With tornado season in full swing — hitting Texas and Iowa hard in the last week — and hurricane and wildfire season looming this summer, insurance experts say millions of homeowners will find their policies failing to cover repairs and rebuilding just when they’re urgently needed.
A 2023 study published in the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal found 77 percent of insurance payouts in California in 2018 and 2019 didn’t fully cover replacement costs, with the average payout falling 35 percent short. Following natural disasters like wildfires, 96 percent of insurance payouts were insufficient.