flooding News

Why Onsite Inspections Are Essential for Accurate Large Loss Property Damage Claims

In the complex and high-stakes world of large loss property damage claims, the importance of onsite inspections cannot be overstated. Although the rise of technology has introduced remote assessments as a convenient and cost-effective alternative, the benefits of physically being …

First Street Finds Most Debby-Damaged Homes Outside Flood Zone, Without Coverage

More than three-fourths of properties flooded by Hurricane Debby were outside a designated flood hazard area and were likely to be uninsured for the water loss. Many of those properties were concentrated in spots seemingly far away from where the …

Moody’s Estimates U.S. Private Market Insured Losses for Debby Won’t Exceed $1.5B

Moody’s RMS Event Response estimates U.S. private market insured losses from Hurricane Debby won’t exceed $1.5 billion, which represents insured losses associated with wind, storm surge, and precipitation-induced flooding. Moody’s also estimates losses to the National Flood Insurance Program from …

FEMA Approves $61M For Iowans Affected by Spring Flooding and Severe Storms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $61 million for Iowa residents who experienced damage from this spring’s flooding, severe storms and tornadoes. FEMA said has provided $56 million in Individual Assistance money to help survivors with home repairs, …

Hurricane Debby’s Florida Claims Already Near 12,000

The number of Florida claims from Hurricane Debby, filed within five days of the storm, already is almost half of the the number of claims filed in Hurricane Idalia in a three-month period. Debby claims by Friday had reached more …

Redfin: More People Are Moving in Than out of Fire- and Flood-Prone U.S. Counties

More people are moving in than out of parts of the U.S. where wildfires, flooding and extreme heat are more common, a new report from Redfin shows. The nation’s high-fire-risk areas saw 63,365 more people move in than out last …

Removing U.S. Subsidies Curbed Building in Climate Risk Zones, Study Finds

The U.S. Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act in 1982 to preserve relatively undeveloped waterfront areas as natural buffer zones. At least 1.4 million acres along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts were made ineligible for the kind of federal …

Weather Service: Extreme Flood Risk Increasing in Next Few Days from Debby

An extreme risk to lives and property from widespread flooding is expanding across the Southeast this week before Debby makes a second landfall in the Carolinas and then quickly shifts to the Northeast, according to AccuWeather. The weather services is …

The Challenges of Flood Disaster Recovery in Urban Environments

In recent years, cities worldwide have faced an alarming increase in the frequency and severity of flood events. These catastrophes have left urban areas grappling with extensive damage to infrastructure, buildings and equipment. As communities strive to recover from flood …

‘Surface Waters’ on Roof Are Not ‘Flood’ Waters, Massachusetts High Court Rules

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that rainwater accumulation on roofs of buildings does not constitute “surface waters” within the meaning of “flood” in property insurance policies. The court found that the term “surface waters” in policies is ambiguous …