Could the Weather Impact How Much You Pay for Homeowners Insurance

Recent chatter in the home insurance industry indicates that the recent rise in strange weather may eventually have an impact on the rate we pay for homeowners insurance coverage. This disturbing piece of information means that insurance rates will increase even for residents of areas that have been seen as traditionally “safe” from certain weather patterns.

This doesn't mean that you will pay increased premiums for hurricane risks if you live in Nevada, for example. But it does mean that if you choose to build along a coastal region that’s not historically known for being ravaged by hurricanes, you should consider higher structural standards. According to experts, the increasingly unpredictable nature of weather systems across the globe is not something that’s going to go away.

2010 saw some of the strangest weather in recent memory, with Southern California residents seen building snowmen in their front yards, while other Los Angeles residents struggled to stay afloat amidst flooding brought on by torrential rain. Residents of many southern cities across America got an unexpected White Christmas, and New York City was struck with legendary blizzards.

Insurance industry experts aren’t ruling anything out. Whether or not you believe it’s the fault of global warming or just the cyclical nature of Earth’s weather patterns is beside the point. The general consensus is this: strange weather is afoot, and the smart money’s telling us to retrofit to higher standards or suffer the consequences.