Fiona revealed some key challenges with respect to relying on insurance as part of the recovery process. First, let’s understand this in terms of identifying ways to make things better. We’re not going to descend into any rants about industries.
Federal (and Similar) Program Eligibility
Consider the economic realities of the time. It is simplistic to say that a person chose not to purchase insurance. Fixed incomes (of which many are on in this region) are not infinite resources. When you look at increases to property taxes (including climate change fees), food costs, fuel costs, and such, it is not hard to see how increasing insurance premiums fall by the wayside.
Federal program criteria are pretty clear but don’t address this reality for vulnerable segments of the population. We’re not talking about families that think they need to go to the Caribbean to escape winter or have pleasure craft. These are families that are just above the threshold of keeping their head above water.
The first adjustment, therefore, would be for a “pressure relief valve.” Allowing for the criteria to be broadened so that people can benefit from these programs might well be one adjustment that allows for both diligence and compassion in the system.
Availability of Certified Trades
Fiona also revealed challenges as people moved into the recovery phase after the storm. One of these involved the lack of certified trades persons (particularly electricians) needed to certify claims for insurance companies. It also impacted the ability to have repairs done to infrastructure like the electrical masts connected to houses.
One area Public Safety and the Emergency Management Office may want to think about looking at is the availability of these personnel. This availability would be based on two factors: population and time. These should be tied to the Public Safety and EMO guidance on how long you need to be prepared for (currently 72 hours). If there aren’t enough certified tradespeople to deal with an event, work could be prioritized:
- The primary focus would be on connecting homes to the grid safely (life safety priority).
- Insurance requirements for evaluation would be limited to two conditions. Either the insurance company sends someone out to conduct the evaluation or waives the requirement for it.
These are just intended to start a discussion, but what we shouldn’t see are people waiting weeks to be hooked up and months for basic replacements due to administration.