials urge policy reviews due to predictions of an overactive hurricane season
In the last two months, the southern and Midwest portions of the U.S. have been pounded by a rash of tornado outbreaks. These tornadoes have caused billions of dollars worth of damages and taken hundreds of lives. Unfortunately, they have struck areas where many of the homeowners were not insured or underinsured for the amount of damage that occurred. In the past eight weeks there have been reports of over one thousand tornadoes; 960 of those reports have been confirmed. This year, the portion of the U.S. known as “tornado…
Read MoreThe long debated coverage question…wind or water?
With hurricane season about to start in the U.S., many states that stand in the way of potential storms are looking for ways to improve their respective insurance industries. In Mississippi, legislators are considering a newly introduced bill that will help settle wind-versus-water insurance disputes. In the past, homes that have been destroyed by hurricanes have been the subject of dispute as to whether the majority of the damage was caused by wind or water. The bill hopes to remedy this issue by establishing a process through which insurers will…
Read MoreCurrent slab claim process under review in Texas
Texas lawmakers approved revisions to the state’s windstorm fund this week. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, a pseudo-government agency in charge of providing insurance coverage to coastal properties prone to hurricane damage, has been the subject of debate amongst legislators for some time now. Senate approved reform will address several issues, including new methods to determine whether damage is caused by wind or water. The reform bill, House Bill 272, was passed unanimously by the Senate. One of the issues to be addressed by the system reform is how the…
Read MoreCoastal areas will be seeing rate increases by the end of the year
Homeowner’s insurance in South Carolina is expected to rise as the state’s insurers prepare for a busy hurricane season. There is no way to tell whether the 18 hurricanes predicted to form this season will actually reach land, but insurers aren’t taking any chances. Natural disasters in the Southern U.S. have already wrought a terrible toll on the industry, and the year is only half over. Many of the state’s property insurers are now proposing rate increases to help mitigate the cost of potential damage from this year’s hurricanes. The…
Read MoreHurricane season quickly moves in while many still pick up the pieces from the last storm
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a tumultuous hurricane season this year. The forecast, released Thursday, predicts that as many as six major hurricanes could form over the Atlantic Ocean this season. This is unsettling news for many states in the south currently struggling with national disasters of their own. Insurance companies are bracing for yet more damages. Last year’s hurricane season was relatively tame. Winds kept most tropical storms at sea and prohibited them from forming into hurricanes. “However, we can’t count on luck to get us…
Read MoreThe numbers come rolling in for recent tornado outbreak
As the drama in the storm ravaged regions of the Southeast U.S. continues to unfold, AIR Worldwide, a leading catastrophe modeling firm, sheds light on exactly how much the disaster will cost in a new report release today. The firm estimates that insured losses in both the Southern and Southeastern U.S. could total $5.5 billion. The estimate is for the period between April 22nd and 28th, when the storms were at their peak. Representatives from AIR say they will continue to monitor the region to keep their estimates as accurate…
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