Monthly Archives: <span>August 2023</span>

Private Flood Insurers See Opportunity as NFIP Increases Rates

While the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) rolls out a new rating program generating premium increases for many policyholders, the private flood insurance market has seized the opportunity to grow its market share across the U.S., according to an issues …

National Drunk Driving Fatalities Surge in 2021

The number of national drunk driving fatalities increased in 2021, according to a new report by online driver education platform Zutobi. In its analysis, Zutobi shared that 13,386 deaths were attributed to drunk driving in 2021, accounting for 31% of …

A Year After Uproar over Demotech Ratings, Little Has Changed, But Questions Remain

A little more than a year ago, the Demotech financial rating firm ignited a storm of controversy in Florida when it sent letters to a reported 16 insurance carriers, warning that the companies were about to have their financial stability …

Police Respond to ‘Chaos’ as Florida Condo Owners Outraged Over Insurance Fees

Shouts, shoves and chaos broke out and police had to be called when condominium owners in Pembroke Pines, Florida, objected to being shut out of an association meeting called to discuss higher fees due to spiking insurance premiums. Fortune magazine …

Oakbridge Acquires Georgia-based Cole Agency

Oakbridge Insurance Agency, one of the larger independent agencies in the country, has expanded again with the acquisition of the Cole Agency in Montezuma, Georgia. Cole has specialized in poultry insurance since 1989 but also offers coverage plans for others …

Rare New England Tornado Damages Homes, Floods Roads, Topples Trees

A rare Rhode Island tornado lifted a car off an interstate highway Friday as severe weather swept already storm-weary New England, damaging homes, flooding roads and toppling trees. Tornadoes were reported in several spots in the same general area of …

Fire Tears Through Historic Block Island Hotel Off Rhode Island Coast

A fire tore through a historic hotel early Saturday on Block Island, prompting officials on the summer vacation spot off the coast of Rhode Island to declare a state of emergency and urge the public to stay away. The fire …

Large Ice Chunk Fell From Sky and Damaged House in Massachusetts

A large ice chunk fell from the sky and hit a house in Massachusetts, damaging the roof of the home, the homeowner said. Jeff Ilg said he and his wife, Amelia Rainville, suspect the ice fell off an airplane traveling …

Maui Fire Lays Bare Utility Missteps Mirrored Across the Country

When flames ripped through the drought-parched town of Paradise in 2018, destroying homes and killing 85 in California’s deadliest-ever wildfire, it was a wake-up call to power companies across the country. Electric lines would ultimately be blamed for the blaze, …

California Firm to Pay $1M for Selling Devices to Thwart Truck Smog Controls

A California company will pay $1 million for violating federal environmental laws by making and selling devices that defeated smog controls on diesel trucks, prosecutors announced. Sinister Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Roseville, doing business as Sinister Diesel, pleaded guilty in …