Category Archives: Weather

State Farm not renewing hurricane insurance for older homes

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State Farm Insurance is in the process of notifying owners of older single-wall construction homes in Hawaii that they will no longer be able to obtain hurricane coverage from State Farm.

The company is sending letters to the affected owners announcing the change.

It isn’t clear whether this only applies in Hawaii, or includes other parts of the country.

A quick search did not turn up any news coverage of the company’s latest.

CNBC recently rated State Farm best among insurers for availability of hurricane coverage.

According to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:

Hurricane season in Hawaii begins on June 1 and runs through November.

Hurricane insurance is a supplemental insurance to home insurance. It covers wind-related damage associated with hurricanes.

Banks require homeowners to have hurricane insurance as part of their mortgage approval.

(Download the pamphlet: “What does Home, Hurricane and Flood Insurance Cover?” )

It is important to note that most hurricane and home insurance policies do not cover flooding. Additional insurance would need to be purchased. Flood insurance is a special policy that is federally backed by the NFIP and available for both homeowners and businesses.”

Waialae Stream floods at the beach park

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Within about a half hour early this morning, Waialae Beach Park went from normal to flood zone!

Although a flash flood watch was in effect, it was just drizzling. But apparently rain in the mountains was rushing downstream and hit just a few minutes later.

When we returned after only about a half-hour, the stream had already overflowed its banks and water was rapidly rising. With the mouth of the stream blocked by a sand bar, the water had nowhere to go except up over the banks and into the park. The parking lot was flooding, threatening to trap the remaining cars.

And as the stream rose to the level of the bridge on Kahala Avenue, trash and debris flowing down from the mountains began to form a huge, gross garbage patch. And more was on its way!

By the time I left, it appeared the water level in the parking lot had dropped a few inches, probably the result of the sand bar giving way and the stream starting to flow into the ocean. Yes, carrying all that garbage with it.

Flooding at the beach park