Lawmakers are trying to figure out how which roads, homes, hotels and businesses should be set back farther from the ocean and which ones should be protected from rising seas, increasing floods and other impacts. House Bill 549, introduced by Rep. Nicole Lowen and 15 fellow House members, would require new developments to plan for... Continue Reading →
Hawai'i lawmakers will confront major policy questions this session as they grapple with looming problems from a warming planet, sea level rise and climate change in general. Rising seas and crumbling shorelines are staring lawmakers in the face as they consider more than a dozen bills dealing with climate change this session. Where should the... Continue Reading →
Why do insurance companies classify certain types of risk as uninsurable? And why do insurance regulators prohibit insurers from setting premiums that reflect risk, particularly in locales that repeatedly suffer losses from natural disasters? The short answer is that insurance today is misunderstood and hence is not effectively meeting its most important objectives—to inform those... Continue Reading →
I know, I borrowed that slogan from that famous gecko commercial, but the fact that freeboarding could save you a significant amount of money and prevent flooding and flood related damages to your house is undeniable. First, let’s talk about what freeboarding actually is. Freeboard is the elevation of a building’s lowest floor to a... Continue Reading →
It is a question that is being asked by many experts in the field, flood insurance policy holders, federal and state employees that are directly affiliated with FEMA and NFIP. It is nothing new. Sadly, the potential for lapse has become increasingly common, with six short-term extensions of the program and two brief lapses... Continue Reading →
