Insurance Rates Tied to New Software

Homeowners insurance rates may be going up with new hurricane modeling software. The new software package from Risk Management Solutions, Inc. goes way beyond the criteria that other models project.

The factors include the size of the hurricane and how much of it is still over the water, how fast it is moving, and whether a storm is strengthening or weakening just before landfall. Terrain also plays a role; a storm will be torn apart by mountains, but will be able to gather fuel from swampy areas like the Everglades in hurricane-prone Florida.

The model also accounts for the spike in the cost of construction materials after a storm and updates assumptions about the damage that even a moderate hurricane can do to commercial buildings in some regions to reflect the strictness of local building codes—and how well those codes are enforced.

Gone are the days where only those living in the coastal regions of hurricane country have to bear the brunt of the extra fees in their homeowners insurance. Now the risk will be spread out further and wider.

Of course, if you live on the coast don’t expect your premiums to go down any.