Latest Flood Headlines
All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.
King Tides, Heavy Rain Cause Flooding in Areas Hit by Irma
Oct 6 2017 // Heavy rainfall over much of South Florida has led to flooding in areas hit hard by Hurricane Irma. Flooding due to heavy rain and the annual “King tides” is being reported along low-lying streets from Key West...
Left Out of Disaster Tax Relief Program, Louisiana Offers Bigger Flood Aid Loans for Small Businesses
Oct 6 2017 // Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration is boosting the size of loans available to small businesses damaged by last year’s flooding in Louisiana and is extending the deadline for applications. The Restore...
Head of Texas’ Harvey Recovery Effort Says Agents Need to ‘Step Up’ on Damage Claims
Oct 6 2017 // The insurance industry in Texas is not happy with the state’s so-called Hurricane Harvey recovery czar. Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp, who was named by Gov. Greg Abbott to lead the Commission to...
Future Reports to Include Both Private, Public Flood Insurance Loss Estimates
Oct 6 2017 // Beginning with Hurricane Harvey, the private sector Property Claim Services will publish aggregate flood loss information supplied by the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Historically,...
Trump Wants to Halt Government Flood Insurance for New Homes in Flood Zones
Oct 5 2017 // President Donald Trump proposed ending federal flood insurance for new homes in areas most at risk of flooding, a change that could curtail new construction in vast parts of Florida, Louisiana and along the Eastern...
RMS Launches Risk Selection Solution for Underwriters
Oct 5 2017 // RMS, the Newark, Calif.-based risk modeling and analytics firm, has introduced a solution that enables underwriters to access critical information about any location globally, providing “a competitive advantage in...
Hurricane Cars Declared ‘Total Losses’ by Adjusters Are Now Back on Roads
Oct 5 2017 // The ink on the “total loss” insurance paperwork, like the 2007 Range Rover itself, was still wet when Morgan Moran began trying to buy his vehicle back after Hurricane Matthew last year. The insurance adjuster...
Get Very Used to Drone Usage in the Insurance Industry
Oct 4 2017 // One major insurance carrier already has a program underway to train claims adjusters to visit accident sites and fly drones to gather data. American Family Insurance started working on developing a drone program around...
Houston-Area Residents: Toxic Chemicals Found in Soil, Water After Plant Fire
Oct 4 2017 // Tests detected toxic substances in soil, water and ash samples taken miles from a chemical plant that flooded during Hurricane Harvey, caught fire and partially exploded, nearly 20 Houston-area residents said. The findings...
Houston Considers Flood Control Projects While Recovering from Harvey
Oct 3 2017 // Houston officials say they’re already thinking about how to build and fund projects that will lessen the blow of the next storm, even as the nation’s fourth-largest city continues to recover from Harvey’s...
Hurricane Claim Insurance Checks Drive New Car Sales
Oct 2 2017 // As Hurricane Harvey poured on Houston, Frank Rodriguez feared for his 2014 GMC Sierra. Once he saw the pickup’s soaking-wet interior and center console full of water, he knew it was a lost cause. He just hoped his...
Florida Hurricane Irma Losses Keep Rising
Oct 2 2017 // With two Florida landfalls in the same day, Hurricane Irma’s destructive wind and flood damage could cost up to $65 billion for both insured and uninsured losses, according to a recent estimate by...
Independent Texas MGAs Join Forces for Targeted Harvey Relief
Oct 2 2017 // A group of independently owned Texas managing general agents (MGAs) have come together to provide targeted, direct, local relief to communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Texas MGAs for Disaster Relief is working with...
With Hurricane Losses Insurers Downgrade Anticipated Profit Goals
Oct 2 2017 // Allstate expects insurance losses of about $593 million for August mainly due to Hurricane Harvey, which left a path of destruction along the Gulf Coast. The initial accounting follows warnings from other insurers that are...
Senate Democrats Delete House-Backed Private Flood Insurance Policy Measure
Sep 29 2017 // Not long after the House passed legislation that included a provision to allow private flood insurance policies to satisfy flood coverage requirements, the Senate sidetracked the flood policy measure. The flood insurance...
Texas A&M Professor Thinks Web Tool Can Help Coastal Texans Assess Flood Risk
Sep 29 2017 // When Sam Brody and his wife were shopping for a new home in Houston six months ago, they had very different priorities. Brody, a researcher who analyzes ways to minimize the impact of natural disasters, was focused on the...
Houston Mayor, Texas Governor Battle Over Harvey Costs
Sep 29 2017 // A clash over Houston’s mounting expenses from Hurricane Harvey escalated on Sept. 25 when Gov. Greg Abbott accused the mayor of holding the state “hostage” by pushing a local tax increase unless an...
House Passes Bill to Assure Private Policies Satisfy Flood Insurance Requirement
Sep 28 2017 // The House of Representatives voted 264-155 today to pass bipartisan legislation that encourages the sale of private flood insurance in place of policies from the federal government in high risk areas where flood insurance...
Texas Homeowners Say They Weren’t Warned about Flooding Risks
Sep 28 2017 // More than 20 years before Hurricane Harvey, officials in suburban Houston were aware that a heavy storm could cause a reservoir to overflow and inundate nearby homes with water. So they issued a warning to potential home...
Nearly 17K Flood Claims Filed So Far in Florida From Irma
Sep 27 2017 // Nearly 17,000 flood insurance claims connected with Hurricane Irma have been filed, and more are expected in the coming weeks. The Sun-Sentinel reports that of 16,786 flood claims filed through Thursday, 3,969 were filed...
