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Few Indiana and Hawaii homeowners carry flood insurance
In Indiana, NFIP participation fell 56% since 2011 to 13,446 policies, and in Hawaii it dropped 29% since 2015 to 11,864 policies, leaving many homes exposed as disasters strike.
Insurance Business reports that historic flooding in Indiana and Hurricane Lala in Hawaii are highlighting persistent gaps in homeowners' flood coverage, with most households in both states lacking separate flood insurance.
In Indiana, data compiled by Neptune Flood shows fewer than one in 200 homes carry flood insurance, as the White River crested at nearly 25 feet in Anderson and Madison County and broke a flood record dating to 1913. Governor Mike Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency, and President Trump approved a presidential emergency declaration on August 16.
Neptune Flood's analysis also points to a long slide in participation: Indiana had 30,820 NFIP policies in 2011 and 13,446 now, a 56% decline. In Madison County, where the river broke its 1913 record, only one in 320 homes has flood coverage, while participation is also low in Delaware County at 0.7% and in Marion County at 0.7%.
In Hawaii, the outlet reports that Hurricane Lala made a direct hit on the Big Island as a Category 1 hurricane on August 15 before weakening, and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for parts of the island. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said 100 or more homes were destroyed or damaged, while statewide NFIP participation is 2.4% of homes, down 29% since 2015, with 11,864 policies, and just 1.2% on the Big Island.
On a broader scale, the report cites research noting NFIP enrollment peaked at about 5.7 million policies in 2009 and now covers under 4.7 million policyholders, underscoring the wider exposure gaps facing disaster-prone areas.