Episode description

We first ran this episode in May 2023, but following back-to-back hurricanes in Florida this month, it remains as relevant as ever.

You've got insurance, right? Are you sure?

That's today's big question, and my guest is Washington Post reporter Brianna Sacks.

Brianna's an extreme weather and disaster reporter for the Post, where she explores how climate change is transforming the United States through violent storms, intense heat, widespread wildfires, and other forms of extreme weather.

Brianna deploys to disaster zones, which are sometimes very close to home, and does enterprise reporting on the preparations for responses to and the aftermaths of catastrophic events.

We're having this conversation today because last month Brianna revealed how insurers have slashed Hurricane Ian payouts far below damage estimates, often up to 80%.

I cannot emphasize enough that the future includes an insurance landscape that is among the most important in our very brittle economy and society.

It underpins everything we rely on, so understanding not only your own insurance but how well your mortgage holder and the system at large are prepared for what's here and what's coming, is essential.

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INI Book Club:

• What I Talk about When I Talk about Running: A Memoir by Haruki Murakami
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
• Training for the Uphill Athlete by Steve House, Scott Johnston, and Kilian Jornet
• The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle
• Find all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club

Links:

• Follow Brianna on Twitter and Instagram
• Read Brianna's piece on Hurricane Ian insurance cuts
• Read more of her reporting at The Washington Post

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