Declarations

Insanity

“You only have to look at 300 miles of Katrina and Rita wasteland to see that bankrolling federal flood insurance in high-risk areas is just asking the American taxpayer to flush money down the toilet. If people want to build out there, that’s one thing. But to build out there with federal support is insane.”

Oliver Houck, director of the environmental law program at Tulane University, on Congress continuing to extend the federal flood insurance program to new and risky areas, including Jekyll Island, a vacation spot off Georgia’s coast that is poised for redevelopment, and an undeveloped 10-lot subdivision on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Hood appeal

“State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide, Farm Bureau, USAA, and Nationwide have caused many people on our coast to wait a year and three months for a decision on the validity of the water exclusionary clause. I have been in discussions with several of these companies with the aim of trying to resolve these issues without the expense and time of litigation and I am hopeful that other companies will come forward and do what is right toward the policy holders.”

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood encouraging insurers to settle Katrina claims rather than wait on court settlements or risk having Congress get involved.

Record reporting

“It just blew it out of the water.”

Brandon Locklear, a forecaster in the Raleigh, N.C., office the National Weather Service, on the record-setting tally of severe weather warnings in 2006 issued by the office. The office issued 577 severe-weather warnings in 2006, in addition to 86 flash-flood warnings. The previous record of 329 was set in 1998.

Miss. wind

“Our alternative is at this point to go in with a policy that’s minus wind. When and if we’re able to make adjustments, we’ll begin writing wind.”

State Farm Insurance Co. executive Robert L. Trippel, in explaining that the company is no longer offering wind coverage for new customers in Mississippi’s six southernmost counties and is reviewing whether to continue extending the coverage on renewals.

Hurricane legacy

“It’s the eight hurricanes that are part of his legacy, not the insurance crisis.”

Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, an industry trade group, after others criticized outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush for not providing homeowners much relief before he departed Tallahassee.