Creation Care Mom

Insurance Trouble

Last week, we had our first HOA board meeting of the year. It was expected to be a quick meeting updating everyone on policy changes and upcoming work projects. But is wasn’t. It turned into a long discussion about insurance, specifically the insurance policy the HOA buys to protect the exterior of all the condos. It covers siding and roofs, anything from studs out. Last year we paid almost $72,000. We had budgeted for an increase to $78,000 this year. When the renewal was received, the total for the year came in at $151,000!

To say we were shocked is an understatement. There is no way we could have been prepared. As a group, we listened to our insurance broker talk about the difficulties in insuring so many buildings (roofs), how insurers everywhere are paying out almost as much as they take in, and that it may be time to increase our deductible in order to reduce our premium. Reducing the premium with a higher deductible will reduce our cost to $128,000. We are short on budgeted funds and so every homeowner will have to pay and additional ~$500 to the HOA by the end of the year to cover the shortfall. We have scheduled an additional meeting for February to discuss payment options and hear additional feedback.

If you’ve been on the news much, insurance companies are making headlines for leaving flood prone Florida or fire prone California. They are refusing to offer new policies or hiking premiums to try to make funds in=funds out. Here is a recent opinion explaining some of the problems in the insurance market.

The fact is as weather is supercharged by climate change. It will be harder and more expensive to insure property anywhere. Which leads to the next vignette.

Weather Weirding

January was a very strange weather rollercoaster. In Kansas, we had a two week period of intense extreme cold with snow at the beginning, but ended the month almost spring like with highs above average in the 50s. The first weekend in February brought rain instead of snow because it was so warm. I’m beginning to think about my spring garden and am not even sure how to plan around the last frost date.

Across the country, the weather brought feet of snow to western mountain ranges, tornados in the southeast, snow and/or rain in the northeast. Several named storms impacted travel causing flight cancellations (including ours). At least one football game was delayed. School closings were widespread.

Now we’re seeing the atmospheric river dump rain, and rain, and more rain in California. 6 inches yesterday with an estimated 8-14 inches dropped today in Los Angeles. Breaking rainfall records, causing mudslides, flooding roads. The New York Times is updating regularly the progress of this storm as it plays out.

Weather weirding is exactly what we would expect to see as the climate warms. Warm air holds more moisture. More moisture intensifies hurricanes, tornadoes and the atmospheric river. It also draws more moisture from soil increasing wildfire risk.

Book Reviews

I read 2 climate related books already this year. The first was The Wall by John Lanchester. This book assumes the worst of climate change actually happened. In this fictional world, the haves are protected by “the wall” which every person must serve a 2 year term protecting. We follow the main character as he serves his time and what happens after. It is a chilling, not unlikely scenario, world. I didn’t like the resolution, but only because I want my books to have happy endings. In a world of climate destruction, happy endings are unlikely.

I also read The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go From Here by Hope Jahren This book is a short primer on the issues leaning heavily on the statistics of use over the span of the author’s lifetime. Its a unique take from various angles. For those on the fence, who want more numbers, it would be a great resource. I don’t feel that I necessarily learned anything new, but for its length it was packed full of information! I’d love getting my hands on the version adapted for young adults, to see how she adapted the material.

If you read either of them, let me know what you think!