Just over a year go, Southern California saw fires rip through neighborhoods, destroying many homes.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a total of 96,949 acres were burned down over the span of almost two weeks last year. In that time, three died and over 1,500 structures were burned to the ground.
And now, the fires are back again.
Throughout the last month, wildfires are making their way back through the West Coast, leaving many California residents without a home.
Despite the fact that 55% of Americans believe that climate change is increasing the severity and frequency of natural disasters, many still don’t have the insurance to protect their homes.
The data comes courtesy of a study from Simple Dollar. The study shows that less than half, or 47%, of Americans have purchased home or rental insurance, while 31% don’t even know if they have home or rental insurance.
The National Centers for Environmental Information said that the U.S. has sustained 254 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages and costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. In all, the total cost of these 254 events exceeds $1.7 trillion.
This year marks the fifth consecutive year in which 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events have impacted the United States.
Beyond that, tidal flooding has risen in many coastal communities over the past decade, but that’s not stopping the amount of new homes being built in these cities.
More than 800,000 existing homes worth $451 billion are at-risk for a 10-year flood by 2050. By 2100, those numbers will jump to 3.4 million existing homes worth $1.75 trillion, Zillow said.
Despite those figures, 32% of Americans say they are not afraid of their property being damaged, while 19% say they are most afraid of fire and lightning damage.
