News
2025 saw relatively fewer natural disasters. Will you get a break on home insurance?
1+ day, 12+ hour ago (328+ words) Climate change is fueling more extreme weather that damages and destroys property. We know that, and we also know it's been driving up home insurance costs. But 2025 was a relatively quiet year for disasters. Does that mean insurance premiums will…...
'Catastrophe bonds' are gaining popularity as a response to climate change
3+ mon, 1+ day ago (103+ words) After the hurricane in Jamaica, the government had a pot of money to help rebuild. A Catastrophe Bonds payout. We explain how it works and why Cat Bond popularity is on the rise as a response to climate change. 'Catastrophe…...
How hurricanes became a hot investment : Planet Money
3+ mon, 6+ day ago (215+ words) In finance terms, these kinds of wagers are called "catastrophe bonds." They're a way to get investors to share the risk of a major disaster, whether that's a Japanese earthquake, a California wildfire, or a Jamaican hurricane." Music: Universal Music…...
Communities are reducing wildfire risk. Will their insurance bills go down?
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (1423+ words) Residents in Lake County, Calif. are increasingly being dropped by their insurance companies. Home insurance cancellations happen more frequently there than almost anywhere else in the country. Lauren Sommer/NPR hide caption In the rolling hills of Lake County, Calif.,…...
Disaster and insurance costs are rising. The middle class is struggling to hang on
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (1657+ words) A person fishes next to a broken pier in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., in October. The city is still rebuilding after Hurricane Ian devastated the area in 2022. High costs for construction and insurance have made Fort Myers Beach unaffordable for…...
Why home insurance is unaffordable, even in places without wildfires or hurricanes
3+ mon, 4+ week ago (1636+ words) A hailstorm damaged virtually every building in the small town of Cozad, Neb. in June 2024. More than a year later, Baltazar Avalos is still working to fix damage to his home. Rebecca Hersher/NPR hide caption The storm blew into…...
It's harder to get home insurance. That's changing communities across the U.S.
4+ mon, 11+ hour ago (1723+ words) Home insurance is getting less affordable, and less available, as insurers raise prices and pull back from areas with extreme weather. That is changing communities, including those in Southwest Florida that were damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Ryan Kellman/NPR…...
For private flood insurance companies, the government shutdown is good for business : Trump's Terms
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (102+ words) The government-backed National Flood Insurance Program stopped writing new policies on Oct. 1 and can't resume until it's reauthorized by Congress. That may force buyers to postpone or cancel home sales, as NPR's Greg Allen reports.Support NPR and hear every…...
For private flood insurance companies, the government shutdown is good for business
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (587+ words) MIAMI " Among those feeling the pain of the government shutdown are people in coastal areas and other locations where they need flood insurance. The government-backed National Flood Insurance Program stopped writing new policies on Oct. 1 and can't resume until it's…...
Evacuations ordered as wildfire blazes California's famed Napa County
6+ mon, 2+ week ago (393+ words) Evacuation orders are in effect as wildfires blaze across the West, including in California's scenic Napa County. The Pickett Fire, which has burned nearly 6,000 acres, first sparked Thursday afternoon and continued to rage Saturday with 11% of the wildfire contained. The…...