In Hurricane Ian’s Wake, Insurers and Homeowners Gear Up for Coverage Fights

Litigation is looming for home insurers in Florida as cash-strapped, underinsured homeowners—paired with an aggressive plaintiffs’ bar—are expected to turn to the court system to try to force payments for flood damage that the carriers say they aren’t legally obligated to cover.

Fewer than one-third to just over 40% of the Florida homes in the two coastal counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian are covered by flood policies, although standard homeowners’ policies in the U.S. for decades have excluded flood damage. In some of the inland counties badly flooded by Ian’s torrential rains, only a few out of every 100 homes have flood insurance.