The sand was a bit rough. what was once a vast, tree-lined yard in the Mendenhall River, Aiden Key took a swipe into a hefty layer glacial silt using the toe of his boots.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”A a few more and you’ll be looking at beachfront home,” he said. “Nice white beaches .”
Key claims that he used to relax sitting on his deckchair to observe the wildlife that came through his backyard. The chairs, however, have gone, as is much of the land the wildlife once roamed. The entire area was destroyed during the record glacial outburst flooding of Juneau.
The remaining land is in ruins. Tree roots protrude from the steep drop towards the bank. The plants that are in the garden are dying, and the black landscaping tarp sticks throughout the garden.
Key states that he’s been apprehensive about the river since he purchased his home in the year 2020.
“I recall looking at the water and saying Wow, that’s an incredible force,” he said.
Today, parts of other homes are being stacked up on his front porch. They were washed up during the flood. From his backyard, Key can see a neighbor’s home hanging from the bank, along with one side which is sagging.
It’s impossible to fully prepare for a catastrophe like this month’s record-breaking glacial outburst flood. However, Key as well as many others in the River — believed insurance would be security. He was mistaken.
When he first bought the home and was insured, he claims his insurance representative told him floods weren’t something to worry about. He was not in a designated flood zone. However, Key purchased a flood insurance in the end, and also the homeowner’s insurance required.
The policy won’t be able to cover the damages caused by the flooding. The homeowner is concerned that the bank’s collapse has made his home more vulnerable, and the cost of protecting it could be hundreds to tens of thousands.
Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover the most frequent disasters in Alaska
The absence of coverage came as an unwelcome surprise for homeowners such as Key. It’s actually not a surprise to the local insurance representative Emil Mackey. This is because insurance was designed to safeguard property and, in terms of insurance this doesn’t always refer to what people would expect.
It’s a style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Property is usually a private property or structure that are located on the property and not on the land itself” he added. “That’s where insurance is typically stopped. .”
If the house Key lived in was flooding, he could have earned some cash. As it wasn’t, Key will be left with nothing.
Key was able to take the extra step by purchasing flood insurance however, many of his neighbors on the riverbanks did not. With a standard homeowner policy, there’s not a payout for an event such as this, regardless of how the damage was caused.
Mackey claims that although homeowners must have insurance to secure mortgages, a standard insurance policy doesn’t cover many of Alaska’s most prevalent catastrophes, such as earthquakes, avalanches and floods, landslides and all types of erosion.
“Because homeowner’s insurance does not cover many different items,” Mackey said. “Flood and Earth movement is two major ones must be considered regarding .”
The occurrences can result in catastrophic damages insurance companies typically would like to share the burden of these losses across many policyholders. Mackey states that it is more difficult to accomplish this in Alaska.
Its style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”The private market simply can’t handle the risks that are presented,” he said. “We’re not a big enough state, with a small population to take on the threat. .”
Riverside homes were not covered by flood insurance
The typical Alaska homeowner might not be aware about all the exclusions. Kris Dorsey’s house located on Riverside Drive was condemned after the floods caused the destruction of its foundation.
She was thinking that a portion of the damage could be covered under the homeowners insurance.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”In the moment that you’re at the office, signing all the documents, and you’re reading page upon page of policy” Dorsey said. “I believe it’s difficult to imagine what’s in the policy at times. If you don’t have something similar to this happen, .”
In the weeks following the flooding, Dorsey says she spent many hours sending emails and calls to the insurance company. The adjuster in Texas was the first to have had any idea of a glacial eruption flood. In the end her claim was denied.
The incident caught her off guard.
Its style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”I believe that insurance is responsible to provide these details more,” she said. “To ensure that customers are aware of the exclusions .”
The denial was particularly difficult for Dorsey since she will not receive any additional money to cover costs of living. Dorsey as well as her entire family were given only ten minutes to pack up and leave their house, but they left plenty of their possessions in their possession. It’s unclear when they’ll return.
The policy covering her home may pay for living expenses, but only for covered losses. This means, it’s the policy is not applicable to floods.
Dorsey was not covered by flood insurance on her condominium unit. The building wasn’t covered neither did the building. The majority of people purchase flood insurance based on historical flood maps. However, the Mendenhall River had never flooded in this manner before.
However, even in the event that they had the chance, it might not have made a difference. Similar to Key’s backyard, the most serious home damage caused by the flooding was caused by erosion of the banks of the river rather than standing water. That means it could not be able to be covered.
It’s because flood insurance offers exclusions from damage caused by earth movementsfor example, earthquakes, landslides, and erosion.
Dorsey states she’s not certain whether she’ll buy an insurance policy for floods for the foreseeable future. Just a couple of days after the flooding, a different insurance company contacted her to offer an insurance policy for floods.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”And I was beginning to feel as if they tried to trick myself into spending money on something that would not be effective,” she said.
You might still need flood insurance
But, Mackey says he does suggest flood insurance to anyone throughout Juneau regardless of historical flood zones. It will cover a large portion of the gaps that are left by a homeowner’s insurance policy. For homes that suffer from water damages, the policy will pay for repairs.
Although it’s more difficult convincing insurers to pay for erosion-related damage, Mackey says people with flood insurance could get money if they take their insurer to the court. Mackey suggests that even if erosion occurs simultaneously with flooding the latter could be protected.
But it’s not an option for someone like Dorsey who has the standard homeowner’s insurance. She’s overwhelmed with the expenses she’s faced for repairs.
“There’s an inability to budget financially to deal with such a situation,” she said.
The fall of this year marks Dorsey’s debut year of retirement after more than thirty years of teaching. Her husband, also a teacher been planning to retire as well at the close of the school year.
However, Dorsey says they might have to take on additional jobs.
