Weather & Science
Few Texas Homeowners Hit by Extreme Rains Have Flood Insurance
The lack of coverage is becoming more problematic as climate change intensifies storms.
Source: US Coast Guard/AP Photo
The narrow canyons and shallow soils in the central Texas area pummeled by recent storms long ago earned it the nickname of “Flash Flood Alley.” Yet only a fraction of homeowners there have flood insurance, data show.
In Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River swelled, killing more than 90 people, only 2% of homeowners hold federal flood insurance. In neighboring Kendall, another hard-hit county, that share is less than 5%.