How States Can React to the “Summer of Flooding,” Increase Flood Insurance Coverage, and Improve Flood Resiliency

Authors

• Perry S. Warren, Esq.
• Joseph P. Keller, Esq.

Library of Congress Authority File

http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79122466.html

Abstract

Summer 2025 was the United States’ “summer of flooding,” as shown by four one-in-1,000-year rainfall events that occurred during a single week in July. Because flood damage is not covered under a standard homeowners, renters, or commercial insurance policy, many individuals and businesses affected by these storms will face difficulties repairing their property unless they purchased flood insurance. As flood risks increase due to climate change, flood insurance will become increasingly unaffordable unless governments intervene.

In 2024, Pennsylvania became the first and only state that established a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force. The Task Force issued nine recommendations calculated to lower flood insurance premiums by improving consumer awareness of flood risks, incentivizing flood mitigation activities, and promoting a healthier flood insurance risk pool. Since climate change is causing increased flooding across the United States, this article argues that other states should create their own flood insurance task forces and implement relevant recommendations from Pennsylvania’s Task Force.

Recommended Citation

Perry S. Warren, Esq. & Joseph P. Keller, Esq., How States Can React to the “Summer of Flooding,” Increase Flood Insurance Coverage, and Improve Flood Resiliency, 17 San Diego J. Climate & Energy L. 43 (2026)
Available at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/jcel/vol17/iss0/3