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Jan 27, 2025

Burning Questions: Is the future insurable?

As climate disasters surge, the insurance industry rests on shaky ground.

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A church in the Pacific Palisades is destroyed after wildfires roared through the community in early January.
A church in the Pacific Palisades is destroyed after wildfires roared through the community in early January.
Caitlin Esch/Marketplace

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Since early January, historic wildfires have been burning across Los Angeles. Over two dozen people have died, and more than 10,000 homes have been destroyed. Insured losses may exceed $30 billion. In the months prior to the fires, thousands of Los Angeles homeowners were dropped by insurers. Some moved over to the state-funded insurance FAIR plan while many others remained insurance-less. In this episode of “Burning Questions,” the How We Survive team surveys the devastation on the ground in the Pacific Palisades and host Amy Scott talks with Carolyn Kousky from the Environmental Defense Fund to find out if the future is insurable and what that might mean for the housing market.

The Team