In the aftermath of extreme weather events, major insurers are increasingly no longer offering coverage that homeowners in areas vulnerable to those disasters need most.
At least five large U.S. property insurers — including Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway — have told regulators that extreme weather patterns caused by climate change have led them to stop writing coverages in some regions, exclude protections from various weather events and raise monthly premiums and deductibles.
Major insurers say they will cut out damage caused by hurricanes, wind and hail from policies underwriting property along coastlines and in wildfire country, according to a voluntary survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a group of state officials who regulate rates and policy forms.
Insurance providers are also more willing to drop existing policies in some locales as they become more vulnerable to natural disasters. Most home insurance coverages are annual terms, so providers are not bound to them for more than one year.
Can we make it until 2030?
If one would ask me personally, I would say this:
There are so many cracks showing, that I tend to doubt it. But it is hard to say. While some groups in a society may see bigger problems in the future, others may even see improvements. The factors that play a role are too complex for me to judge. I have no doubt though that the average quality of life will go down substantially. I am actually counting on a collapsing system until 2045. I would really be very much surprised to see a continuation of today’s ways until then. So much so that my retirement plans are not of great importance to me. I have them, but I do not expect to be able to use them.
