Flood

Research indicates that flooding and the extraordinary losses that accompany it are on the increase. Heavier rains, deviations in weather patterns and an infrastructure that is not equipped to deal with the results of those changes are contributing factors. Floods produce severe social and economic disruptions that most communities are not equipped to deal with, and which lead to lasting or possibly irrecoverable damage. Economic losses from catastrophic floods in the United States and Europe are predicted to rise, largely related to an increase in the value of building in flood plains. While there is a fledgling private residential flood insurance market, residential flood insurance is provided primarily by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is under intense scrutiny and subject to proposed reform amendments. As governments seek to limit the impact of floods by taking preventative measures such as the building of storm-control arrangements, failures or unforeseen adverse impacts of those systems invite high-dollar litigation. The issues of liability allocation and insurance coverage, however, are complex and litigation outcomes unpredictable for parties, insurers and reinsurers, making insurer participation in risk management essential.

Background

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has defined a flood as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land from overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual or rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, mudflow, or a collapse of land along a body of water as a result of erosion or waves. Communities around bodies of water, like those around the ocean or by major rivers, are most likely to be threatened by flooding due to rising sea levels and inundation. However, severe storms, fast melting snow, and heavy rainfall can cause flooding and sewage overflows in any community, regardless of its location. A “significant event” is a flooding event with 1,500 or more paid losses, or under certain circumstances, like the occurrence of a major hurricane.

Many scientists agree that climate change leads to an increased frequency of extreme weather events, and it is widely thought that global warming will continue to affect the incidence of flooding. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, heavier precipitation is expected in the coming years. Large storms that historically would occur only rarely are projected to happen with significantly increased frequency by the end of the current century. At the same time, shifts in snowfall patterns, the timing of the arrival of spring, and river-ice melting may all exacerbate flooding risks. The nature of disastrous floods has also changed in recent years, with flash floods and acute river or coastal flooding becoming more frequent. Urbanization has significantly increased flood run-offs, and some experts say the existing U.S. infrastructure is inadequate to deal with the predicted increase in rainwater. Scientists have stated that small rises in sea level worldwide will mean twice as much coastal flooding, with severe consequences for coastal cities.

The Pew Charitable Trusts issued a research report in early 2017 stating that flooding is both the most common and the most expensive domestic natural disaster. Damages from 1980 to 2013 were calculated to be more than $260 billion. Insured losses from 2006 to 2015 were estimated to be approximately $1.9 billion annually. The federal government reported that 36 disasters in 2016 involved floods or hurricanes, and that losses from four of the storms were about $1 billion each. FEMA reported early in 2017 that 2016 losses were about $4 billion, and that it had borrowed $1.6 billion from the government to pay claims, leaving FEMA starting 2017 nearly $25 billion in debt.

Injuries and Damages

Floods can increase the transmission of many communicable diseases, such as water-borne diseases like typhoid fever, cholera, and hepatitis A. The major risk for outbreaks associated with flooding is the contamination of drinking-water facilities, but the risk of disease outbreaks can be minimized if it is recognized and disaster-response organizations make delivering clean water a priority.

Floods may also indirectly lead to an increase in vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and West Nile Fever through the expansion in the number and range of vector habitats. A vector is an organism that does not cause a disease itself but instead spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. Vector-borne diseases typically refer to illnesses transmitted to people by blood-sucking arthropods, mosquitoes, biting flies, and the like, or arachnids like mites or ticks. Standing water caused by heavy rainfall or river overflow can become breeding sites for mosquitoes and increase exposure to infections.

Hypothermia can be a problem, especially for children and the elderly, if people are trapped in floodwaters for long periods. Respiratory tract infections may rise in flood-affected populations due to exposure to the elements from loss of shelter.

The social and economic impacts of flooding are significant. If communication links and infrastructure like power plants, roads, bridges, wastewater treatment, electricity, education, and health care are interrupted, certain economic activities may come to a standstill and people may be forced to relocate. Displacement, loss of livelihoods, environmental contamination, disruption to business and social affairs and loss of property value in the floodplains leaves communities physically and economically vulnerable. Events such as the loss of family and friends leave psychological scars on victims and their families.
Catastrophic Flooding Events in the U.S. and Europe
On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. While the hurricane itself did a great deal of damage, its aftermath was catastrophic. New Orleans’ levees and flood walls were breached in more than 50 locations, leaving approximately 80% of New Orleans flooded and displacing more than a million Gulf region residents. According to FEMA, Hurricane Katrina caused more than $161 billion in damage and ranks as the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history, although other storms have also been extraordinarily expensive. Industry sources reported that insurers paid out an estimated $41.1 billion on 1.7 million different claims for damage to businesses, vehicles and homes in six states. The NFIP paid more than $16.3 billion in claims, most of that for Louisiana-based losses. According to a 2006 Government Accountability Office report, however, at least $1 billion of those FEMA payments were improper and potentially fraudulent.

The U.S. Office for Coastal Management, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reported that Hurricane Harvey in 2017 cost approximately $125 billion, second only to Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Maria in 2017 was in third place with expenditures of $90 billion, followed by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 at $71 billion and Hurricane Irma in 2017 costing $50 billion. Hurricane Katrina was also first in flood insurance payouts, with an average paid loss of $97,140.

A report filed by the European Environment Agency based on an analysis of data collected from 1980 to 2010 concluded that significant increases in flooding are taking place now, and further, that annual flood losses will have increased five-fold by 2050 and up to 17-fold by 2080. The researchers blamed the increase primarily on a rise in the economic value of assets in flood plains and on increased rainfall due to climate change. A recent example is the June 2016 torrential rain event in Europe, causing evacuations and museum closures in Paris as the Seine River rose to 20 feet and inundated city streets. Several deaths in France, Germany and Belgium were reported. Insurance claims were estimated to be more than $2 billion.

Legislation and Regulation

Typical property insurance policies do not cover flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by Congress in 1968 to reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures. The NFIP has three stated goals:

1. To provide flood insurance. The NFIP provides a means for property owners to financially protect themselves against floods, hurricanes, tropical storms, and heavy rains by offering flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. These participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA’s requirements directed at reducing flooding risks in that community.
2. To improve floodplain management. State and local governments can apply specific NFIP requirements that are designed to reduce possible flood damage to buildings and infrastructure. Communities can incorporate the prescribed actions into their existing zoning codes, subdivision ordinances and building codes, or they can adopt special-purpose floodplain management ordinances. Requirements can include, for example:
   a. the elevation of new and substantially improved residential structures above the base flood level; and,
   b. the elevation or dry floodproofing (making watertight) new or substantially improved non-residential structures; and
   c. the regulation of development in floodways.
3. To develop maps of flood hazard zones. To help communities understand their risk, FEMA creates Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to distinguish between areas of high, moderate-to-low, and undetermined flood risk. In areas designated as high-risk, FEMA predicts that there is at least a one-in- four chance of flooding during a 30-year property mortgage. Some experts, however, have stated that the FEMA flood maps are not entirely accurate.

On July 6, 2012, then-President Obama signed into law a five-year comprehensive reform of the National Flood Insurance Program known as the “Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.” FEMA has described the Act on its “Flood Insurance Reform” website as having “authorized and funded the national mapping program and certain rate increases to ensure the fiscal soundness of the program by transitioning the program from subsidized rates, also known as artificially low rates, to offer full actuarial rates reflective of risk.”

The Act:

1. Expressly provides authority for the NFIP to secure reinsurance coverage from the private market at rates and terms determined by the Administrator to be reasonable and appropriate in an amount sufficient to maintain the ability of the program to pay claims.
2. Requires a reinsurance assessment report to Congress not later than 12 months after the date of enactment. As part of this assessment the NFIP must:
   a. assess the capacity of the private reinsurance, capital and financial markets by requesting proposals from the private sector to assume a portion of the insurance risk from the NFIP;
   b. describe the extent to which the reinsurance proposals would minimize the likelihood that FEMA would need to use its borrowing authority;
   c. describe fluctuations in historical reinsurance rates; and,
   d. include an economic cost-benefit analysis of the impact on the NFIP if the Administrator were to exercise its authority and purchase reinsurance.
3. Requires the NFIP to develop a protocol for release of the NFIP data to assist in the assessment.
4. Requires the NFIP to conduct an annual assessment of its claims paying capacity, including the role private reinsurance could play, not later than September 30 of each year.

Several pieces of legislation were passed after 2012 that affected the implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 prohibited the implementation of certain sections of Biggert-Waters, effectively stopping certain rate increases while new law was being developed to address concerns with increasing rates. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 repealed certain parts of Biggert-Waters by, for example, putting limits on some rate increases and applying an annual surcharge on policyholders.

The NFIP’s statutory authority to operate must be periodically renewed by Congress. President Trump signed legislation on March 23, 2018 that extended the NFIP authorization until July 31, 2018, meaning that the law must be reauthorized by no later than midnight on that date.

Liability and Insurance

With flood insurance being provided primarily by a federal agency, governments have increasingly sought to reduce the impact of floods seeking to limit damage by building structures such as dikes, levees, dams, stormwater management systems and more. With the occurrence of flooding from major storms on the rise, however, more lawsuits are being filed against governments for flood losses related to the failure of these preventative measures, and courts in some cases have found government agencies to be liable. In a 2003 California levee breach suit [Paterno vs. State of California, 113 Cal. App. 4th 998 (Calif., 2003)], $464 million was awarded to approximately 3000 landowners for defective levees.

The number and size of flood-related events is growing, and the allocation of liability and the imposition of insurance coverage remain unpredictable for plaintiffs, insurers and reinsurers.

Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led to more than 250,000 lawsuits against all levels of government.

Individual landowners may seek to hold the government liable for increasing natural hazards on their land such as by diverting floodwaters onto private property, or for installing protections such as dams or levees that fail in large floods because they were designed for smaller floods. Litigation may follow when basements or streets are flooded because the capacity of stormwater systems were exceeded, or when erosion is accelerated on lands adjacent to flood control structures.

If the design or construction work on a flood control structure was done by an engineer or consultant, the question becomes to what extent the negligence of the consultant can be attributed to the government. A great deal of responsibility for the failure of levees during Hurricane Katrina was placed on the Army Corps of Engineers. In early 2017, it was reported that the federal class-action lawsuit that had been brought in relation to the Hurricane Katrina levee failures more than a decade earlier was finally resolved and ready to pay more than 120,000 claims. The small awards, however, left many plaintiffs angry. Originally, the suit demanded more than $10 billion from the Army Corps of Engineers and the private firms involved in the designing, building and maintenance of the failed floodwalls and levees. The plaintiffs initially received positive judgments for flooding attributed to the Industrial Canal by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and for levees that failed in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish; subsequently, however, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed itself and held that the Army Corps of Engineers was immune from claims related specifically to the levee failures. This greatly reduced the scope of possible recovery. Ultimately, awards were issued from the available insurance funds under a court-approved model that tallied points according to the kind of claim, then used the assigned points to calculate payments. Some plaintiffs alleged that the point system was not correctly applied, resulting in inadequate awards that reportedly ranged from about $3 to $3000.

Superstorm Sandy
Every major flooding event has led to insurance litigation. As the provider of flood insurance, the NFIP is most often the target. For example, FEMA reported that after Superstorm Sandy more than 144,000 claims were filed by NFIP policyholders who were dissatisfied with the payments they received; those policyholders then had the option of filing lawsuits in federal court. Faced with the high number of claims, FEMA adopted an expedited claims-handling procedure that included engaging the “Write Your Own” insurance companies that had provided Standard Flood Insurance policies under the NFIP to negotiate policyholder settlements. Some policyholders had purchased coverage directly from FEMA through Direct Servicing Agent Companies and FEMA also sought to work efficiently with those claimants.

Litigation

While it is certain that major floods will continue to generate major litigation, the form that it takes will depend on the facts of the losses. For example, IN RE UPSTREAM ADDICKS AND BARKER (TEXAS) FLOOD-CONTROL RESERVOIRS (No. 17-9001L, U.S. Court of Federal Claims) was filed after Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall in August 2017 and drenched Houston for days, resulting in the federally constructed and maintained Addicks and Barker flood control dams collecting storm water which flooded upstream properties. Hundreds of property owners sued the United States, claiming “uncompensated taking” under the Fifth Amendment. The government’s motion to dismiss the complaint on several grounds, including a denial of legal responsibility, was rejected.

Future Outlook

Flood prevention and preparation are crucial to managing risk. Policymakers must craft legislation that will enable cities to be prepared in the case of a catastrophic flood, engineers must design flood-resilient buildings, roads and other structures, and insurers must carefully determine the risks and proper premiums for coverage.

Investment in infrastructure as a first-line defense against flood damage provides no guarantees of lower flood-related costs, however, because the plans and technology are largely untried. Massive flood gates and pumping systems like those built in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were supposed to be able to remove a substantial amount of water from the city very quickly, but an August 2017 storm that dropped about nine inches of rain in just over four hours overwhelmed the pump system and left much of the city under several feet of water, taking 14 hours to drain. While the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans initially claimed that all 121 drainage pumps were working properly during the storm, it was later acknowledged that eight pumps were either broken or out of service when the rain started, and that power shortages left pumps in some areas operating at half-capacity.

Floods present municipal risk managers, insurers and reinsurers with a constantly changing, complex and high-risk situation. Real-time and historical information must be collected, understood, and applied with tremendous speed and creativity to protect citizens both physically and financially.

In the News

2024

• Conflicting federal policies may cost residents more on flood insurance, and leave them at risk - David A. Lieb, The Associated Press (08/24/2024)
  Conflicting federal policies may force thousands of residents in flood-prone areas to pay more for flood insurance or be left unaware of danger posed by dams built upstream from their homes and worksites, according to an Associated Press review of federal records and data. The problem stems from a complex set of flood policies and some national security precautions taken after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
• Disaster declaration approved for Vermont for July flooding from remnants of Beryl - The Associated Press (08/20/2024)
  President Biden on Tuesday approved a major disaster declaration for Vermont that makes federal funding available to help people and communities affected by flooding from July 9 through July 11 caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. Gov. Phil Scott has made a separate disaster declaration request for flood damage caused by storms on July 30.
• July flash floods in Toronto, southern Ontario caused over $940M in insured damage - The Canadian Press (08/20/2024)
  Initial estimates put the total insured damage caused by flash flooding in Toronto and other parts of southern Ontario in July at more than $940 million. Torrential rain hit Toronto and the surrounding area in July and flooded major highways and Union Station, a key transit hub.
• More flooding hits Vermont with washed-out roads, smashed vehicles and destroyed homes - Lisa Rathke, David Sharp, Kathy McCormack, and Nick Perry, The Associated Press (07/30/2024)
  Thunderstorms and torrential rain brought another wave of violent floods Tuesday that caved in roads, crushed vehicles, pushed homes off their foundations and led to dramatic boat rescues in northeastern Vermont, nearly three weeks after flooding from Hurricane Beryl.
• Vermonters, pummeled by floods exactly a year apart, begin another cleanup - Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press (07/12/2024)
  Remnants of Hurricane Beryl dumped heavy rain on Vermont, destroying and damaging homes, knocking out bridges, cutting off towns and retraumatizing a state where some people are still awaiting assistance from the last catastrophic floods that hit a year ago to the day.
• Worsening floods and deterioration pose threats to US dam safety - Michael Phillis and John Hanna, The Associated Press (07/03/2024)
  Early last week, floodwater in rural Minnesota pushed debris against a more than century-old dam and then carved a path around it, eroding so much of the riverbank that most of a house fell into the river. Several days later, intense rain damaged a dam that holds drinking water for Houston, forcing officials to issue a potential failure warning.
• Few have flood insurance to help recover from devastating Midwest storms - Michael Phillis and Margery A. Beck, The Associated Press (06/26/2024)
  Rick Satterwhite’s house backs up to the Missouri River, but flood insurance hadn’t really seemed necessary – until this week, when he had to pump water out of his basement after a round of destructive storms.
• Floodwaters inundate Minnesota towns while another storm transformed New Mexico village into a lake - The Associated Press (06/20/2024)
  Several small-town tourist meccas in northern Minnesota have been inundated by floodwaters after a deluge of rain earlier this week, while another powerful storm turned a New Mexico village into a lake.
• Central European flood losses seen could hit $3.2B: RMS - Reuters (06/14/2024)
  Insured losses from heavy floods in central Europe between May 30 and June 3 are likely to total between €2 billion and €3 billion euros ($2.1billion-$3.2 billion), Moody's RMS said on Friday. The bulk of the losses are likely to come from southern Germany and reflect property and contents damage, and business interruption across residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural property, and automobile lines, it said.
• Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live or work in flood-prone areas - Alejandra Martinez, The Associated Press (05/28/2024)
  More than 5 million Texans, or one in six people in the state, live or work in an area susceptible to flooding, according to a draft of the state’s first-ever flood plan. The plan by the Texas Water Development Board is an effort to reduce the risk for those people by recommending solutions to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels. The board was required to create the plan in a 2019 state law passed in response to Hurricane Harvey.
• A Massachusetts beach community is scrambling after a weekend storm washed away $600,000 in sand that was trucked in to protect homes, roads and other infrastructure. The project, which brought 14,000 tons (12,701 metric tons) of sand into Salisbury over several weeks, was completed just three days before Sunday’s storm clobbered southern New England with strong winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding. - Saumya Jain, Reinsurance News (03/11/2024)
  The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obtained reinsurance coverage through insurance-linked securities (ILS) reinsurance for the seventh time by entering a three-year reinsurance agreement, securing $575 million of coverage for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
• For the first time, Floridians may get a heads-up if the house they’re buying has flooded - Alex Harris, The Miami Herald (03/11/2024)
  Florida has more homes at risk of flooding than anywhere else in the nation, yet until this week, it was one of a handful of states that didn’t require sellers to tell buyers if the property had previously flooded.
• Flooding, mudslides hit California as storm blasts coast, mountains - Matthew Cappucci, The Washington Post (02/20/2024)
  It’s Day 3 of an atmospheric river’s influence in California, and moderate to heavy rains continue to plague the state. Rainfall totals are approaching double digits in the mountains north of Santa Barbara, and another day of sporadic downpours and isolated thunderstorms could exacerbate conditions further.
• Flood damage raises alarms about California’s next ‘disaster insurance gap’ - Connor Sheets, The Los Angeles Times (02/13/2024)
  Rates of homeowners and renters with flood insurance policies have lagged as more of Southern California has become subject to extreme weather patterns spurred on by climate change. In the eight Southern California counties that were under a state of emergency during the recent storm, only 52,820 homes and businesses were covered by flood policies, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.
• AM Best shines spotlight on California floods and underinsurance - Terry Gangcuangco, Insurance Business (02/12/2024)
  California has got the short end of the stick when it comes to flood insurance, as the relevant statistics point to a huge gap in cover. “After long periods of drought in California over the past couple of decades, the state now has seen its second-straight year of destructive flooding with mudslides,” AM Best associate director for industry research and analytics David Blades said in an emailed commentary.
• Researchers identify reasons for Wilmington's worst flood in 200 years - Anitra Johnson, Delaware News Journal (01/23/2024)
  It wasn't a hurricane when it hit Delaware on Sept. 1, 2021, but Tropical Storm Ida still produced torrential rains with the heaviest rains falling on southeastern Pennsylvania. The day after the storm, residents of northeast Wilmington described the weather as "beautiful" and "sunny" when the floodwaters came.
• ‘Thousand-year storm’ leaves San Diego reeling from punishing rainfall, floods - Grace Toohey, The Los Angeles Times (01/23/2024)
  In a matter of minutes Monday morning, communities across southeastern San Diego were transformed into disaster zones: Families fled their homes in chest-deep floodwaters; vehicles were swept downstream as roads became rivers; residents cried for help from their rooftops.
• Bills would add flood-protection projects to Florida’s home-hardening grant program - Ron Hurtibise, The Sun Sentinel (01/09/2024)
  Improvements to protect homes from flood damage would be eligible for up to $10,000 in state matching grants if bills filed last week are enacted during the upcoming session of the Florida Legislature.
• FEMA adds $619.5m in flood reinsurance at renewal, takes NFIP protection to $1.92bn - Saumya Jain, Reinsurance News (01/05/2024)
  The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has completed its 2024 traditional reinsurance placement for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), transferring an additional $619.5 million of the NFIP’s financial risk to the private reinsurance market, for a total premium of $121.1 million for the coverage.

2023

• Americans abandoning neighborhoods due to rising flood risk, study finds - Saul Elbein, The Hill (12/18/2023)
  Rising risk of floods is hollowing out counties across the United States — creating abandoned pockets in the hearts of cities, a new report has found. These abandoned areas tend to map onto regions of historic disinvestment — and flight out of them is accelerating, according to findings published in Nature Climate Change.
• New Chubb Survey Reveals U.S. Businesses Significantly Underestimate Risk from Flooding - Chubb (11/14/2023)
  Chubb, the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, today unveiled findings from a new survey that finds U.S. mid-market companies (a majority between $10 million and $1 billion) are significantly unaware of and unprepared for the risks their businesses face from flooding.
• US Forest Service sued over flooding deaths in the wake of New Mexico’s largest recorded wildfire - The Associated Press (10/23/2023)
  Relatives of three people who died last year in a flash flood stemming from the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history are suing the U.S. Forest Service.
• More California flood victims take steps to sue local, state agencies over winter floods - Melissa Montalvo, The Fresno Bee (09/30/2023)
  More Central San Joaquin Valley residents plan to sue local and state agencies who they say failed to prevent flooding that devastated their homes and community in March.
• Biden approves Massachusetts emergency declaration for flooding response - Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald (09/17/2023)
  After months of seemingly endless rain, and following unanticipated downpours in Leominster and elsewhere last week, the Biden Administration has declared that a state of emergency exists in Massachusetts.
• U.S. tidal flooding breaks records as El Niño forecast to bring even more in 2024 - Sheri Walsh, UPI (08/22/2023)
  Tidal flooding along the East and West coasts of the United States reached record highs in eight locations over the past year as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts El Niño will push record flooding into 2024.
• Maine governor calls for disaster declaration to help recover from summer flooding - The Associated Press (08/17/2023)
  Maine’s governor is calling on President Joe Biden to issue a disaster declaration to help the western part of the state recover from summer flooding.
• Vermont flood losses could total hundreds of millions of dollars: Aon - Claire Wilkinson, Business Insurance (07/14/2023)
  Economic losses from catastrophic flooding across Vermont earlier this week could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars or higher, Aon PLC said in a report Friday. The flooding began July 10 following several days of repetitive shower and thunderstorm activity that led to multiple flash flooding events from the mid-Atlantic region to New England.
• Deadly Flash Floods, Storms Wreak Havoc on New York, Vermont - Jon Kamp, Gareth Vipers, Alyssa Lukpat and Erin Ailworth, The Wall Street Journal (07/10/2023)
  Heavy rains and thunderstorms overwhelmed New York’s Hudson Valley and barreled into Vermont, leaving at least one person dead and flooding homes and roads, officials said Monday. A summer storm that began Sunday in upstate New York caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, said Steve Neuhaus, the county executive of Orange County, about 30 miles outside of New York City.
• Floodwaters Engulf Front Line in Ukraine War - Andrew E. Kramer, Paul Sonne and Victoria Kim, The New York Times (06/07/2023)
  Thousands of people escaped inundated homes in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, including many rescued from rooftops, a day after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam gave rise to another humanitarian disaster along the front lines of the 15-month war.
• Florida joins federal lawsuit fighting the national flood insurance revamp - Jim Saunders, Miami Herald (06/06/2023)
  Florida has joined nine other states in a federal lawsuit challenging an overhaul of the National Flood Insurance Program, asserting the new system is flawed and will drive up annual premiums for many property owners.
• Mississippi River flooding prompts evacuations, sandbagging - Scott McFetridge and Todd Richmond, The Associated Press (04/26/2023)
  Some residents along the swelling Upper Mississippi River evacuated their homes this week while others scrambled Wednesday to stack sandbags in preparation for what forecasters say could be near-record flooding caused by the rapid melting of a huge snowpack in northern Minnesota.
• Sharp flood insurance hikes across south Louisiana detailed in new data - Mike Smith, nola.com (04/23/2023)
  The sharp increases in flood insurance rates south Louisiana communities are facing have been detailed for the first time in data released by FEMA, with one of the state’s ZIP codes projected to see the steepest hikes of any in the nation and others varying widely.
• Rains bring California lake back from the dead: ‘We’re surrounded by water’ - Katharine Gammon, The Guardian (04/06/2023)
  Kayode Kadara is worried about the rising waters near his home. Just a few months ago, this landscape in California’s Central Valley was a dry basin filled with pistachio and almond groves.
• Sen. John N. Kennedy introduces bills to address rising flood insurance costs - Mark Ballard, nola.com (03/02/2023)
  Tired of waiting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to explain its new flood insurance rating system, Louisiana U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy filed two bills Thursday to address higher premiums.
• California flooding causes billions in economic losses, estimates show - Herb Scribner, Axios (01/25/2023)
  The recent California flooding and severe weather led to $5 billion to $7 billion in total U.S. economic losses, according to new estimates from Moody’s.

   

• In soaked California, few homeowners have flood insurance - Michael Phillis and Adam Beam, The Associated Press (01/21/2023)
  In California, only about 230,000 homes and other buildings have flood insurance policies, which are separate from homeowners insurance. That means only about 2% of properties are covered against flooding. The federal government is the insurer for the bulk of them – about 191,000 as of December. Private insurers issued the rest, according to the most recent state data from 2021.

   

• California Storms Ease, but Flood Fears Persist - Adolfo Flores, The Wall Street Journal (01/16/2023)
  California was hit again by rain and snow Monday as the state moved toward what forecasters said would be the end of a series of storms that have battered it since Christmas. The nine storms known as atmospheric rivers—flowing columns of condensed water vapor in the atmosphere that produce significant precipitation—have killed at least 19 people, flooded communities, shut down highways and cut power to tens of thousands of homes. The storms and accompanying damage have been more intense in the north and middle regions of the state than in the south.

   

• Flooded S.F. residents and businesses say city is taking a harder line on payouts, and they aren’t happy about it - Nora Mishanec, The San Francisco Chronicle (01/07/2023)
  When heavy rainfall flooded Cleto Gonzalez’s Mission District upholstery business three years ago, an investigator with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office quickly assessed the damages and helped fund tens of thousands of dollars of repairs.

   

2022

• Private Flood Insurance Market Growing; NFIP ‘Adrift’: AM Best - Chad Hemenway, Insurance Journal (11/28/2022)
  Hurricane Ian may result in one of the largest losses in the history of the National Flood Insurance Program and add to its current $20.5 billion debt.

   

• Flood waters receding after storm batters western Alaska - Mark Thiessen & Christopher Weber, The Associated Press (09/19/2022)
  Floodwaters were receding in parts of western Alaska battered by the worst storm in a half century, leaving behind debris flung by powerful Bering Sea waves into beaches and seaside communities.

   

• 39 years later, $95M settlement for flood victims approved - The Associated Press, The Associated Press (09/17/2022)
  Louisiana families and businesses in Tangipahoa Parish are a step closer to getting paid for flood damages in 1983 caused by the construction of Interstate 12.
  
  

   

• Pakistan’s Flood Losses Deal Crushing Blow to Ailing Economy - Saeed Shah, The Wall Street Journal (09/15/2022)
  Recent catastrophic floods will wipe out economic growth and cause acute food shortages in Pakistan, officials warned, threatening anew to push a country already reeling from economic and political instability into default.

   

• Rains, mudslides prompt Southern California evacuations - Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press (09/13/2022)
  Heavy rains Monday unleashed mudslides in a mountain area east of Los Angeles that burned two years ago, sending boulders and other debris across roads and prompting evacuation and shelter-in-place orders for thousands of residents.

   

• Emergency declared as flash flooding hits northwest Georgia - The Associated Press, The Associated Press (09/04/2022)
  Thunderstorms and heavy rain pounded parts of northwest Georgia on Sunday, sparking flash flooding in some areas. Local news reports showed roads under water and homeowners struggling to keep water out.

   

• One-third of Pakistan is underwater, more than 1,000 dead. And the rain keeps coming Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article265038699.html#storylink=cpy - Aspen Pflughoeft, The Miami Herald (08/29/2022)
  Months of monsoon rains have caused massive flooding across Pakistan, affecting tens of millions of people and wreaking havoc on infrastructure.
  

   

• One flood-ravaged Kentucky community is suing a coal company, saying its negligence made damage even worse - Phil McCausland, NBC News (08/22/2022)
  Families along Upper River Caney and Lower River Caney roads recall how the floodwaters that rushed through their narrow hollow turned from a muddy brown to a charcoal gray late last month.

   

• A ‘megaflood’ in California could drop 100 inches of rain, scientists warn - Matthew Cappucci, The Washington Post (08/12/2022)
  A mention of California might usually conjure images of wildfires and droughts, but scientists say that the Golden State is also the site of extreme, once-a-century “megafloods” — and that climate change could amplify just how bad one gets.
  
  

   

• Death toll in Kentucky floods rises to 28 as area braces for more rain - Aya Elamroussi & Dakin Andone, CNN (07/31/2022)
  At least 28 people have died in last week's flooding in Kentucky as rescuers continue to search for missing people and the region braces for yet more rain.

   

• 8 Dead as Flash Flooding Swamps Parts of Kentucky - Jesus Jimenez & April Rubin, The New York Times (07/28/2022)
  At least eight people died and others were rescued from rooftops on Thursday after heavy rains across southeastern Kentucky touched off what the governor said was “one of the worst, most devastating flooding events” in state history.
  
  

   

• FEMA report: Flood insurance hikes will drive 1M from market - Michael Phillis, The Associated Press (07/22/2022)
  When questioned by members of Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said its new update to the nation’s flood insurance program will prompt more people to sign up for coverage, even though many will pay more for it.
  
  

   

• In response to arrival of hurricane season, Mayor Eric Adams unveils Rainfall Ready NYC Action Plan - Alecia Reid, CBS News (07/07/2022)
  Hurricane season is here. As we look back at the tragic loss of lives from last year's remnants of Hurricane Ida, Mayor Eric Adams' office says the Rainfall Ready NYC Action Plan will help keep residents safe.
  
  

   

• Flood disaster damage to top $1.5 billion - Andrew Brown, Australian Associated Press (03/08/2022)
  Damage from floods in NSW and Queensland is expected to top almost $1.5 billion, as further ADF troops arrive to assist in clean-up efforts.
  
  

   

• New flood maps show US damage rising 26% in next 30 years due to climate change alone, and the inequity is stark - The Conversation, The Conversation (01/31/2022)
  Climate change is raising flood risks in neighborhoods across the U.S. much faster than many people realize. Over the next three decades, the cost of flood damage is on pace to rise 26% due to climate change alone, an analysis of our new flood risk maps shows.
  
  

   

2021

• Flood insurance costs rise in areas once deemed lower risk - Suman Naishadham & Michael Phillis, The Associated Press (12/08/2021)
  In the past year, the southwestern Louisiana city of Lake Charles weathered two hurricanes, intense rainfall that sent water gushing down streets and a deep freeze that burst pipes.
  
  

   

• Miami Beach is raising roads for sea rise. Lawsuits say they’re causing flooding too. Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article255171182.html#storylink=cpy - Alex Harris, The Miami Herald (10/28/2021)
  The constant complaints that Miami Beach’s plans to raise roads in the face of sea rise would flood nearby homes has finally resulted in lawsuits.
  
  

   

• A quarter of the nation's roads in peril against flooding, report on infrastructure risk says - Rachel Layne & Irina Ivanova, CBS News (10/11/2021)
  Almost a quarter of the nation's roads and other critical infrastructure — from hospitals to police and fire stations to wastewater treatment plants — are at risk of becoming overcome by climate change-exacerbated flooding, a new report from the nonprofit First Street Foundation finds.
  
  

   

• The Cost of Insuring Expensive Waterfront Homes Is About to Skyrocket - Christopher Flavelle, The New York Times (09/24/2021)
  Florida’s version of the American dream, which holds that even people of relatively modest means can aspire to live near the water, depends on a few crucial components: sugar white beaches, soft ocean breezes and federal flood insurance that is heavily subsidized.
  
  

   

• ‘Things are dire’: $16B bay flood plan for worst NJ storms - Wayne Parry, The Associated Press (09/21/2021)
  Federal officials on Tuesday warned of a “dire” situation that is likely to get worse as they explained details of a $16 billion plan to lessen back bay flooding, one of the major sources of storm damage at the Jersey Shore.

   

• Flash flood submerges southern French villages, fields - The Associated Press, The Associated Press (09/15/2021)
  Emergency workers rescued or evacuated hundreds of people in southern France as flash flooding abruptly turned roads and fields into rivers and lakes.
  
  

   

• Property owners are paying up to hundreds of thousands of dollars to lift their homes above flood zones during dangerous hurricane season - Hannah Towey, Business Insider (09/03/2021)
  In many coastal communities along the East Coast, houses large and small stand 15 feet in the air on concrete or wooden pilings. The view: gorgeous beaches and deadly flood zones.
  
  

   

• Chaos in New York as flights cancelled, train lines down and traffic gridlocked due to floods - Jade Bremmer, The Independent (09/02/2021)
  Hurricane Ida caused havoc in New York on Wednesday night, dumping record rainfall and causing floods, destruction and mass-disruption to transport.
  
  

   

• Flooding from fire-charred area still threatens Flagstaff - The Associated Press, The Associated Press (05/08/2021)
  It’s nearly two years since a fire burned nearly 3.1 square miles (8.1 square kilometers) in hills north of Flagstaff but rows of concrete barriers and stacks of sandbags remain in place in neighborhoods along a wash.

   

• Florida works to avoid ‘catastrophic’ pond collapse - Chris O'Meara, Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press (04/04/2021)
  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond in the Tampa Bay area while evacuating the area to avoid a “catastrophic flood.”

   

• 'It's been a very tough year': At least four dead as record rainfall slams Tennessee; flooding remains a threat - Duane W. Gang, John Bacon, USA Today (03/28/2021)
  At least four people were killed, and swift-water rescue crews plucked more than 130 people from cars, apartments and homes as devastating storms hammered the South over the weekend.

   

• Catastrophe declared for NSW as 11,700 insurance claims submitted for flood damage - Royce Kurmelovs, The Guardian (03/22/2021)
  The Insurance Council of Australia has declared a catastrophe for large parts of New South Wales struck by devastating floods as the industry received more than 11,700 claims filed as of this morning.
  
  

   

• Officials: A dam in Oregon could fail in a large earthquake - Andrew Selsky, The Associated Press (03/16/2021)
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that a large earthquake — which is expected to occur again in the Pacific Northwest sooner or later — could cause the spillway gates of a dam in Oregon to buckle, resulting “in a potentially catastrophic flood.”
  
  

   

• Entire villages would be wiped out if natural disaster hit dam on PNG mine, critics say - Lyanne Togiba, Ben Doherty, The Guardian (03/13/2021)
  A proposed dam to hold billions of tonnes of mine waste near the head of Papua New Guinea’s longest river is a potential environmental disaster that could wipe out entire villages if there was a natural disaster, government officials, environmental advocacy groups and villagers living along the river say.
  
  

   

• Hawaii governor declares emergency after heavy flooding causes extensive damage - Wilson Wong, NBC News (03/10/2021)
  Hawaii’s governor on Tuesday declared an emergency after the state was battered by heavy rains and flooding described by officials as unprecedented.
  
  

   

• US to urge barriers, elevation to fight NJ back bay flooding - Wayne Parry, The Associated Press (02/22/2021)
  The federal government will recommend flood control measures including storm surge barriers, floodwalls, and elevating homes and other buildings in a report later this year on combating back bay flooding, a major problem in New Jersey that gets comparatively less attention than oceanfront storm surge.

   

• Flood-prone homeowners could see major rate hikes in FEMA flood insurance changes, new study finds - Kyle Bagenstose et al, USA Today (02/21/2021)
  With a major overhaul of the nation’s flood insurance program just months away, new data released Monday by the First Street Foundation suggests hundreds of thousands of homeowners in the riskiest locations across America could face massive rate hikes starting in October.
  
  

   

• 140 are missing after glacier breaks in India’s Himalayas - Biswajeet Banerjee, Rishabh R. Jain, The Associated Press (02/08/2021)
  Indian rescue crews struggled to reach trapped victims Sunday after part of a glacier in the Himalayas broke off and released a torrent of water and debris that slammed into two hydroelectric plants. At least nine people were killed and 140 were missing in a disaster experts said appeared to point to global warming.

   

• Efforts in Cedar Rapids Prompt Drop in Flood Insurance Rates - Marissa Payne, Claims Journal (02/08/2021)
  When the Cedar River flooded over 10 square miles of the city in 2008, few property owners had flood insurance  slowing recovery for residents and business owners as they waited for resources from the federal government.

   

• FEMA Announces Reinsurance Program to Manage Future Flood Risk in 2021 - Press Release, FEMA (01/05/2021)
  FEMA has announced its 2021 traditional reinsurance placement for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), continuing its risk management practice against catastrophic flood losses.

   

2020

• Virginia City Plants Trees to Slow Flooding Woes - Peter Coutu, Insurance Journal (12/16/2020)
  In Ocean Lakes, 100 more trees will soon be popping up in yards throughout the flood-prone neighborhood in southern Virginia Beach, each gifted at no cost from a local environmental group.
  
  

   

• Miami Beach wants to help homeowners adapt to sea level rise with matching grants - Alex Harris, The Miami Herald (12/15/2020)
  Miami Beach is exploring a way to help residents cover the cost of floodproofing their properties from heavy rains and high tides made even higher by sea level rise — at least a little.
  
  

   

• Sea level rise could flood thousands of Miami’s affordable housing spots, research shows - Alex Harris, Yadira Lopez, The Miami Herald (12/08/2020)
  Daelé Guerra keeps a stack of bricks in her first-floor apartment in Hialeah. It’s the only protection she can afford against the floodwaters that have ruined all of her belongings three times this year alone. When the water comes, she uses them to prop up her furniture.
  
  

   

• High tide floods Venice as dike-on-demand wasn’t activated - The Associated Press, The Associated Press (12/08/2020)
  High tides flooded St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Tuesday, propelled by winds that were stronger than predicted, and an experimental system of inflatable barriers wasn’t activated to prevent water from invading the lagoon city.
  
  

   

• Venice remains dry as flood barriers pass 1st emergency - Colleen Barry, Associated Press (10/03/2020)
  Controversial and long-delayed underwater barriers passed their first emergency with flying colors on Saturday, protecting the Italian lagoon city of Venice from a tide that peaked at 125 centimeters (49 inches), a level that would normally inundate more than a third of the city.

   

• Worst Flooding in Decades Raises Concerns Over China’s Three Gorges Dam - Jonathan Cheng, The Wall Street Journal (07/21/2020)
  Water level in giant dam’s reservoir rises above flood-limit level after two months of heavy rain; 40 million people affected.
• Floods in Southern Japan Leave at Least 34 Dead, Including Many at Nursing Homes - Mari Yamaguchi, TIME (07/05/2020)
  Deep floodwaters and the risk of more mudslides that left at least 34 people confirmed or presumed dead hampered search and rescue operations Sunday in southern Japan, including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen died and scores were still stranded.
• Judge says wrongful death suit filed by family of man killed after dam collapse can move forward - Lori Pilger, Kearney Hub (07/04/2020)
  A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the widow of a 71-year-old Niobrara man who disappeared and is presumed dead following the Spencer Dam collapse last year has cleared a legal hurdle to go forward against the state agencies that owned and operated the dam.
• Millions of American Homes at Greater Flood Risk Than Government Estimates, New Study Says - Nicole Friedman, The Wall Street Journal (06/29/2020)
  Nearly six million properties across the U.S. have a substantial risk of flooding that isn’t disclosed by federal flood maps, according to a nonprofit research firm.
• Michigan sues dam owner, seeks compensation for destruction - Ed White, Associated Press (06/09/2020)
  The state of Michigan filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the owner of two dams, seeking fines for the destruction of natural resources as well as “gross mismanagement” that preceded a devastating flood in Midland County.
  
  
• Governor Orders Probe of Failed Dams That Caused Flooding - Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report (05/27/2020)
  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday demanded an investigation to determine what caused two dams in central Michigan to fail, leading to devastating floods in several communities and forcing about 11,000 people to evacuate their homes.
  
  
• Aging dams across nation could give way to disasters - Moriah Balingit et al., Times Union (05/23/2020)
  When the dam broke, the geography here was almost instantly redrawn.
  
  Houses that once sat lakeside with private docks now stare out over mud flats pocked with pleasure boats heaving awkwardly on their sides. Below, where all the water went, businesses and homes look churned and strafed, the roof of a car dealership has collapsed, power poles lean perilously above murky lagoons that formed when the concrete in town gave way.
• Midland homeowners sue dam owners after flooding, seek damages for property damages - Miriam Marini, Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press (05/23/2020)
  Midland property owners are seeking compensation in class-action lawsuits filed in federal court in Detroit against Boyce Hydro, the owners and operators of the Edenville and Sanford dams.
  
  
• More dams will collapse as aging infrastructure can’t keep up with climate change - Emma Newburger, CNBC (05/21/2020)
  The collapse of two Michigan dams on Tuesday following heavy rainfall has triggered concerns over how precarious dam infrastructure in the U.S. is inadequate to handle severe weather.
  
  
• Floodwaters Breach Michigan Dams, Forcing Evacuations - The New York Times (05/20/2020)
  The disaster for towns on the Tittabawassee River was compounded by the effects of the coronavirus.
  
  
• Dam Failure Threatens a Dow Chemical Complex and Superfund Cleanup - Hiroko Tabuchi, The New York Times (05/20/2020)
  Floodwaters from two breached dams in Michigan on Wednesday flowed into a sprawling Dow chemical complex and threatened a vast Superfund toxic-cleanup site downriver, raising concerns of wider environmental fallout from the dam disaster and historic flooding.
  
  
• Failed Michigan Dam Lost License in 2018 - Erin Ailworth, John D. Stoll, The Wall Street Journal (05/20/2020)
  A central Michigan dam failure Tuesday requiring mass evacuations left the state and residents struggling to juggle a natural disaster amid a global pandemic.
• 'Truly devastating': Michigan officials assess flood damage - Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune (05/20/2020)
  It could be days before the full scope of damage from flooding in Central Michigan that submerged houses, washed out roads and threatened a Superfund site is apparent, authorities warned Thursday, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed hope the president will soon sign a federal emergency declaration.
• Nearly 100,000 evacuated after Uzbekistan dam bursts - AFP, Associated Free Press (05/04/2020)
  TASHKENT: Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan after an Uzbek dam burst, flooding thousands of homes and destroying agricultural fields.
  
  
• US to have major floods on daily basis unless sea-level rise is curbed – study - Oliver Milman, The Guardian (04/16/2020)
  Flooding events that now occur in America once in a lifetime could become a daily occurrence along the vast majority of the US coastline if sea level rise is not curbed, according to a new study that warns the advancing tides will “radically redefine the coastline of the 21st century”.
  
  
• Catastrophe 'a matter of time': Spring brings more fears for Missouri River flooding - Dinah Voyles Pulver, Mike Genet, USA Today (04/12/2020)
  Before group limits and social distancing due to coronavirus, the congregation of Ebenezer United Church of Christ in Levasy, Missouri, still gathered each Sunday, about 60 to 70 strong.
  
  
• Flood Risk Remains a Concern Along Eastern Missouri River - Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report (04/08/2020)
  Flooding remains a concern in several states along the Missouri River, even though the weather has been kind so far this spring, according to the National Weather Service.
• Clean-up bill for storms Dennis and Ciara 'set to cost insurers £360m' - Tom McArthur, Yahoo Finance (03/07/2020)
  Cleaning up after storms Dennis and Ciara is set to top £360m ($469m), insurers have said.
  
  
• Flooded towns face more rain as unprotected areas 'are at risk of becoming flood ghettos' - Jamie Johnson, Phoebe Southworth, The Telegraph (02/21/2020)
  Towns already suffering from severe flooding are facing more heavy rain this weekend, as unprotected areas are at risk of becoming “flood ghettos” if the government does not change it’s insurance scheme, a think tank has warned.
• On Rising Great Lakes, Backyards Are Disappearing Overnight - Erin Ailworth, The Wall Street Journal (02/20/2020)
  It took less than eight hours for wind-whipped waves surging off a record-high Lake Michigan during a recent storm to shorten Charlotte and Rudolf Brengel’s backyard by 40 feet.
• Storm Dennis damage could cost insurance companies £225m - Joanna Partridge, The Guardian (02/20/2020)
  Flooding and damage left in the wake of Storm Dennis, which swept across the UK on 15 and 16 February, is estimated to cost £225m in insurance claims, taking the total insurance costs from two February storms to £425m.
• Judge says downstream victims of Harvey have no right to 'perfect flood control' - Gabrielle Banks, Chron (02/19/2020)
  A federal judge's ruling that the flooding of homes and businesses downstream of two Army Corps reservoirs during Hurricane Harvey was an act of God, not a failure of humans, has dealt a blow to the thousands affected by the 2017 storm.
• Hundreds still flooded from homes in Mississippi capital - Rogelio V. Solis, Melinda Deslatte, Associated Press (02/17/2020)
  The swollen Pearl River appeared to have crested Monday in Mississippi’s capital, but authorities warned the hundreds of evacuees in the Jackson area not to rush back home until they got the all clear, and a forecast of more rain put counties further south at risk of flooding.
• Flooding seems certain for some along the Missouri River - Joshn Funk, Associated Press, Fox News (02/13/2020)
  Several states along the Missouri River face an elevated flood risk this spring because the soil remains wet and a significant amount of snow is on the ground in the Dakotas, the National Weather Service said Thursday.
• Giant dams enclosing North Sea could protect millions from rising waters - Jon Henley, Alan Evans, The Guardian (02/12/2020)
  A Dutch government scientist has proposed building two mammoth dams to completely enclose the North Sea and protect an estimated 25 million Europeans from the consequences of rising sea levels as a result of global heating.
• Auditor: Most major California dams lack emergency plans - https://apnews.com/173b4afece56dbbb9e1f10a21ceff85c, Associated Press (01/31/2020)
  Three years after the Oroville Dam spillway broke apart driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes over fears of catastrophic flooding, only 22 of 650 major dams in the state have finalized emergency plans, according to a report by the California State Auditor.
• Mississippi Fights With Army Corps Over Flood Control - Cameron McWhirter, The Wall Street Journal (01/24/2020)
  The state of Mississippi, concerned a bad flood season this spring will hurt its coast and economy, is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change how it handles high waters on the Mississippi River.
• Reports: Flooding risks could devalue Florida real estate - Associated Press, Associated Press (01/21/2020)
  Flooding due to climate change-related sea level rising, the erosion of natural barriers and long-periods of rain pose substantial economic risks to Florida, particularly to the value of South Florida real estate, according to two new reports released last week.

Additional Items

• Record rain is hitting drought-stricken areas. That’s not good news.
  On Monday morning, the Dallas-Fort Worth area awoke to disaster. Rain was pouring down at the rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. Highways became lethal lagoons, brooks became basins, and thousands of people scrambled to higher ground.
• Some California cities think they're safe from sea level rise. They're not, new research shows
  From Northern to Southern California, scientists and planners are waking up to the reality that rising seas will not only threaten California's precious shoreline — but also areas once considered less vulnerable from flooding. In the Bay Area alone, Hill and her team found that more than twice as much land could flood from groundwater as the ocean rises.
• Floods May Cost 20% Of Global GDP By 2100: Study
  Coastal flooding and storm surges could threaten assets worth up to 20 percent of global wealth, according to research published Thursday highlighting the potential economic catastrophe that climate change may bring.
• A New Plan to Collect Flood-Insurance Premiums
  Property owners who pay for insurance to protect their homes against flooding would be required to have their insurance premiums automatically set aside in escrow accounts under regulations proposed Friday.