Homeowners in Iowa are struggling to get insurers to cover their homes, as increasingly frequent and severe storms have hit the state in recent years, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
Some homeowners have been dropped by their insurance companies, have not had policies renewed, or have seen their rates soar. Some companies have pulled out of the state entirely.
What's happening?
The extreme weather events, fueled by the overheating of our planet and the changes to our climates that have been caused by our reliance on dirty, polluting energy sources like gas and oil, have included tornadoes, derechos, severe storms, hail, and wildfires.
"In the last five years, I've seen nothing like it," Eldon Neighbor, an independent insurance agent with offices across Eastern Iowa, told the Gazette about the frequent extreme weather events.
Why is the behavior of insurance companies important?
If insurance companies have to pay out too many claims, they cease to be profitable. This has led several companies to abandon their customers at a time when those customers need insurance the most.
The issue is not limited to Iowa, either, as climate changes and severe weather are impacting regions all over the country. Insurers have also been raising premiums without warning or dropping coverage entirely in places like California, Utah, Texas, and elsewhere.
What's being done about the home insurance problem?
In Connecticut, lawmakers are considering a new bill that would penalize any insurance company that insures dirty energy projects.
"It's important to begin to hold [insurers] accountable for how they've played it both ways in terms of climate change," said Tom Swan, the executive director of Connecticut Citizen Action Group. "People are seeing skyrocketing rates, or they're pulling out of different areas, and they continue to underwrite and invest in fossil fuels at a pace much greater than their colleagues across the globe."
In the shorter term, however, people need home insurance, especially in high-risk areas. In response, Iowa lawmakers are attempting to rewrite a few of the rules to offer more protections to homeowners. These attempts include passing a law that requires county and state mutual insurance associations to reorganize into a mutual insurance holding company and also extends the required notice for policy cancellation from 30 days to 60 days.
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