The Texans lament the victim killed in fatal flash floods
The Texans have lamented those killed in the deadly flash floods over the weekend and have helped them recover.
One reality persists as a desperate search of survivors continues in a Texas area surrounded by weekend floods. Americans and their wealth are not prepared for the severe weather effects of climate change.
At the end of that day, July 7th, the death toll was 90 years old, including at least 27 children and a counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp in Kerr County. At least 10 girls and one counselor remain missing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leesa said at a press conference Monday.
“One of the more devastating things about this event was that the risks were known,” said Jeremy Porter, director of climate impacts at real estate data provider First Street, in an interview with USA TDOAY. Camp Mystic was on the edge of a special flood hazard area, as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Porter noted. In 1987, a teenager was killed in a camp in the same area for the same cause. The sudden onset of severe precipitation leading to flash floods from the same river that spiked over the weekend.
But even knowing the risks may not be enough to protect American homeowners.
In Carr County, where Camp Mystic is located, flood insurance is required as only 2,650 properties fall in FEMA’s hazard area. Homeowner insurance does not cover flood damage. First Street’s proprietary model finds 4,592 properties within the county, including what is called “100-year risks.”
However, there is no check on whether homeowners have flood insurance. Experts like Porter say only about 50% of all potentially affected homeowners buy it. First Street’s model differs from FEMA in that FEMA incorporates the effects of extreme precipitation, but FEMA does not explain it. First Street also uses the Climate-Change model to estimate the risks of change in the future.
Homeowner insurance can help
Floods aren’t covered by homeowners’ insurance, but the most important lesson from the devastation over the weekend is the importance of having insurance contracts for other disasters, said John Schnee, insurance director for research and content for data providers. “Insurance is still the first line of defense when it comes to financial recovery,” Schneyer told USA Today.
It can now be costly to take steps to be properly insured and to mitigate damage from bad weather, Schneer said, but savings in the case of damage should offset those costs, let alone peace of mind.
It is also important for homeowners to weigh the potential for extreme weather against relatively affordable housing costs in some parts of the country, such as the South, Schnee said. He encourages homeowners to do everything they can to understand their risk level, rather than simply assuming that lying outside the FEMA flood zone will make the property safe.
“Low risk doesn’t mean there’s no risk.”
