Louisiana homeowners continue to face high insurance premiums nearly five years after Hurricane Ida, which caused widespread damage and led to roughly 478,000 insurance claims.
“This is where most of the rain came here right here, and then this started collapsing in the kitchen,” said Rosalind Davis, describing the damage to her LaPlace home after the 2021 storm.
WDSU spoke with Davis last year about the crisis. One year later, she ultimately was faced with an impossible decision.
“I feel like they’re looking at people not as people but looking at us as another file number,” Davis said, voicing her frustration with the state’s insurance crisis.
The back-to-back hurricanes in recent years have contributed to an insurance crisis in Louisiana, driving rates higher. Experts say many homeowners are still struggling to pay their premiums.
“If you’re comparing to pre-Ida, you’re always going to be disappointed. I think this is the new normal,” said insurance agent Lee Miller.
Miller noted that the market is showing signs of improvement.
“I feel like that has stabilized and leveled off, which is great, and in some cases, people are actually seeing discounts or decreases,” Miller said.
Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said 14 new companies have filed paperwork to do business in Louisiana over the past two years, partly due to reforms passed in 2024 aimed at fostering more competition.
“It also means those companies are looking to write more policies because they’re lowering their premiums. They want more business, which means you shop your insurance,” Temple said.
Temple also touted the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, which uses a lottery system during an application period to help homeowners install fortified roofs.
Selected homeowners can choose an approved contractor to install a certified roof, with grant money of up to $10,000 going directly to the contractor.
“It’s a great program. You also get a discount with your insurance company if you put a fortified roof on,” said Temple. “It’s definitely improved since Hurricane Ida. A lot has changed.”
Despite these efforts, relief remains out of reach for families like Davis.
She recently listed her house for sale due to high insurance costs and has temporarily moved in with her daughter in Georgia.
“I was working extra hours trying to hold onto it because my home is sentimental,” Davis said.
She shared that she painted her house pink after surviving cancer as a sign of hope.
“I was trying to do whatever I could to hold onto it, sell some things, and liquidate some things, and it seems I could never catch up,” said Davis.
Her dream home, once a symbol of resilience, is now swept away.
READ MORE:LaPlace woman navigating years-long battle with insurance crisis forced to sell her home
