A fine irony of Trump’s climate denialism is that it won’t help him insure Mar-a-Lago. It’s getting more and more expensive for Americans to find affordable housing insurance, especially in low-lying areas exposed to growing flood risk as sea levels rise and storm surges become more frequent and powerful. The WSJ reports that average US household premiums rose 20 per cent last year, driven up by wildfire as well as flood risk. But it’s worst on the waterfront. One Florida homeowner whose case was described to the Journal was offered flood insurance at an annual premium of $17,000, up from $7,000. He decided to go without and invest a spare $1.5 million he happened to have handy – roughly equivalent to his rebuild costs should he lose his home – trusting the markets a) to hand him a 6 per cent annual return and b) to come to their senses and lower his flood premiums in due course. Homeowners with fewer options are simply “going bare” – going without. Watch out for storylines about the uninsured next time a hurricane hits Florida.
US home insurance is going out of fashion