The devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in September 2024 across a 500-mile swath of the U.S. Southeast highlighted the growing vulnerability of inland areas to flooding from both tropical storms and severe convective storms, according to the latest Triple-I “State of the Risk” Issues Brief. These events also highlight the scale of the flood-protection gap in non-coastal areas. Private insurers are stepping up to help close that gap, but increased homeowner awareness and investment in flood resilience across all co-beneficiary groups will be needed as more and more people move into harm’s way. Helene dumped 40 trillion gallons of water across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee, causing hundreds…

By Lewis Nibbelin, Contributing Writer, Triple-I Spanning over 500 miles of the southeastern United States, Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction has drawn public attention to inland flood risk and the need for improved resilience planning and insurance purchase (“take up”) to confront the protection gap. Extreme rainfall and wind inflicted a combination of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and extreme rainfall and wind gusts dumped an unparalleled 40 trillion gallons of water across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, causing hundreds of deaths and billions in insured losses. Most losses are concentrated in western North Carolina, with much of Buncombe County – home to Asheville and its historic arts…

Despite warnings from two leading insurance rating agencies that Hurricane Milton weakened or threatened Florida’s recovering home insurance market, the market “can manage losses” from the Category 4 storm “and are ready to cover yet another hurricane,” if one should come this season, according to industry experts who spoke with the South Florida Sun Sentinel. AM Best and Fitch Ratings each issued reports last week warning that Milton could stretch liquidity of Florida-based residential insurers that are primarily focused on protecting in-state homeowners. But experts closer to Florida’s insurance industry cast doubt on those assertions. One reason is the two companies don’t rate most of the domestic Florida insurers whose…

(Photo by Jonathan Sloane/Getty Images) By Lewis Nibbelin, Contributing Writer, Triple-I Withdrawing federal subsidies in climate-vulnerable areas can deter development and promote disaster resilience, according to a recent Nature Climate Change study. The study found that these benefits extend beyond the targeted areas. These findings underscore the utility of land conservation as hazard protection, as well as the critical role financial incentives play in driving – or obstructing – resilience. A natural experiment “Empirical research into this question is limited because few policy experiments exist where a clear comparison can be made of ‘treatment’ settings, where incentives for development have been removed, and ‘control’ settings, similar areas where such incentives…

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) As work continues to address the harm inflicted by Hurricane Helene, researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) warn that the next two weeks “will be characterized by [tropical storm] activity at above normal levels.”  The CSU researchers define “above normal” by accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) of more than 10. This level of hurricane intensity has been reached in less than one-third of two-week periods in early October since records have been kept. Hurricane Kirk, they wrote, is “extremely likely” to generate more than 10 ACE during its lifetime in the eastern/central Atlantic. Tropical Depression 13 has just formed and is likely to generate considerable ACE…

Analysis based on precise, granular data is key to fair, accurate insurance pricing – and is more important than ever before in an era of increased climate-related risks. In a recent Executive Exchange discussion with Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan, a co-founder of Norway-based 7Analytics discussed how his company’s methodology – honed by use in the oil and gas industry – can help insurers identify opportunities to profitably write flood coverage in what might seem to be “untouchable” areas. 7Analytics uses hydrology, geology, and data science to develop high-precision flood risk data tools. “We are four oil and gas geologists behind 7Analytics,” said Jonas Torland, who also is the company’s chief…

Hurricane Beryl’s rapid escalation from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane does not bode well for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, which is already projected to be of above-average intensity, warns Triple-I non-resident scholar Dr. Philip Klotzbach. “This early-season storm activity is breaking records that were set in 1933 and 2005, two of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record,” Dr. Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, recently told The New York Times. The quick escalation was a result of above-average sea surface temperatures. A hurricane that intensifies faster can be more dangerous as it leaves less time for people…

Flood risk is not only one of the most destructive perils facing property owners; it is among the most complicated forms of coverage for property/casualty insurers to underwrite. For decades, the private market wouldn’t cover flood risk, which is why the National Flood Insurance Program had to be established. But improved data collection and the availability of practically unlimited computing power have changed the equation for insurers, according to Anil Vasagiri, senior vice president for property solutions at Swiss Re. In a recent Executive Exchange with Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan, Vasagiri discussed the developments that have helped turn flood from a nearly untouchable peril to a burgeoning area of opportunity…

Colorado State University hurricane researchers predict an “extremely active” Atlantic hurricane season in their initial 2024 forecast. The team cites record-warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures as a primary factor for their prediction of 11 hurricanes this year. Led by senior research scientist and Triple-I non-resident scholar Phil Klotzbach, Ph.D, the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project forecasts 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes during the 2024 season, which starts on June 1 and continues through Nov. 30. A typical Atlantic season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. The 2023 season produced 20 named storms and seven hurricanes. Three reached “major hurricane” intensity. Major hurricanes are defined as those with…

Property owners in Lee County, Fla., could lose their flood insurance premium discounts under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS), according to a recent announcement by FEMA. CRS is a voluntary program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed NFIP minimum requirements.  Over 1,500 communities participate nationwide. FEMA informed leaders in the affected communities – which include Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and unincorporated Lee County – that they would begin losing their discounts starting October 1. Under CRS, these communities currently receive discounts of up to 25 percent. Unincorporated Lee County and the City of Cape Coral get the biggest…