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# Tavily Search Results: Dusty **Query:** Latest US extreme weather **Topic:** news **Results:** 5 **Date:** 2026-02-20 22:44:39 --- ## 1. How the extreme cold is negatively affecting the live of more and more Americans, poll shows - New York Post **URL:** [https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/how-extreme-cold-is-affecting-americans-lives-according-to-a-new-ap-norc-poll/](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/how-extreme-cold-is-affecting-americans-lives-according-to-a-new-ap-norc-poll/) **Score:** 0.9940 ### Summary Scientific research indicates such polar vortex disruptions are happening more frequently due to rapidly warming temperatures in the Arctic and shrinking Arctic sea ice. ## Nearly all Americans have experienced some kind of extreme weather recently Overall, the vast majority of US adults, 80%, have experienced some kind of severe weather event in the past five years, although they are much likelier to report experiencing extremely hot weather or extreme heat waves and extreme cold in the past five years than any other kind of major weather events, including major droughts or water shortages, hurricanes or severe tropical storms, major flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, or other severe weather events or weather disasters. [...] In the summer of 2024, an AP-NORC poll found that about seven in ten US adults had experienced extremely hot weather or extreme heat waves in the prior five years. ## Higher electric bills, school and work cancellations, and more The most recent survey found that just in the past year, Americans’ lives have been upended in multiple ways by cold weather. About seven in ten Americans say that in the past year, their electricity or gas bills have been higher than usual because of winter storms or extreme cold. About four in ten have experienced a work or school cancellation because of winter storms or extreme cold, roughly one-third have experienced a power outage, and about 3 in 10 have had a travel cancellation or delay. [...] There are no meaningful partisan differences in Americans’ experiences of extreme weather, but about eight in ten Democrats who experienced any of these extreme weather events said they were the result of climate change, compared with only about four in ten Republicans. A person stays bundled as they walk their dog in the cold on Jan. 21, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. AP A person bundles up as she takes a walk during a cold weather day in the snow-covered sand at Lake Michigan in Chicago, on Jan. 28, 2026. AP Commuters are bundled up as they wait at a bus stop during a cold day in Chicago, on Feb. 5, 2026. AP The most recent survey found that just in the past year, Americans’ lives have been upended in multiple ways by cold weather. AP ### Full Content [Email](https://email.nypost.com/?c=20fcghruiewhihiwh) [New York Post](https://nypost.com) Edition * [US News](https://nypost.com/us-news/) * [Metro](https://nypost.com/metro/) * [Long Island](https://nypost.com/long-island/) * [Politics](https://nypost.com/politics/) * [World News](https://nypost.com/world-news/) * [US News](https://nypost.com/us-news/) * [Metro](https://nypost.com/metro/) * [Long Island](https://nypost.com/long-island/) * [Politics](https://nypost.com/politics/) * [World News](https://nypost.com/world-news/) #### trending now in US News [##### Legendary director Steven Spielberg is latest billionaire to flee...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/19/us-news/legendary-director-steven-spielberg-is-the-latest-billionaire-to-flee-california-in-another-blow-to-state/) [##### Why Nancy Guthrie hasn’t been found — from cops' early errors...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/why-nancy-guthrie-hasnt-been-found-from-cops-early-errors-to-dna-blunder/) [##### Columbia 'punishing' graduating class for anti-Israel protests by...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/columbia-punishing-graduates-for-anti-israel-protests-by-moving-ceremony-students/) [##### 300 high school students who ditched class for anti-ICE walkout...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/19/us-news/300-students-from-va-s-woodbridge-high-school-suspended-over-anti-ice-walkout/) [##### Families of 6 ‘supermoms’ killed in Lake Tahoe avalanche...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/19/us-news/families-of-6-mothers-killed-in-tahoe-avalanche-break-silence-we-are-devastated-beyond-words/) [##### Rapper Lil Poppa, 25, fatally shot himself in front of horrified...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/rapper-lil-poppa-shot-himself-in-front-of-manager-after-car-crash-report/) [##### Popular cruise line slammed over dining dress code change:...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/lifestyle/norwegian-cruise-line-slammed-over-dining-dress-code-change-idiotic-rule/) [##### Trump dealt huge tariff blow as Supreme Court rules them illegal...](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/supreme-court-strikes-down-president-trumps-powers-to-impose-sweeping-tariffs/) #### Breaking News [Supreme Court strikes down emergency Trump tariffs](https://nypost.com/2026/02/20/us-news/supreme-court-strikes-down-president-trumps-powers-to-impose-sweeping-tariffs/) [US News](https://nypost.com/us-news/) # How the extreme cold is negatively affecting the live of more and more Americans, poll shows By Associated Press Published Feb. 20, 2026, 10:31 a.m. ET WASHINGTON — Millions in North America kicked off 2026 with [bitterly cold temperatures](https://apnews.com/article/cold-spell-climate-change-weather-46135de77d99915d4f8121716c2093fe), with many saying [it’s been years since they’ve experienced such frigid winter weather](https://nypost.com/2026/02/01/us-news/nyc-on-track-for-longest-deep-freeze-in-65-years-heres-when-it-will-finally-warm-up/). “Pipes that never froze on me for 15 years froze,” said Chris Ferro, 58, from Brooklyn, New York, about the [abnormally cold temperatures](https://nypost.com/2026/02/08/us-news/nyc-is-colder-than-antarctica-as-worst-winter-chill-in-20-years-pummels-northeast/) he experienced in January and February. Ferro owns several residential properties in Albany and said multiple days of [below-freezing temperatures](https://nypost.com/2026/01/27/us-news/nyc-could-remain-below-freezing-for-12-straight-days-thanks-to-polar-vortex/) prevented him from doing repairs and renovations. He said he was thankful that none of the pipes burst and that this winter had the same bitter cold he remembers from when he was young, which contrasts with the relatively warmer winters he experienced in recent years. About six in ten US adults say they’ve been personally affected by severe cold weather or [severe winter storms](https://nypost.com/2026/01/28/us-news/deadly-bomb-cyclone-headed-straight-for-nyc-and-could-batter-northeast-with-even-more-snow-even-colder-temps/) in the past five years, according to a new poll from [The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research](https://apnorc.org/projects/more-than-half-experienced-extreme-cold-over-the-past-five-years/). That’s an increase from an [AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2025](https://apnorc.org/projects/half-the-public-has-been-personally-affected-by-extreme-cold-spells-or-heat-waves-within-the-past-five-years/), when about half of US adults said they’d been affected by [extreme cold](https://nypost.com/2026/02/07/us-news/winters-grip-crushes-northeastern-us-with-dangerous-cold-wind-chills-of-20/). The finding points to the growing prevalence of [experiences with cold weather](https://nypost.com/2026/02/13/science/researchers-say-ancient-alaskan-permafrost-could-help-us-military-survive-extreme-cold/), or at least people’s perceptions of them, after a [massive winter storm](https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/winter-storm-weather-photo-gallery-660aec5749dc23108311a31a8627345c) brought fr *[Content truncated...]* --- ## 2. How extreme cold is affecting Americans’ lives, according to a new AP-NORC poll - AP News **URL:** [https://apnews.com/article/weather-extreme-cold-climate-electricity-24b241dab67c022d9ddfdf172b2033f1](https://apnews.com/article/weather-extreme-cold-climate-electricity-24b241dab67c022d9ddfdf172b2033f1) **Score:** 0.9901 ### Summary Overall, the vast majority of U.S. adults, 80%, have experienced some kind of severe weather event in the past five years, although they are much likelier to report experiencing extremely hot weather or extreme heat waves and extreme cold in the past five years than any other kind of major weather events, including major droughts or water shortages, hurricanes or severe tropical storms, major flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, or other severe weather events or weather disasters. There are no meaningful partisan differences in Americans’ experiences of extreme weather, but about 8 in 10 Democrats who experienced any of these extreme weather events said they were the result of climate change, compared to only about 4 in 10 Republicans. O’Malley reported from Philadelphia. \_\_\_ [...] While rising atmospheric temperatures are a result of global warming, scientists say that extreme cold outbreaks across North America are a feature of climate change. The Arctic polar vortex, a swirling area of low pressure and cold air that is typically trapped over the North Pole throughout the year, can stretch down and infiltrate regions further south. Scientific research indicates such polar vortex disruptions are happening more frequently due to rapidly warming temperatures in the Arctic and shrinking Arctic sea ice. ## Nearly all Americans have experienced some kind of extreme weather recently [...] In the summer of 2024, an AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults had experienced extremely hot weather or extreme heat waves in the prior five years. ## Higher electric bills, school and work cancellations, and more The most recent survey found that just in the past year, Americans’ lives have been upended in multiple ways by cold weather. About 7 in 10 Americans say that in the past year, their electricity or gas bills have been higher than usual because of winter storms or extreme cold. About 4 in 10 have experienced a work or school cancellation because of winter storms or extreme cold, roughly one-third have experienced a power outage, and about 3 in 10 have had a travel cancellation or delay. ### Full Content * [World](https://apnews.com/world-news) [Israel-Hamas War](https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war) [Russia-Ukraine War](https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine) [Español](https://apnews.com/hub/noticias) [China](https://apnews.com/hub/china) [Asia Pacific](https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific) [Latin America](https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america) [Europe](https://apnews.com/hub/europe) [Africa](https://apnews.com/hub/africa) TOP STORIES + [Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein](https://apnews.com/article/britain-epstein-andrew-former-prince-arrested-fb0b9e738bf7ede10651914ee3f3583d) + [Trump warns of 'bad things' if Iran doesn't make a deal, as second US carrier nears 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Climate pressures hit Pittsburgh farms and tables - Axios **URL:** [https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/20/climate-change-pittsburgh-farms-restaurants](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/20/climate-change-pittsburgh-farms-restaurants) **Score:** 0.3849 ### Summary The big picture:As droughts, floods and other extreme weather events become more common, so does damage to crops, livestock and equipment. That affects food supply, quality and costs, rippling through the food system to restaurants and consumers, per a 2024 Global Food Institute report. Restaurant owners then find themselves in a tough spot: Raise prices and risk losing customers or absorb the higher costs. Case in point:Jason Oddo, co-founder of Verona-based Coldco Farm, which supplies produce to local chefs and restaurants, said last year's unusually heavy rain wiped out his pepper crops — a challenge many produce farmers faced. [...] Why it matters:Record heat, sharp temperature swings, and extreme weather hit small agricultural producers and businesses hard, as many operate on razor-thin margins. These shocks intensify existing pressures, from labor shortages and rising food costs to USDA staff reductions, SNAP cuts, tariffs and uncertainty in long-delayed farm bill protections, said Anne McBride, vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation. Driving the news: The James Beard Foundation on Thursday hosted U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Aspinwall) and state lawmakers alongside chefs, small-business owners and farmers for a roundtable on the growing toll of climate change on the region's independent restaurants and farms. [...] Ben Buchanan, founder of South Hills-based Unified Fields, said extreme temperature fluctuations take a toll on many of the cattle farmers he works with. Deluzio noted that local businesses are already reeling from more frequent flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Between the lines: Owners and chefs at some of Pittsburgh's most acclaimed restaurants said climate-driven supply shortfalls and broad tariffs have increased prices on staples like olive oil, coffee and fish — just as Lenten fish fry season begins. Threat level:The Trump administration's mass deportation efforts could further reduce the region's agricultural and restaurant workforce, per the James Beard Foundation. ### Full Content Pittsburgh-area farms, restaurants confront climate change effects - Axios Pittsburgh =============== Manage your tracker preferences We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to remember preferences, analyze traffic, and deliver ads. Using some kinds of trackers (like cross-site or behavioral advertising cookies) may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal data under certain state laws. You can opt in or out of these trackers below. 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Save [Privacy Center](https://privacy.axios.com/) [Powered by](https://ethyca.com/) [Skip to main content](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/20/climate-change-pittsburgh-farms-restaurants#main-content) [Axios Pittsburgh Homepage Axios Pittsburgh Homepage Pittsburgh](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh) * [News](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/news) * [Things to Do](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/things-to-do) * [Culture](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/culture) * [Food and Drink](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/food-and-drink) * [Development](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/development) [Sign up for the newsletter](https://www.axios.com/signup/pittsburgh) login 13 mins ago - [Climate](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/climate) Climate pressures hit Pittsburgh farms and tables =================================================  * [Chrissy Suttles](https://www.axios.com/authors/csuttles) * facebook (opens in new window) * twitter (opens in new window) * linkedin (opens in new window) * nextdoor (opens in new window) * email (opens in new window) * sms (opens in new window) [Add Axios on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=axios.com) Add Axios as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. [Add Axios on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=axios.com)  Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Small [restaurant](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/11/13/pittsburgh-restaurant-survival-doordash-2025) owners and farmers in Western Pennsylvania are bracing for escalating climate change disruptions that could further strain their bottom lines. **Why it matters:**[Record heat](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/01/30/pittsburgh-breaks-heat-record-2024), sharp temperature swings, and [extreme weather](https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/04/30/severe-storms-kill-3-cut-power-pennsylvania) hit small agricultural producers and businesses hard, as many operate on razor-thin margins. * These shocks intensify existing pressures, from [labor shortages](https://www.axios.com/2024/06/27/labor-shortage-workforce-economy) and [rising food costs](https://www.axios.com/2026/01/13/inflation-cpi-grocery-prices) to [USDA staff reductions](https://www.farmprogress.com/conservation-and-sustainability/usda-staffing-cuts-threaten-farmers-access-to-conservation-programs), [SNAP cuts](https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/snap-matters-for-farmers-markets/), [tariffs](https://thehill.com/business/5725318-farmers-trump-tariffs-usda/) and uncertainty in [long-delayed](https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/farmers-face-uncertainty-amid-farm-bill-delay-and-ongoing-trade-tensions/) farm bill protections, said Anne McBride, vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation. **Driving the news:** The [James Beard Foundation](https://archive.jamesbeard.org/climate-solutions-for-restaurant-survival#) on Thursday hosted U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Aspinwall) and state lawmakers alongside chefs, small-business owners and farmers for a roundtable on the growing toll of climate change on the region's independent restaurants and farms. **The big picture:**As droughts, floods and other extreme weather events become more common, so does damage to crops, livestock and equipment. * That affects food supply, quality and costs, rippling through the food system to restaurants and consumers, per a 2024 [Global Food Institute report](https://jbf-media.s3.amazo *[Content truncated...]* --- ## 4. Trump climate health rollback likely to hit poor, minority areas hardest, experts say - Chicago Tribune **URL:** [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/) **Score:** 0.1981 ### Summary The EPA, in that 2021 report, estimated that with a 3.6 Fahrenheit rise in global warming, Black people were 40% more likely to live in places with the highest projected rise in deaths because of extreme heat. Latinos, who are overrepresented in outdoor industries such as agriculture and construction, were 43% more likely to live where labor hour losses were expected to be the highest because of heat. [...] Growing evidence shows that poor and Black, Latino and other racial and ethnic groups are typically more vulnerable than white people to pollution and climate-driven floods, hurricanes, extreme heat and more because they tend to have less resources to protect against and recover from them. The EPA, in a 2021 report no longer on its website, concluded the same. The finding’s reversal will affect everyone, but “overburdened communities, which are typically communities of color, Indigenous communities and low-income communities, they will, again, suffer most from these actions,” said Matthew Tejada, senior vice president for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a former deputy with the EPA’s office for environmental justice. [...] Julia Silver, a senior research analyst at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Latino Policy and Politics Institute, found in her own research that California Latino communities had 23 more days of extreme heat annually than non-Latino white neighborhoods. Her team also found those areas have poor air quality at about double the rate, with twice as many asthma-related emergency room visits. Other research shows that Latino children are 40% more likely to die from asthma than white children in part because many lack consistent health care access. “What we’re risking with a rollback like this at the federal level is really human health and well-being in these marginalized groups,” Silver said. #### Experts say the disparate impacts will be significant ### Full Content [Skip to content](#content) [Politics |](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/) [Trump climate health rollback likely to hit…](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/ "Trump climate health rollback likely to hit poor, minority areas hardest, experts say") ### Share this: * [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=facebook&nb=1) * [Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=bluesky&nb=1) * [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=x&nb=1) * [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/#print?share=print&nb=1) * [Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Trump%20climate%20health%20rollback%20likely%20to%20hit%20poor%2C%20minority%20areas%20hardest%2C%20experts%20say&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2F2026%2F02%2F20%2Ftrump-climate-health-rollback%2F&share=email&nb=1) * [Subscribe](https://mktops.chicagotribune.com/subscriptions/land-flash-sale-g-new/?market=ct&source=index&g2i_or_o=Internet&g2i_or_p=nav&g2i_source=SB&g2i_medium=nav2&g2i_campaign=FG24) * [Login](/login) [33°F](http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/chicago-il/60608/current-weather/26462_pc?lang=en-us "Current Weather Conditions") Friday, February 20th 2026 [eNewspaper](https://www.chicagotribune.com/util-clean-cookies/?callbackURL=https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/ "Link to E-Edition opens in a new window") [Politics](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/) * [Sign up for The Spin](https://signups.medianewsgroup.com/the_spin) * [JB Pritzker timeline](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/27/jb-pritzker-timeline-illinois-governor/) * [Candidates to replace Dick Durbin](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/19/dick-durbin-senate-seat-illinois-candidates/) * [Candidates for US House](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/11/illinois-house-top-candidates-2nd-7th-8th-9th/) Trending: ## Breaking News ### [Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s sweeping tariffs, upending central plank of economic agenda](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/supreme-court-strikes-down-trump-tariffs/ "Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s sweeping tariffs, upending central plank of economic agenda") [News](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/) [Politics](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/) # Trump climate health rollback likely to hit poor, minority areas hardest, experts say ### Share this: * [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=facebook&nb=1) * [Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=bluesky&nb=1) * [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/?share=x&nb=1) * [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/trump-climate-health-rollback/#print?share=print&nb=1) * [Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Trump%20climate%20health%20rollback%20likely%20to%20hit%20poor%2C%20minority%20areas%20hardest%2C%20experts%20say&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2F2026%2F02%2F20%2Ftrump-climate-health-rollback%2F&share=email&nb=1) * Gary C. Watson, Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, poses for a photo in Edgard, La., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, across the river from a Marathon Petroleum Refinery. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) * A Marathon Petroleum Refinery operates in Garyville, La., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) * Gary C. Watson, Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, walks on a path in Edgard, La., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, across the river from a Marathon Petroleum Refinery. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) 1 of 3 Gary C. Watson, Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, poses for a photo in Edgard, La., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, across the river from a Marathon Petroleum Refinery. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) [Expand](#) By [Seth Borenstein](https://www.chicagotribune.com/author/seth-borenstein/ "Posts by Seth Borenstein") and [Dorany Pineda](https://www.chicagotribune.com/author/dorany-pineda/ "Posts by Dorany Pineda") PUBLISHED: | UPDATED: **Getting your [Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai) player ready...** In a stretch of Louisiana with about 170 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, premature death is a fact of life for people living nearby. The air is so polluted and the cancer rates so high it is known as Cancer Alley. “Most adults in the area are attending two to three funerals per month,” said Gary C. Watson Jr., who was *[Content truncated...]* --- ## 5. How the UK Is Keeping Flood Insurance Affordable – Until 2039 - Insurance Journal **URL:** [https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/20/858854.htm](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/20/858854.htm) **Score:** 0.1624 ### Summary Many countries intervene to support insurance for disasters such as floods and storms, but few put a firm end date on that support. For example, The US National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created to provide affordable flood insurance and to reduce future damage by discouraging development in high-risk floodplains. In practice, repeated extreme weather has left the NFIP in debt and subsidised premiums have weakened incentives to avoid building in flood-prone areas. Although the NFIP is regularly renewed by the US Congress, its long-term sustainability remains uncertain. ### Full Content [Skip to content](#main) * [MyNewMarkets.com](https://www.mynewmarkets.com/) * [Claims Journal](https://www.claimsjournal.com/) * [Insurance Journal TV](https://www.insurancejournal.tv/) * [Academy of Insurance](https://www.ijacademy.com/) * [Carrier Management](https://www.carriermanagement.com/) ### Featured Stories * [Munich Re Unit to Cut 1,000 Positions as AI Takes Over](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/18/858447.htm) * [CFC Owners Said to Tap Banks for Sale, IPO](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/18/858284.htm) * [Articles](#search-news) * [Jobs](#search-jobs) * [Markets](#search-markets) ### Current Magazine * [Read Online](/magazines/insurance-journal-west-2026-01-26/) * [Subscribe](/members/pro) * [Login](/members/login) # How the UK Is Keeping Flood Insurance Affordable – Until 2039 By Meilan Yan, Dalu Zhang and Neil Gunn | February 20, 2026 [Email This](mailto:?subject=How the UK Is Keeping Flood Insurance Affordable – Until 2039&body=How the UK Is Keeping Flood Insurance Affordable – Until 2039%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.insurancejournal.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2F2026%2F02%2F20%2F858854.htm) [Subscribe to Newsletter](/subscribe/) * [Article](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/20/858854.htm) * [0 Comments](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/02/20/858854.htm?comments) While floods are becoming more frequent in recent years, you should still be able to buy reasonably priced home insurance. That reassurance exists largely because of [Flood Re](https://www.floodre.co.uk/). Launched in 2016, Flood Re is a national public–private reinsurance scheme that prevents many properties from being priced out of cover. But the Flood Re scheme is a temporary fix that’s due to end in 2039, on the assumption that flood risk will fall and the market can move back towards more risk-reflective pricing. As financial experts, we’re worried that the UK may not be able to adapt its infrastructure and systems to climate change fast enough. The success of the Flood Re scheme hinges on a shared contract between government, homeowners and insurers. Government has to cut risk through investment and delivery. Homeowners reduce damage by building back better and avoiding preventable exposure. And insurers must increase prices of premiums to better represent the climate risk but not so fast that cover becomes unaffordable. If premiums rise too quickly, fewer households will stay insured and the ability to socialise risks across a large pool will not be possible. The scale of the challenge is already clear. Flood Re was designed when a global temperature rise of 1.5°C still felt achievable and a 2°C increase should be a hard limit. Climate change has accelerated since then. By around 2050, [around 8 million properties in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-assessment-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-in-england-2024/national-assessment-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-in-england-2024), roughly one in four, could be at flood risk. The [House of Commons public accounts committee](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmpubacc/71/report.html) warns that deterioration in existing defences has left around 203,000 properties without reliable protection, while the government aims to protect 200,000 more by 2027. Labour’s target to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029 risks adding pressure by pushing development onto cheaper land that’s at greater risk of flooding. Many countries intervene to support insurance for disasters such as floods and storms, but few put a firm end date on that support. For example, The [US National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)](https://www.floodsmart.gov/) was created to provide affordable flood insurance and to reduce future damage by discouraging development in high-risk floodplains. In practice, repeated extreme weather has left the NFIP in debt and subsidised premiums have weakened incentives to avoid building in flood-prone areas. Although the NFIP is regularly renewed by the US Congress, its long-term sustainability remains uncertain. France’s [catastrophes naturelles scheme](https://trustrc.com/en/natcat-in-france-updates/) (CAT-NAT) covers natural disaster losses that private insurers struggle to price, funded by a national surcharge. Rising losses from more frequent and severe disasters are straining the model, so the surcharge increased from 12% to 20% in January 2025. That raises a hard question: how can the system stay fair as the cost of disasters keeps climbing? **Preparing for Post-2039** Our ongoing research suggests flood-related volatility can amplify financial stress and uncertainty. The choice is not simply between keeping Flood Re forever or ending the scheme. The real question is whether the UK can use the time Flood Re is buying to reduce risk fast enough to make a fair transition possible by 2039. That is why progre *[Content truncated...]* ---