Vermont Flood Regulations Shelved For Now

The new United States- Mexico- Canada trade agreement reached Tuesday commits the federal government to provide $300 million for the Border Water Infrastructure Program to address pollution on the U.S.- Mexico border, including the Tijuana River Valley region, where millions of gallons of raw sewage, heavy metals and other contaminants regularly flow from…

With children and young people increasingly at risk from extreme weather and out in the streets demanding faster action on global warming, efforts to respect and promote their rights in climate policy need to step up, U.N officials said on Monday. On the sidelines of U.N. climate negotiations in Madrid, the U.N. children's agency and former Irish President Mary…

Dec. 11– CLAYTON– St. Louis County may have failed to notify its insurer that a police sergeant had filed a discrimination lawsuit, which means the county might have to pay the multimillion-dollar verdict awarded to the officer. “We inherited a mess,” said Winston Calvert, chief of staff for County Executive Sam Page. “I have heard that St. Louis County has been told by our…

Buying and protecting undeveloped flood-prone land in key parts of Minnesota– around the headwaters of the Mississippi, on the North Shore and just south of the Twin Cities– would be far cheaper than paying later for inevitable flood damage to homes and businesses that might be built if the land is not protected, a group of conservation researchers said Monday.

Unscrupulous or unresponsive contractors have been an obstacle for property owners rebuilding after the Memorial Day tornadoes, including one who faces criminal charges, a Dayton Daily News investigation found. The Ohio Attorney General's Office has received 55 reports from Montgomery, Miami and Greene counties about home improvement contractors…

A statewide moratorium would provide all California homeowners, renters, and businesses peace of mind, and allow time for stakeholders to come together to work on lasting solutions, help reduce wildfire risk, and stabilize the insurance market. “This wildfire insurance crisis has been years in the making, but it is an emergency we must deal with now if we are going…

Dec. 4– Nearly 18 months after Michigan State University sued about a dozen insurance companies in an effort to get them to pay a record-setting settlement with survivors of Larry Nassar's sexual assault, the case remains on hold. “MSU strongly believes it is entitled to be reimbursed by the insurance companies to whom it paid millions in premiums for many years,”…

Such storms pose a particular threat in San Diego County, where the columns of moisture flow up and along the side of the region's mountains, condense, then fall as heavy rain. Atmospheric rivers “have been identified as the primary source of hydrologic flooding in the western United States, yet their costs remain largely unquantified,” says the research paper,…

–US insurance revenues are forecast to advance 4.3% annually in nominal dollars through 2023, according to Insurance: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Population growth and continued expansion in economic activity are projected to drive insurance demand. These and other key insights are featured in Insurance: United…

–Esurance is on a mission to make insurance surprisingly painless, which means constantly checking in with consumers on what's causing them pain. Today the direct-to-consumer insurance company unveiled the results of its 2019 Consumer Insurance Aches& Pains report a study dedicated to exploring how people really feel about the insurance industry.

Population growth, more intense rainfall and melting ice are likely to cause more frequent and severe floods. That would be five times the average of 10 million displaced a year from the mid-1970s to 2005, and would happen as populations grow and as rainfall intensifies and ice melts on a warmer planet, causing more frequent and severe floods, said study author…

–The global insurance fraud detection market size is expected to reach USD 9.7 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 13.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Detecting and preventing fraudulent activities is a global challenge for insurers. As per a research conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the…

A bipartisan cadre of New York's federal lawmakers is calling on President Donald Trump to approve a disaster declaration after devastating flooding on Halloween. FEMA should approve New York State's request for a disaster declaration as soon as possible, so that counties across the state can continue recovering and rebuilding. ” Andrew Cuomo requested a…

A calendar remains on the month of March, the last time the retired northwest Missouri mailman lived there. Considering the condition of his 100- year-old house in Craig, Whetsel, 70, wasn't too surprised when a $12,400 check from the Federal Emergency Management Agency appeared in the mail in July. He learned FEMA, which inspected his home and saw the…

Dec. 2– Washington residents would be asked to pay an additional $5 surcharge on home and auto insurance policies to combat the growing threat of wildfires, under a proposed bill by Hilary Franz. The bill, which is anticipated to raise $63 million annually, is intended to provide the Department of Natural Resources with guaranteed funding to hire more…

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday that the world's efforts to stop climate change have been “utterly inadequate” so far and there is a danger global warming could pass the “point of no return.” Speaking before the start Monday of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid, the U.N. chief said the impact of rising temperatures- including…

Almost 2.5 million New Englanders are expected to travel over Thanksgiving, the highest number in more than a decade, the AAA says. “A strong economy is driving the increase in Thanksgiving travel again this year,” says Amy Parmenter, spokeswoman for AAA in Greater Hartford.“ And gas prices across Connecticut and much of the region are a solid 20 cents less per gallon…

As farmers work the fields to remove crops, it is also archery season in Ohio and firearm season in Michigan, so this dramatic increase in outdoor activity and human presence gets deer moving. “We know there is an increased risk of collision with deer around dawn and dusk, and also during the October-December breeding season,” said Chris Mullen, the former director…

Nov. 22– State prosecutors in the criminal trial of local insurance agent and Glynn County Commissioner Bob Coleman leaned heavily on a recording of an interview between Coleman and Doug Williams, a criminal investigator for the State Board of Workers' Compensation, as the jury trial continued through Thursday. Both Bob Coleman and his wife, Sherry, were charged…

Nov. 21– A jury heard opening statements from attorneys and cross-examination of witnesses Wednesday in the first day of the criminal trial of local insurance agent and Glynn County Commissioner Bob Coleman. Both Bob Coleman and his wife, Sherry, were charged by a Glynn County grand jury in January with 15 counts of felony violation of the Georgia Insurance Code–…

U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe said the two former Lynn Haven officials approved false invoices for the two companies, Erosion Control Specialists and Greenleaf Lawn Care, for work they never performed. Those arrested were former Lynn Haven City Manager Michael White, former community services director David Horton, Erosion Control Specialists owner David…

The EPA believes“ the Superfund program’ s existing processes and resources adequately ensure that risks and any adverse effects of severe weather events, that may increase in intensity, duration, or frequency, are woven into risk assessments,” assistant EPA administrator Peter Wright wrote the GAO in response. GAO investigators looked at 1,571 Superfund…

Nov. 15– As more companies refuse to provide fire insurance to homeowners in a state plagued by increasingly destructive blazes, California’s insurance commissioner said Thursday that a plan once meant to be a last resort will be expanded. “I am taking this action after meeting with thousands of California homeowners across the state who are struggling to find…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency has issued the following news release:. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency today announced it will continue to defer accrual of interest for 2019 crop year insurance premiums to help the wide swath of farmers and ranchers affected by extreme weather in 2019.

The grand jury in Lexington indicted Michael McNew on one charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. McNew allegedly worked with others to defraud the federal government, which backs insurance policies for farmers, and ARMtech Insurance Services, a private company. Some initials match those of farmers who have…

U.S. property/casualty insurance and reinsurance companies are using low interest rates to extend their debt maturity profiles and replace higher cost debt with often significantly lower cost alternatives, according to an AM Best report. The total amount of debt outstanding has dropped by approximately 19%, or $42 billion, since year-end 2009, totaling…

Mike Mueller today said a fee reduction announced by the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association is a sign that local drivers will save money through the state’s recent car insurance reforms. The MCCA announced it will charge a $100 per-vehicle assessment for the year-long period beginning July 2, 2020. According to the MCCA, the $100 per vehicle…

Homeowners want the peace of mind that their home or business will be able to safely weather the next storm, and the state of Florida should do everything possible to make it easier for them to do so. And when they buy that house in Florida, ensuring it is protected against hurricanes is foremost on their minds. In Florida, PACE offers access to affordable, fixed-cost…

Nov. 13– TOPEKA– Each day, the roughly 150 residents of Lakeside Village drink, cook and bathe with water hauled in by the Kansas National Guard. Months after floodwaters overwhelmed the northeast Kansas community’s well system, trucks are still delivering up to 40,000 gallons of water daily. The new normal for Lakeside Village is just one snapshot of the…

In rulings with grim financial consequences for tens of thousands of homeowners, the state Supreme Court concluded in decisions released late Tuesday that language common to most homeowner policies exempts insurers from having to cover repairs to homes with structural damage caused by crumbling concrete foundations. One expert said the decisions could…

–Risk Strategies, a privately held, rapidly growing national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced that it has acquired Zito Insurance Agency, a full service firm headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, northeast of Cleveland. In addition to its Mentor, OH headquarters, the firm also maintains an office in nearby Rocky River, OH.

Want to buy some Florida swampland? Now consider that of all states, low-lying Florida is at greatest risk for inland flooding and tied with Louisiana for the highest risk of coastal flooding. Florida isn’t the only state where sellers can duck telling buyers about homes that repeatedly flood.

He’s the superintendent of Rockland County’s Highway Department and his workers have the unpleasant task of cleaning up after a fatal encounter between deer and car. This has been a particularly busy year for deer strikes in New York and New Jersey is close to matching last year’s figures. The largest jump has been on roads patrolled by Troop F, which includes…

The house, business and warehouse fires occurred in San Jose and Stockton between December 2011 and September 2013, according to the California Department of Insurance. The department opened a joint investigation, dubbed Operation Firebird, with the San Jose Fire Department, Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and San Joaquin District…

—A New Jersey man is not going to prison for orchestrating a slip and fall insurance scam. Under terms of a plea agreement, a judge on Monday instead sentenced 58- year-old Alexander Goldinsky to probation, community service and ordered him to pay $563.48 in restitution to an insurance company. Middlesex County prosecutors say Goldinsky was an independent…

The deadline to file a claim for losses from the Camp Fire and some other wildfires linked to Pacific Gas& Electric Co. has been extended, and more people are likely to be eligible to file than they think. The claims are part of the bankruptcy case against the utility for its suspected role in the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, as well as the 2017 wine country fires and the…

Nov. 5– Several area counties were designated natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture following a disastrous planting season in Ohio that was plagued by excess rains and flooding. Nisonger’s county was one of three locally that the USDA said are primary natural disaster designations because of the excessive rains and flooding in the…

—For much of the United States, invasive grass species are making wildfires more frequent, especially in fire-prone California, a new study finds. Twelve non-native species act as “little arsonist grasses,” said study co-author Bethany Bradley, a University of Massachusetts professor of environmental conservation. University of Utah fire expert Phil…

At least 20 people, including children, were displaced from their Thornbury Township homes after the carnage of 120- mph peak winds caused by the EF-2 tornado, merely hours after trick-or-treaters walked the sidewalks of the close-knit community adjacent to the Golf Course at Glen Mills. For Gary Bevilacqua and other homeowners on Chelsea Court affected by…

State Auto Financial Corporation today reported third quarter 2019 net income of $11.5 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, compared to net income of $33.4 million, or $0.76 per diluted share, for the same 2018 period. Net income from operations 1 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2019 was $0.34 versus $0.44 for the same 2018 period. For the first nine…

Oct. 30– Residents whose home and property were damaged by flooding caused by heavy rains in June can now apply for low interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, officials said. Cook County investigators identified about 200 properties in Steger, Park Forest and South Chicago Heights that had sustained some kind of flood damage from rains…

Oct. 29– A couple were sentenced to jail time Tuesday after they pleaded no contest to insurance fraud for filing a false stolen vehicle report and then lying to their insurance company when their son caused a head-on collision, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said. Jose Leyva was sentenced to 90 days in jail, and his wife, Leticia, was sentenced to…

Oct. 29– A Lutherville- Timonium resident was convicted by a federal jury Monday for conspiring to defraud insurers of more than $15 million by setting fire to his Baltimore- based business in 2015, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, trial evidence showed that on July 28, 2015, Stavrakis used tape to obscure one…

—Flooding along the Missouri River has stretched on for seven months in places and could endure through the winter, leaving some Upper Midwest farmland and possibly some homes encased in ice. In Missouri’s Holt County, where Bullock serves as emergency management director, roughly 30,000 acres of the 95,000 acres that flooded last spring remain underwater,…

Heather Gaker found her dream home on North Lake Drive in Boynton Beach in 2015. Then in 2017, six weeks after Hurricane Irma tore through Florida, the water got inside her house. The flood was a bad one; the insurance company paid out more than $100,000, over half the value of the house.

Oct. 23– Insurance experts estimated on Wednesday that the tornadoes which slammed North Texas on Sunday night caused $2 billion in damage, making it the costliest tornado event in Texas history. The previous record for tornado damage was $1.2 billion from tornadoes that hit the Garland- Rowlett area on Dec. 26, 2015. An EF-3 hit North Dallas packing winds of 140…

Seven years ago this month, Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast of the United States, killing more than 150 people and causing about $70 billion in damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. In 2015, the Army Corps of Engineers released a comprehensive report on Hurricane Sandy. States including New York and California, and communities including…

A western Kansas farmer faces up to 30 years in prison after his guilty plea Monday to charges of crop insurance and bankruptcy fraud in federal court in Wichita, authorities said. Kevin W. Struss, 63, of Wakeeney, pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’ s crop insurance program, which provides government insurance against…

The rejection means the California Insurance Co., which is a subsidiary of Applied Underwriters, cannot sell insurance in California– for now at least. California Insurance last week incorporated in New Mexico, after California regulators delayed approving an application to transfer ownership. California regulators “had been in the process for several…

Oct. 21– The director of the S.C. Department of Insurance told the Rotary Club of Aiken on Monday that he “wholeheartedly” supports efforts in the Palmetto State’s legislature to crack down on distracted driving. “It is well documented that South Carolina has some of the worst drivers in the country. Bill Taylor, R- Aiken, and S.C.

Oct. 20– Eighteen-year-old Mikayla Taylor saved her junior year of high school to buy a car by working part-time as a kennel technician for $9 an hour. Taylor’s situation is repeated by hundreds of victims of hit-and-run drivers every month, says Trooper Kenn Watson, a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman. Taylor was driving south on U.S. 41 when she followed a white…

Insurance companies have become an obstacle to some people rebuilding from the Memorial Day tornadoes, a Dayton Daily News investigation found. The Dayton Daily News used Ohio public records laws to obtain all insurance complaints filed in Montgomery, Greene and Miami counties and identified 41 related to the Memorial Day tornadoes. Dean Fadel, president of…

According to the number-crunchers at State Farm Insurance, the average American driver has a 1 in 116 chance of plowing into some kind of large wilderness creature every time they venture out in the car, especially in the months of October, November and December. “Claims after collisions with an animal range from small dents to totaled vehicles and injured…

Oct. 16– When Baltimore officials refused to pay the hackers that had locked them out of key parts of their network in a May ransomware, the resultant price tag was some $18 million in recovery costs and lost revenue. The city will spend a combined amount of $835,103 on the insurance: Chubb will provide $10 million in coverage, with a price tag of $500,103, while the…