How does Florida recover.

[Seacoaster(1)]

A much more rational accounting: https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022 ... utType=amp

Good article; thanks YA.

[Typical Lax Dad]

A much more rational accounting: https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022 ... utType=amp

It’s not easy.

[Farfromgeneva]

Flood Insurance Fell in Florida Before Hurricane Ian Struck

Only a small number of residences in two of state’s hardest-hit inland counties have coverage

By Leslie ScismFollow
and Cameron McWhirterFollow
Updated Oct. 1, 2022 1:08 pm ET

Only a small number of residences in two of Florida’s hardest-hit inland counties are covered by flood insurance. The percentage of protected homes is higher in coastal areas that sustained the most damage, but still, is over 50% in just one of the affected counties, according to an analysis by Neptune Flood, a private-sector flood-insurance provider.

In all locations pummeled by Ian, the percentage of homes covered by flood policies is down from five years ago.

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The widespread lack of flood insurance will force many people to seek federal disaster assistance in the form of grants and loans. This will slow efforts to rebuild as people patch together funds. That is what happened after extensive flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Flood coverage isn’t part of a standard homeowner’s policy. Flooding has emerged in recent years as a more serious risk after storms such as Harvey and Sandy, which dumped record amounts of rain on the Northeast in 2012. Rising temperatures appear to be a factor. Warmer air holds more moisture and warmer oceans give storms more energy.

The 15 inches of rain that fell at the Sanford Orlando International Airport in Seminole was 50% higher than the previous record of 10 inches in 24 hours set in 1992, according to the National Weather Service. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Ian “basically, a 500-year flood event.”


Flooding, as seen in Orlando, has emerged as a more serious risk with storms like Harvey and Sandy dumping record rains.Photo: PHOTO: Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
When Amber Thorne woke up Thursday in Sanford in Seminole County, she was stunned to find that a creek overflowed and flooded her yard. She doesn’t have flood insurance for her two-bedroom house. “I’m regretting not having it,” she said.

About 97% of residences in Seminole County and 98% in Orange County, home to Orlando, don’t have flood insurance, according to Neptune. Neptune Chief Executive Trevor Burgess said that based on policies his company sells statewide, in general about a third of the residential properties in Florida’s inland counties are identified on government maps as at high risk of flooding. That compares with 85% for many coastal counties.

Risk-modeler Karen Clark & Co. on Friday estimated that the privately insured loss from Hurricane Ian would be close to $63 billion, including wind, storm surge and inland flood damages, while total economic damage will be well over $100 billion, including uninsured properties, damage to infrastructure and cleanup costs.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

Ian’s landfall was outside Fort Myers in Lee County, some 150 miles from Ms. Thorne’s property. Some of the worst storm surge damage occurred in Lee, where about 28% of housing units are covered by flood policies, Neptune’s analysis shows.


Residential flood-insurance policies relative to housing units

Received 10 inches or more

of rainfall on Sept. 29

Hurricane Ian’s path

Sources: Neptune Flood Insurance (flood insurance); NOAA (rainfall and hurricane path)

In nearby Charlotte County and Collier County, home to Naples, 31% and 41% of homes, respectively, have flood insurance. Monroe County, at the bottom of Florida, has one of the state’s highest take-up rates, at 53%.

The U.S. government’s National Flood Insurance Program, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is by far the biggest seller of the policies. Private-sector options are becoming more available.

Across Florida over the past five years, the portion of homes covered by flood policies has declined, to 15.4% in August from 17.8% in 2017.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

Insurance agents and executives attribute some of the decline over the past year to rising inflation generally and double-digit increases in Florida homeowners policies. Another factor is price increases for federal flood insurance for many homes, to more accurately reflect the true flooding risk. Some rates will jump from hundreds of dollars annually to thousands of dollars, though most increases are capped at 18% a year.

Lenders require flood coverage for borrowers who live in designated high-risk zones.

People in Florida woke up to widespread destruction and flooding on Thursday after Hurricane Ian made landfall a day earlier. Ian had weakened to a tropical storm, but strengthened back into a hurricane as it moved north toward Georgia and the Carolinas. Photo: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Another reason for declining uptake in recent years in Florida is that a large number of people moving to the state have paid cash for their homes. “No mortgage, no requirement,” said Neptune’s Mr. Burgess.

“Homeowners think if they are away from the ocean or a river they can’t flood,”​ which is wrong, Mr. Burgess said. In fact, about a fifth of Neptune’s claims over the past five years have been in supposedly lower-risk zones, he said.

In its analysis, Neptune used government residential flood-insurance data along with its own issuance figures, and contrasted them against U.S. Census housing data. Other private-sector insurers, with generally small totals, aren’t reflected in the tallies.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

How do you think Hurricane Ian will change the rates of insurance coverage in Florida? Join the conversation below.

Harrison Froid, an agent in Pinellas County in the Tampa area for Goosehead Insurance, said most clients buying homes decline the purchase of flood coverage. If not required by their lender, “they say, ‘I’ll circle back to you after closing,’ ” Mr. Froid said, and generally don’t.

Michael Bristol, an engineer who lives with his wife in a double-wide mobile home on 10 acres with a horse stable in Seminole County, spent Thursday afternoon cleaning up branches and other debris from their sodden yard. A creek had overflowed, and the road was impassable near the couple’s property. Ditches churned with water.

Mr. Bristol says the property escaped serious damage. He had skipped flood insurance as “just too cost prohibitive,” and he doesn’t see that changing. He said his plan is to “keep a decent amount in savings and hope for the best…You know, fingers crossed.”

Write to Leslie Scism at [email protected] and Cameron McWhirter at [email protected]

Hurricane Ian

Coverage of the storm and its aftermath, selected by the editors

Latest Updates
Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

[Typical Lax Dad]

Flood Insurance Fell in Florida Before Hurricane Ian Struck

Only a small number of residences in two of state’s hardest-hit inland counties have coverage

By Leslie ScismFollow
and Cameron McWhirterFollow
Updated Oct. 1, 2022 1:08 pm ET

Only a small number of residences in two of Florida’s hardest-hit inland counties are covered by flood insurance. The percentage of protected homes is higher in coastal areas that sustained the most damage, but still, is over 50% in just one of the affected counties, according to an analysis by Neptune Flood, a private-sector flood-insurance provider.

In all locations pummeled by Ian, the percentage of homes covered by flood policies is down from five years ago.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

The widespread lack of flood insurance will force many people to seek federal disaster assistance in the form of grants and loans. This will slow efforts to rebuild as people patch together funds. That is what happened after extensive flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Flood coverage isn’t part of a standard homeowner’s policy. Flooding has emerged in recent years as a more serious risk after storms such as Harvey and Sandy, which dumped record amounts of rain on the Northeast in 2012. Rising temperatures appear to be a factor. Warmer air holds more moisture and warmer oceans give storms more energy.

The 15 inches of rain that fell at the Sanford Orlando International Airport in Seminole was 50% higher than the previous record of 10 inches in 24 hours set in 1992, according to the National Weather Service. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Ian “basically, a 500-year flood event.”


Flooding, as seen in Orlando, has emerged as a more serious risk with storms like Harvey and Sandy dumping record rains.Photo: PHOTO: Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
When Amber Thorne woke up Thursday in Sanford in Seminole County, she was stunned to find that a creek overflowed and flooded her yard. She doesn’t have flood insurance for her two-bedroom house. “I’m regretting not having it,” she said.

About 97% of residences in Seminole County and 98% in Orange County, home to Orlando, don’t have flood insurance, according to Neptune. Neptune Chief Executive Trevor Burgess said that based on policies his company sells statewide, in general about a third of the residential properties in Florida’s inland counties are identified on government maps as at high risk of flooding. That compares with 85% for many coastal counties.

Risk-modeler Karen Clark & Co. on Friday estimated that the privately insured loss from Hurricane Ian would be close to $63 billion, including wind, storm surge and inland flood damages, while total economic damage will be well over $100 billion, including uninsured properties, damage to infrastructure and cleanup costs.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

Ian’s landfall was outside Fort Myers in Lee County, some 150 miles from Ms. Thorne’s property. Some of the worst storm surge damage occurred in Lee, where about 28% of housing units are covered by flood policies, Neptune’s analysis shows.


Residential flood-insurance policies relative to housing units

Received 10 inches or more

of rainfall on Sept. 29

Hurricane Ian’s path

Sources: Neptune Flood Insurance (flood insurance); NOAA (rainfall and hurricane path)

In nearby Charlotte County and Collier County, home to Naples, 31% and 41% of homes, respectively, have flood insurance. Monroe County, at the bottom of Florida, has one of the state’s highest take-up rates, at 53%.

The U.S. government’s National Flood Insurance Program, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is by far the biggest seller of the policies. Private-sector options are becoming more available.

Across Florida over the past five years, the portion of homes covered by flood policies has declined, to 15.4% in August from 17.8% in 2017.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

Insurance agents and executives attribute some of the decline over the past year to rising inflation generally and double-digit increases in Florida homeowners policies. Another factor is price increases for federal flood insurance for many homes, to more accurately reflect the true flooding risk. Some rates will jump from hundreds of dollars annually to thousands of dollars, though most increases are capped at 18% a year.

Lenders require flood coverage for borrowers who live in designated high-risk zones.

People in Florida woke up to widespread destruction and flooding on Thursday after Hurricane Ian made landfall a day earlier. Ian had weakened to a tropical storm, but strengthened back into a hurricane as it moved north toward Georgia and the Carolinas. Photo: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Another reason for declining uptake in recent years in Florida is that a large number of people moving to the state have paid cash for their homes. “No mortgage, no requirement,” said Neptune’s Mr. Burgess.

“Homeowners think if they are away from the ocean or a river they can’t flood,”​ which is wrong, Mr. Burgess said. In fact, about a fifth of Neptune’s claims over the past five years have been in supposedly lower-risk zones, he said.

In its analysis, Neptune used government residential flood-insurance data along with its own issuance figures, and contrasted them against U.S. Census housing data. Other private-sector insurers, with generally small totals, aren’t reflected in the tallies.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

How do you think Hurricane Ian will change the rates of insurance coverage in Florida? Join the conversation below.

Harrison Froid, an agent in Pinellas County in the Tampa area for Goosehead Insurance, said most clients buying homes decline the purchase of flood coverage. If not required by their lender, “they say, ‘I’ll circle back to you after closing,’ ” Mr. Froid said, and generally don’t.

Michael Bristol, an engineer who lives with his wife in a double-wide mobile home on 10 acres with a horse stable in Seminole County, spent Thursday afternoon cleaning up branches and other debris from their sodden yard. A creek had overflowed, and the road was impassable near the couple’s property. Ditches churned with water.

Mr. Bristol says the property escaped serious damage. He had skipped flood insurance as “just too cost prohibitive,” and he doesn’t see that changing. He said his plan is to “keep a decent amount in savings and hope for the best…You know, fingers crossed.”

Write to Leslie Scism at [email protected] and Cameron McWhirter at [email protected]

Hurricane Ian

Coverage of the storm and its aftermath, selected by the editors

Latest Updates
Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

Been a long time coming. I mentioned a few years ago that insurance companies understand the risk of climate change and increased premiums will reflect it…..but Al Gore can make money off of it.

[Brooklyn]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

[youthathletics]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

[MDlaxfan76]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

[youthathletics]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

[DocBarrister]

Already, people are talking about rebuilding Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach. For example:

https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/ ... 43306.html

Rebuilding those two small barrier island communities and their access ways is likely to cost many billions of dollars.

Why should those communities be rebuilt?

The islands both have an average elevation of 3 feet (by comparison, Manhattan has an average elevation of 33 feet). Climate change will certainly raise the ocean by at least a full foot by 2050. By the end of the century, climate change will probably raise the seas another foot above that.

Should we really be rebuilding on islands that will likely be only a foot above the ocean by 2100?

At a minimum, those islands should cease having any permanent residents. If they are to be rebuilt, zone them purely as business districts with no permanent residences permitted. That will at least help minimize the loss of life and ease evacuations in the future.

But should state- and federal-subsidized insurance be made available even to businesses if they build on islands that will have less than a yard of elevation clearance above the ocean?

There are still morons who do not “believe” in human caused climate change. But their beliefs do not change the established and proven fact of human caused climate change, and we need to start planning for the future based on those facts.

Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach should be cleaned up, evacuated, and left to their natural function … as barriers to the sea.

Rebuilding on those islands would be beyond foolish.

DocBarrister

[youthathletics]

I thought the climate change bill was gonna make it all go away in time. No need to give up so soon Doc.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2 ... cane-sand/

[MDlaxfan76]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

Florida is a net ‘taker’ in the federal taxes paid versus federal support dollars. They get 1.24 times as much as they contribute.

I’m not saying that helping people in crisis should not be a priority, nor should decisions ever be made due to political affiliation.

BUT, a huge amount of Florida’s vulnerability to these storms and flooding, especially the cost of repair and replacement, is of Florida’s own making.

Rampant development paving over wetlands that otherwise would soak up much of the flooding. Homes built in extremely vulnerable areas allowed with no increase in taxes to deal with the inevitable.

[a fan]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

Pretending like you don't remember DeSantis' vote on Sandy, are we?

I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they cut Florida out of Hurricane aid to show Floridians what DeSantis thinks about helping people in need.

[Brooklyn]

Though it's indeed a good point.

Republicans always claim to be against any form of government support by calling it either welfare or communism. Here the state has billions in its coffers but looks to the Federal government to bail them out. Why not use their own resources? Why should you have to pay when they could easily have used their own surplus to build up flood preventives just like we did in the Twinkie cities?

[youthathletics]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

Pretending like you don't remember DeSantis' vote on Sandy, are we?

I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they cut Florida out of Hurricane aid to show Floridians what DeSantis thinks about helping people in need.

Oh I remember it....Can you share with the class why there was a no vote by 'many' on that first bill? There you guys go again henpecking minutia...tisk-tisk-tisk.

Now had they voted for the first bill of close to 60bn, you'd then throw it in their face that they "are making govt' bigger", rather than patting them on the back for fiscal responsibility.

[MDlaxfan76]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

Pretending like you don't remember DeSantis' vote on Sandy, are we?

I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they cut Florida out of Hurricane aid to show Floridians what DeSantis thinks about helping people in need.

Oh I remember it....Can you share with the class why there was a no vote by 'many' on that first bill? There you guys go again henpecking minutia...tisk-tisk-tisk.

Now had they voted for the first bill of close to 60bn, you'd then throw it in their face that they "are making govt' bigger", rather than patting them on the back for fiscal responsibility.

The claim is that there was non-Sandy funding included in the bill...but if I understand correctly, the "non-Sandy" was other weather disaster damage. They took the opportunity to recognize and address those "needs" as well as those directly involved with Sandy.

Again, I'm not saying that those hurt by Ian shouldn't get support...but it's a fair point that Florida drastically underspends on weather mitigation and has had absolutely awful building regulations.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I believe there was a news report a few months ago about Florida having a massive surplus. Something in the area of $20+ billion or so. With that in mind you have to wonder why DeSatan begged Biden for a federal handout for flood relief and why the hell did he give it to him???

Everybody knows that wealthy people and corporations in Florida don't pay taxes. So why the hell should they get a free ride?

Take a nap Brooklyn, you are just too dang cranky.

Though it's indeed a good point.

looks like you need a nap also.
So Floridians fed income tax dollars should not be used to help people. Thanks, dictators mdlax and brooksie.

Pretending like you don't remember DeSantis' vote on Sandy, are we?

I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they cut Florida out of Hurricane aid to show Floridians what DeSantis thinks about helping people in need.

Oh I remember it....Can you share with the class why there was a no vote by 'many' on that first bill? There you guys go again henpecking minutia...tisk-tisk-tisk.

Now had they voted for the first bill of close to 60bn, you'd then throw it in their face that they "are making govt' bigger", rather than patting them on the back for fiscal responsibility.

The claim is that there was non-Sandy funding included in the bill...but if I understand correctly, the "non-Sandy" was other weather disaster damage. They took the opportunity to recognize and address those "needs" as well as those directly involved with Sandy.

Again, I'm not saying that those hurt by Ian shouldn't get support...but it's a fair point that Florida drastically underspends on weather mitigation and has had absolutely awful building regulations.

Yep.

[Brooklyn]

it's a fair point that Florida drastically underspends on weather mitigation and has had absolutely awful building regulations.

A point he ignores while he makes accusatory comments about others.

Because of Florida's right wing political stupidity people have needlessly died and many others injured or left homeless. Had the right wingers had enough sense to employ preventive measures as we have done in the Twin Cities much of this could have been prevented. Now the Federal government will have to spend billions in bailing them out when so much of this could have been prevented. YA knows it but doesn't give a d@mn - all he wants is for Florida Republicans to keep their money in their pockets while everyone else pays for their political stupidity.

[ardilla secreta]

If there’s money to be made, I see no reason to doubt the damaged areas will be rebuilt. Are there examples where redevelopment after an disaster was curtailed or limited?

[NattyBohChamps04]

If there’s money to be made, I see no reason to doubt the damaged areas will be rebuilt. Are there examples where redevelopment after an disaster was curtailed or limited?

Yes. Here's one in Houston.

https://www.hcfcd.org/Activity/Addition ... ut-Program