Not surprisingly, Hurricane Ian was the Not surprisingly, Hurricane Ian was the "largest loss-causing event" of 2022 with estimated losses of up to $65 billion, according to a recent report from the Swiss Re Institute. The storm was the second-largest insured loss recorded, just behind Hurricane Katrina. FEMA reported in early November more than 44,000 flood claims related to Hurricane Ian and said they paid out almost $437 million in losses. The agency projected Ian-related claims to total up to $5.3 billion. (Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture)

The past year was yet another that put America's flood insurance system to the test.

In early September, Hurricane Ian wiped out large sections of Fort Myers and other areas across Florida in one fell swoop. The magnitude of the uninsured and underinsured devastation from flooding has once again exposed some of the flaws of our government-run flood insurance program, as did Ida in 2021, Harvey in 2017, Sandy in 2012 and Katrina in 2005 to name a few.

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