2020 is setting records in the scope of wildfires raging across the state of California.

Cal Fire officials are naming this year (2020) as having the largest fires in California history.

The biggest issue facing homeowners in wildfire risk locations besides having a plan to protect themselves and their loved ones is the rising cost of insurance.

Insurers are reeling from losses last year and the year before where entire cities were consumed.

An interesting article is: Wildfires Hasten Another Climate Crisis: Homeowners Who Can’t Get Insurance. By Christopher Flavelle.

As wildfires burn homes across California, the state is also grappling with a different kind of climate predicament: How to stop insurers from abandoning fire-prone areas, leaving countless homeowners at risk.

The article can be found here

Is Insurance the new disaster planning tool?

This thought processing brings back the memory of Hurricane Michael in 2018 that devastated Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle.

 “Florida Impact” by Bay News 9. Demonstrated the major concern of the State Emergency Management officials is not to get educated, be prepared, or have a plan.

The primary focus is on how much is this going to cost. And who is going to pay for it?

The theme parroted by each panelist was: Have insurance, the right insurance, enough insurance.

Wildfires Are A Year-Round Concern

Do you have enough insurance?

The people over at The Zebra have put together an interesting page on homeowners insurance for wildfire risk  “Wildfire Insurance”

It is a very interesting and educational read.

It appears that having the right financial preparedness for a major natural disaster is becoming much more relevant now, than in the past.

Is a time coming when the Federal Government will need to step in and create a Wildfire Insurance program?

On another note, The Zebra article has a link to the FAIR Plan in Florida with information on coverage in coastal areas for windstorms. And that will be another post.

If you have homeowner’s insurance and are not sure about what is covered, call your agent and do an audit of the wildfire risk coverage.

Till next time

Be Safe

P.S. The upcoming Core Four hurricane planning workshop can be found here.